Apple has released iOS 26.4, bringing 13 enhancements to your iPhone. The new software update includes 8 new emoji characters, changes to Apple Music, keyboard accuracy improvements, and much more.
What’s new in iOS 26.4
“This update introduces Playlist Playground and Concerts in Apple Music, and 8 new emoji, along with other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone,” according to Apple.
The release notes highlight 13 specific features and improvements:
Apple Music
- Playlist Playground (beta) generates a playlist from your description, complete with a title, description, and tracklist
- Concerts helps you discover nearby shows from artists in your library and recommends new artists based on what you listen to
- Offline Music Recognize in Control Center identifies songs without an internet connection and delivers results automatically when you’re back online
- Ambient Music widget for Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing brings curates playlists to the Home Screen
- Full screen backgrounds give album and playlist pages a more immersive look
Accessibility
- Reduce bright effects setting minimizes bright flashes when tapping on elements like buttons
- Subtitle and caption settings are available from the captions icon while viewing media, making them easier to find, customize, and preview
- Reduce Motion setting more reliably reduces the animations of Liquid Glass for users sensitive to screen motion
This update also includes the following enhancements:
- 8 new emjoji including an orca, trombone, landslide, ballet dancer, and distorted face are available in the emoji keyboard
- Freeform gains advanced image creation and editing tools, and a premium content library, joining Apple Creator Studio
- Mark reminders as urgent from the Quick Toolbar or by touching and holding, and filter for urgent reminders in your Smart Lists
- Purchase Sharing lets adult members in Family Sharing groups use their own payment method when making purchases, without relying on the family organizer
- Improved keyboard accuracy when typing quickly
iOS 26.5 and iOS 27 are next
Next up, we’re awaiting the first iOS 26.5 beta. Apple’s next software update will hopefully include the first new Siri and Apple Intelligence features powered by Google’s Gemini AI models.
Apple struck a deal with Google at the start of this year to use Gemini under-the-hood for Personal Intelligence and other capabilities first previewed in June 2024.
Looking ahead, Apple is also expected to introduce new AI features as part of iOS 27.
Apple is expected to preview iOS 27 at WWDC 2026 in June. iOS 27 will be in development over the summer before shipping to customers out of beta in September.
What are your favorite new iOS 26.4 features? Let us know in the comments!
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