Apple has released iOS 26.4, bringing 13 enhancements to the iPhone. The new software update includes eight new emojis, Apple Music changes, improved keyboard accuracy, and more.
New features in iOS 26.4
According to Apple, “This update introduces Playlist Playgrounds and Concerts for Apple Music, as well as eight new emojis, other features, bug fixes, and security updates for iPhone.”
The release notes highlight 13 specific features and improvements.
Apple Music
- Playlist Playground (Beta) generates a playlist with title, description, and tracklist from a description.
- Concerts lets you find shows near artists in your library and recommends new artists based on what you hear
- Control Center’s offline music recognition identifies songs even when you’re not connected to the internet and automatically provides results when you’re back online
- Ambient music widget for sleep, relaxation, productivity and health brings curated playlists to your home screen
- Full-screen backgrounds give album and playlist pages a more immersive look
accessibility
- “Reduce bright effects” setting minimizes bright flashes when tapping elements such as buttons
- Subtitle and caption settings are available through the caption icon while viewing media, making it easy to search, customize, and preview.
- The “Reduce Motion” setting more reliably reduces liquid glass animation for users who are sensitive to screen movement.
This update also includes the following enhancements:
- Eight new emojis are now available on the emoji keyboard, including killer whale, trombone, landslide, ballet dancer, and distorted face
- Freeform gains advanced image creation and editing tools, premium content library, and joins Apple Creator Studio
- Mark reminders as urgent from the quick toolbar or by long-pressing, and filter urgent reminders in smart lists.
- Purchase Sharing allows adult members of a family sharing group to use their own payment methods for purchases without relying on the family organizer.
- Improved keyboard accuracy when typing quickly
Next up: iOS 26.5 and iOS 27
Next, we are waiting for the first iOS 26.5 beta. Apple’s next software update is expected to include the first new Siri and Apple Intelligence features powered by Google’s Gemini AI model.
Apple signed a deal with Google earlier this year to use Gemini internally for personal intelligence and other features that will be first previewed in June 2024.
Looking ahead, Apple is also expected to introduce new AI features as part of iOS 27.
Apple plans to preview iOS 27 at WWDC 2026 in June. iOS 27 is expected to be in development over the summer before it leaves beta and ships to customers in September.
What is your favorite new feature in iOS 26.4? Let us know in the comments!
