iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 Public Beta Now Available

Source: MacRumors

Tuesday February 17, 2026 10:19 am PST by Juli Clover

Apple today provided public‑beta testers with the first releases of upcoming iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and watchOS 26.4 updates for testing purposes. The public betas arrive a day after Apple supplied the betas to developers.

Anyone can download and install public betas; all that’s required is to sign up on Apple’s beta site. Once opted in, the software can be downloaded through the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device.

iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 include a long list of new features, though the first betas do not contain new Siri capabilities. Rumors suggest Apple has postponed the new Apple Intelligence version of Siri, so updated Siri functionality may appear in later betas.

Apple added a new Playlist Playground feature to Apple Music, allowing users to generate playlists with a text‑based prompt. Users can create playlists based on an idea, mood, feeling, time period, and more. Apple Music also features a Concerts Near You feature and an updated look for albums and playlists with full‑page artwork.

Apple Podcasts now includes native video‑podcast streaming. The feature uses HLS streaming to provide a high‑quality viewing experience, and video podcasts are being more deeply integrated into the Podcasts app.

Apple is testing end‑to‑end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages. The beta is limited to iPhone‑to‑iPhone RCS messages when iMessage is turned off, but eventually E2EE will be available for iPhone‑to‑Android text‑message conversations. Encrypted RCS and iMessage conversations show a lock icon in iOS 26.4.

Other new features include an updated Apple Account hub for the App Store and Apple Music, an ambient music widget, and a compact tab‑bar option in Safari on iPadOS 26.4. All of the changes found in the beta so far are listed in our iOS 26.4 feature guide.