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1h ago

Apple Seeds iOS 26.4 Developer Beta Featuring Video Podcasts, Apple Music Revamp, and Security Upgrades

This cycle prioritizes media features with security upgrades, with the Siri overhaul pushed to a later release.

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iOS 27 could focus on deeper AI integration while improving performance and battery life.
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Overview

  • Apple released the first 26.4 developer betas for iOS, iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and HomePod, with public betas expected to follow.
  • Apple Podcasts gains HLS-based video support that enables seamless switching between watching and listening, offline downloads, and dynamic video ad insertion.
  • Apple is testing end-to-end encryption for RCS in Messages, currently limited to iPhone-to-iPhone during validation and slated for broader availability in a future software update.
  • Stolen Device Protection is now enabled by default, requiring Face ID or Touch ID for sensitive actions and adding delays or restrictions without biometric verification.
  • Apple Music gets full-page artwork, a redesigned profile view, a Concerts Near You section, and Playlist Playground that builds playlists from text prompts, while EU-only tests reintroduce Notification Forwarding and Proximity Pairing for third-party wearables.