Apple has released the first developer beta of iOS 26.4, giving developers an early look at what could be one of the most important updates to iOS 26 to date.
The beta is currently limited to registered developers, with a public beta expected to follow later this month or in early March.
Alongside iOS 26.4, Apple has also seeded developer betas for iPadOS 26.4, macOS Tahoe 26.4, watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4 and visionOS 26.4.
One of the headline changes in iOS 26.4 is an upgrade to the Podcasts app, which Apple says will introduce “advanced video podcast capabilities”.
The new experience allows users to seamlessly switch between watching a video podcast and listening to the audio version, with Apple positioning the update as a boost for both creators and listeners.
The update also expands Apple’s work on RCS messaging. While RCS support first arrived on iPhone with iOS 18.1, iOS 26.4 introduces a new toggle in Settings that enables testing of end-to-end encrypted RCS messages.
The toggle is enabled by default, but Apple says the feature will roll out gradually during the beta period. As a result, not all beta users will immediately be able to test encrypted RCS messaging.
In its initial form, RCS encryption is limited to iPhone-to-iPhone messaging when iMessage is disabled. Cross-platform encrypted RCS messaging between iPhone and Android devices is not yet supported, but Apple says broader testing will come later.
iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 were expected to introduce Apple’s smarter, more personalised version of Siri first previewed at WWDC 2024.
However, recent reports suggest Apple has run into internal challenges that could delay some or all of the major Siri upgrades until iOS 26.5 or even iOS 27.
That said, Apple may still include smaller Siri-related improvements in iOS 26.4, such as tools for web searching and AI-powered image generation.
The update is also expected to introduce a new batch of emoji, including a trombone, treasure chest, orca, landslide and Bigfoot.
With iOS 26.4, the Wallpaper Gallery has been redesigned and optimized for performance.
Apple has not yet published full release notes for iOS 26.4, and more details are expected to emerge as developers continue testing the beta.
It is currently unclear whether iOS 26.4 beta 1 includes Apple’s revamped Siri or not.