Apple Already Testing iOS 26.4 With Two Known Features So Far

[MacRumors]

Apple's software engineers are testing an internal version of iOS 26.4, according to the MacRumors visitor logs this week.

iOS 26.4 is expected to be released in March or April next year, so the software update is still many months away. However, Apple develops both "Fall" and "Spring" versions of iOS each year, with work on both iOS 26.0 and iOS 26.4 underway.

There are two expected iOS 26.4 features so far, with more to follow.

First up is new emoji.

The Unicode Consortium recently previewed some of the new emoji coming with Unicode 17.0 later this year. It typically takes Apple several months to design new emoji in its own style, so the new emoji will likely be available on the iPhone starting with iOS 26.4.

Here are some of the new emoji:

• Trombone
• Treasure Chest
• Distorted Face
• Hairy Creature (Bigfoot/Sasquatch)
• Fight Cloud
• Apple Core
• Orca
• Ballet Dancers
• Landslide

Notably, Distorted Face is a popular emoji in Discord servers. It is essentially a distorted version of the embarassed face emoji, also known as Flushed Face.

Apple most recently added new emoji to the iPhone with iOS 18.4, an update that came out in late March. iOS 17.4, iOS 16.4, and iOS 15.4 also introduced new emoji over the years, so the timing has become predictable by this point.

The second expected feature is a more personalized version of Siri.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that his company was making "good progress" on a more personalized Siri, and he reiterated that the features are on track to launch next year. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the new Siri to launch in the U.S. in spring 2026, so Apple is likely aiming to make it available as part of iOS 26.4.

Apple first announced the personalized Siri features during its WWDC 2024 keynote, but in March it announced that they were delayed. The new capabilities will include better understanding of a user's personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls. For example, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.

Article Link: Apple Already Testing iOS 26.4 With Two Known Features So Far

 

[MacUserFella]

Apple: we will be fixing Siri!

Apple Community Members: fix Siri

Apple: we’re literally doing that

 

[Kylo83]

do emojis need 7 months of testing, with Genmoji whats the point anymore with new ones

 

[mxrider88]

Wow, they are testing emojis. I’m out of words.

 

[jz0309]

ouch, emojis are a feature? really? since they get controlled by that consortium, Apple is implementing them ...
oh well

 

[repoman016]

Hell yea. Shout out to all the tromboners out there!

 

[jdclifford]

What’s the next MAJOR feature; emoji AI? Hey SIRI whatever happened to all that APPLE INNOVATION coming down the pike?

 

[CrysisDeu]

I need those emojis desperately. Apple please hire more engineers earning 300k each to pump out 7 more emojis every year.
That’s why I buy iPhones

 

[Rychiar]

I don't even understand how you can be working on a .4 release when .0 isn't even out yet. maybe trying some features but like the bugs haven't even been worked out of the .0 beta yet

 

[neuropsychguy]

I think the MR staff member who posted this is low-key trolling with highlighting the new emojis. 😂

 

[navaira]

I think the MR staff is low-key trolling with highlighting the new emojis. 😂

Definitely, listing them as the number one new feature

 

[Hogswarts]

Definitely, listing them as the number one new feature

Even bothering to list them is a sickness.

 

[Siriosys]

Wow, they are testing emojis. I’m out of words.

I liking the irony in your post…

 

[BelgianChoklit]

Apple: we will be fixing Siri!

Apple Community Members: fix Siri

Apple: we’re literally doing that

I can't wait for a Siri that can do the basics right. Siri always tells me my AirPods are at 100% charge. Can't even do that right, and it's basically reading the data the iPhone has.

 

[Kylo83]

using gemini live shows what a wish Siri would be like, you can have a real convo with it back and forth

 

[Youth in Asia]

What is this rubbish? Emojis is not newsworthy! Please stop posting trash like this!

 

[yeah]

I don't even understand how you can be working on a .4 release when .0 isn't even out yet. maybe trying some features but like the bugs haven't even been worked out of the .0 beta yet

Development of software begins years in advance, and typically any bugs fixed or features implemented get rolled over to the final build and onto the next major release.

I suspect they have the final iOS 26.0 build nearly completed by now, but we are on beta 6.

 

[turbineseaplane]

mods, please delete

The article or your post?

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apple: we will be fixing Siri!

Apple Community Members: fix Siri

Apple: we’re literally doing that

A more personalized version of Siri (per the article you are commenting on) ≠ necessarily mean "fixing Siri"

 

[StrangeNoises]

We need a combined form for orca+sailboat, that shows the orca sinking the sailboat. 😉

To all those moaning, as I'm sure you know, the real value of releasing emojis with software updates is to get more people to apply the software updates (and the security fixes therein)!

 

[JosephAW]

Wished they make emojis separate from iOS updates but instead them a downloadable module for current and older iOS versions that way emojis up to date on older devices and are not squares.

 

[dannyyankou]

lol, MacRumors being funny with the lead of the article being new emojis over the advanced Siri capabilities.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Wished they make emojis separate from iOS updates but instead them a downloadable module for current and older iOS versions that way emojis up to date on older devices and are not squares.

I think they like grouping updates to keep everyone herding along.

It helps with their marketing messages (iOS v.xxx is SUPER POPULAR!) and keeps the upgrade cycles churning and allows devs to rug pull support sooner ..

It just keeps the money machine turning in general.

 

[turbineseaplane]

lol, MacRumors being funny with the lead of the article being new emojis over the advanced Siri capabilities.

Which do you think is more likely to ship on time?
My money is on the Emojis

 

[CocktailHour]

Apple's software engineers are testing an internal version of iOS 26.4, according to the MacRumors visitor logs this week.

iOS 26.4 is expected to be released in March or April next year, so the software update is still many months away. However, Apple develops both "Fall" and "Spring" versions of iOS each year, with work on both iOS 26.0 and iOS 26.4 underway.

There are two expected iOS 26.4 features so far, with more to follow.

First up is new emoji.

The Unicode Consortium recently previewed some of the new emoji coming with Unicode 17.0 later this year. It typically takes Apple several months to design new emoji in its own style, so the new emoji will likely be available on the iPhone starting with iOS 26.4.

Here are some of the new emoji:

• Trombone
  
• Treasure Chest
  
• Distorted Face
  
• Hairy Creature (Bigfoot/Sasquatch)
  
• Fight Cloud
  
• Apple Core
  
• Orca
  
• Ballet Dancers
  
• Landslide

Notably, Distorted Face is a popular emoji in Discord servers. It is essentially a distorted version of the embarassed face emoji, also known as Flushed Face.

Apple most recently added new emoji to the iPhone with iOS 18.4, an update that came out in late March. iOS 17.4, iOS 16.4, and iOS 15.4 also introduced new emoji over the years, so the timing has become predictable by this point.

The second expected feature is a more personalized version of Siri.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that his company was making "good progress" on a more personalized Siri, and he reiterated that the features are on track to launch next year. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the new Siri to launch in the U.S. in spring 2026, so Apple is likely aiming to make it available as part of iOS 26.4.

Apple first announced the personalized Siri features during its WWDC 2024 keynote, but in March it announced that they were delayed. The new capabilities will include better understanding of a user's personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls. For example, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.

Article Link: Apple Already Testing iOS 26.4 With Two Known Features So Far

We now promise you everything we promised you last year! Yay!