Here Are Apple's Release Notes for iOS 26.4

[MacRumors]

Apple provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, which means we're going to see a public launch as soon as next week. The RC versions of the software include Apple's official release notes, giving us final details on what's included in the update.

Apple Music
- Playlist Playground (beta) generates a playlist from your description, complete with a title, description, and tracklist
- Concerts helps you discover nearby shows from artists in your library and recommends new artists based on what you listen to
- Offline Music Recognition in Control Center identifies songs without an internet connection and delivers results automatically when you're back online
- Ambient Music widget for Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing brings curated playlists to the Home Screen
- Full screen backgrounds give album and playlist pages a more immersive look

Accessibility
- Reduce bright effects setting minimizes bright flashes when tapping on elements like buttons
- Subtitle and caption settings are available from the captions icon while viewing media, making them easier to find, customize, and preview
- Reduce Motion setting more reliably reduces the animations of Liquid Glass for users sensitive to on screen motion

This update also includes the following enhancements:
- 8 new emoji including an orca, trombone, landslide, ballet dancer, and distorted face are available in the emoji keyboard
- Freeform gains advanced image creation and editing tools, and a premium content library, joining Apple Creator Studio
- Mark reminders as urgent from the Quick Toolbar or by touching and holding, and filter for urgent reminders in your Smart Lists
- Purchase Sharing lets adult members in Family Sharing groups use their own payment method when making purchases, without relying on the family organizer
- Improved keyboard accuracy when typing quickly

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit:
https://support.apple.com/100100

Some features may not be available in all regions or on all iPhone models. To learn more, please visit: https://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/.

Software updates, like this one, add new features and improvements that may affect performance and/or battery life. To learn more, please visit:
https://support.apple.com/125039

iOS 26.4 is likely to see a launch next Monday or Tuesday, ahead of when Apple begins accepting orders for the AirPods Max.

Article Link: Here Are Apple's Release Notes for iOS 26.4

 

[jonnyb098]

So this is where we are now folks:

- Improved keyboard accuracy when typing quickly

We can all rest easy knowing Apple figured out how to make the latest chips keep up with….typing.

iOS has become what iTunes became. So bloated and buggy it needs to be blown up and rewritten.

 

[capamac]

"8 new emoji"

Oh thank god.

 

[jmh600cbr]

this is a total nothingburger update

 

[Lizzard899]

No one wants the device protection turn on by default.

 

[MrRom92]

It would be great to know if this is safe to install with Apple Devices!

 

[now i see it]

Guess we don’t get “Turn Off PWM Dimming Entirely” in accessibility.
Oh well, maybe next time…..

 

[capamac]

The wavy movement of the login buttons is annoying.

Playlist playground, meh.

Emojis are silly.

Apple doesn't know what they're doing anymore. This is what happens when you let suits run everything.

 

[ch1ptune]

So Playlist Playground is still US only? Jesus.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

No one wants the device protection turn on by default.

You sure are speaking for a lot of people. I turn it on, and advise other to turn it on.

What do you have against it for everyone else?

 

[Bobajobbob]

- Improved keyboard accuracy when typing quickly

Eh? Either my fingers have got fatter recently or this change has had absolutely the reverse effect on my phone. I can't type for **** on my iPhone any more.

 

[polaris20]

I thought there was going to be a CarPlay update to allow video playback, when in park?

 

[I7guy]

- Improved keyboard accuracy when typing quickly

Eh? Either my fingers have got fatter recently or this change has had absolutely the reverse effect on my phone. I can't type for **** on my iPhone any more.

Since iOS 6 have never been able to type in an iPhone.

 

[tonmischa]

Already at post 14 and nobody made a comment on the delayed Siri?
Oh, MacRumors Forum people... come on.... 😂

 

[TwoBytes]

AI playlists is USA only
Rest of the world may take years like the apple cash and card etc

 

[seanmcbay]

this is a total nothingburger update

Disagree. Fixing the awful keyboard bug is a big deal to me.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Disagree. Fixing the awful keyboard bug is a big deal to me.

A lot of people are chiming in elsewhere to say this keyboard "fix" doesn't do sh**.

 

[ghostface147]

The concert lookup in Apple Music is pretty useful to me. Unfortunately some of the acts I love are touring overseas.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Does Freeform support folders yet?

 

[ericg301]

The wavy movement of the login buttons is annoying.

Playlist playground, meh.

Emojis are silly.

Apple doesn't know what they're doing anymore. This is what happens when you let suits run everything.

no one at apple is wearing suits

 

[ericg301]

Already at post 14 and nobody made a comment on the delayed Siri?
Oh, MacRumors Forum people... come on.... 😂

Siri was never promised in 26.4, it was rumored. And that rumor pre-dates the entire shift to Gemini.

 

[capamac]

no one at apple is wearing suits

Often, wearing a suit is a state of mind.

 

[matthew12]

I guess we are gonna be waiting for iOS 27 for Gemini-powered Siri. Damn... Is it just me or are Gurman's sources getting worse? Or is Apple just that slow lately?

 

[harriska2]

Dear Apple, thank you for the ability to mark reminders as urgent and place the item on the calendar. Now I have alarms for calendar events. You have made my 1.5 decade (since 2010 I needed this). My new go-to for most calendar events that the single ding just doesn’t alert me to (on my watch either!). Thank you thank you thank you.

 

[harriska2]

On a whim I asked my homepod mini to play a playlist on my iphone. It asked me which playlist and actually started playing it. I’ve been trying to do this for years now, either incorrectly or this is new. So very happy!