iOS 26.4: Top 10 New Features Coming to Your iPhone

[MacRumors]

iOS 26.4 isn't the major update with new Siri features that we hoped for, but there are some useful quality of life improvements, and a little bit of fun with an AI playlist generator and new emoji characters.

• Playlist Playground - Apple Music has a Playlist Playground option that lets you generate playlists from text-based descriptions. You can include moods, feelings, activities, or make up something entirely nonsensical and let the AI figure out what you mean.
• Ambient Music widget - Apple added a widget for the built-in Ambient Music feature in iOS, so it's quicker to play background sounds. You can choose Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing playlists curated by Apple.
• Emoji - There are eight new emoji characters including trombone, treasure chest, distorted face, hairy creature, fight cloud, orca, landslide, and ballet dancer.
• Reduce Bright Effects - If you dislike Liquid Glass, there's a Reduce Bright Effects setting that cuts down on bright flashes when tapping buttons. Reduce Motion also limits Liquid Glass animations more than it did previously.
• Keyboard Fix - iOS 26.4 fixes an iOS 26 keyboard bug that caused typos when typing quickly.
• Purchase Sharing - Adults in Family Sharing groups no longer have to use the same payment method, and Apple now lets everyone add their own credit or debit card.
• CarPlay AI apps - CarPlay users can use third-party chatbots with CarPlay starting in iOS 26.4. Companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google will need to update their apps with CarPlay support, but the framework is in iOS 26.4.
• Video Podcasts - The Podcasts app has native video episode support with HLS streaming, along with options to swap between audio and video and offline video downloads.
• Average Bedtime - The Sleep feature in the Health app now records average bedtime for the past two weeks to give you a better idea of how your bedtime impacts sleep.
• Stolen Device Protection - Stolen Device Protection is now on by default. It thwarts physical theft and access of your iPhone by requiring biometric authentication for things like viewing passwords and turning off Lost Mode on the iPhone. Some features like changing an Apple ID password have a one-hour security delay.

There are other new additions in iOS 26.4, like offline song recognition in Control Center, nearby concert suggestions and full-page album artwork in Apple Music, easier access to subtitle customization options in media apps, and Apple Creator Studio support for Freeform, with details available in our full iOS 26.4 notes article.
Release Date

The iOS 26.4 release candidate is available to developers and public beta testers, and it's likely the update will see an official launch on March 23 or March 24.

Article Link: iOS 26.4: Top 10 New Features Coming to Your iPhone

 

[Jarman74]

After a full year of anticipation, the hype around the revamped version of Siri was so high that iOS 26.4 will be remembered mainly for not including it.

 

[bearda]

How is the keyboard fix a feature?

 

[Lizzard899]

Stolen device protection is only on by default IF YOU HAVE 2FA ON. IF you have 2fa off like I do then stolen device protection will be off too.

 

[raulfpina]

Nothing about the contact card bug that sometimes is missing?

 

[jz0309]

of those listed "features" - none are of interest for me. There were supposed to be other features, and the only one I remember is the family sharing "adult pay", that do interest me and then of course the bug fixes and security updates.
So at some point next week I shall install it.

 

[Steve Without-A-Job]

I don’t know. Those podcast features sounds more like an update of an app rather than operating system. Same with “average bedtime”. I guess Emojis were mentioned third in a list so that nobody laughs at the main update being new emojis… and finally icloud sharing / device protection seems nice, but these are very minor improvements.
Not a word about Siri…
I am getting worried. Are they going to postpone Siri to the autumn and present iPhone 18 as “AI phone”? Does everyone remember iPhone 16? AI was mentioned like 999 times.

 

[HQuest]

Add to the list the inability to use Mail app to load your Google Mail messages. At least not as timely as they used to be.

 

[257Loner]

Ain’t no new features a-comin’ to dis ‘ere phone o’-mine! ‘Cuz I don’t wan’ no ‘Liquid Glass’, ya hear?!

 

[Zenman12]

My top 3 are

-Keyboard
-Adult purchase sharing
-Updated music UI design for app.

Now waiting for
-gifting Apple TV purchases.
-notifications for anyone purchasing in family sharing (unless hidden).
-iBooks having a windows app.
-FaceTime/iTunes app being phased out. Into phone/music app.
-adding more than 1 bank to Apple Cash.
-swiping mail-to-trash in mail app.

 

[ifxf]

Still no disable OS animations options.

 

[Spectrum]

A toggle to revert to the old camera app layout would be the biggest improvement (Feature).

 

[applefan8254]

Apple, can we get *custom time duration* (or 15 min + 30 min options) share location feature for apple messages? - sometimes we may only want to share for 15 or 30 minutes and have it automatically turn off instead of an hour

 

[sw1tcher]

iOS 26.4 isn't the major update with new Siri features that we hoped for

Knew it wouldn't be ready by iOS 26.4

Apple Explains Why Personalized Siri Features Have Still Yet to Launch

Let me guess. When Apple fails to have it ready by Spring 2026, Federighi will tell us that the 2nd gen architecture wasn't good enough either and that Apple's 3rd gen architecture will really make Siri come alive in Spring 2027

forums.macrumors.com

 

[sflagel]

Does anyone know if it’s possible to lock an iPhone remotely from an Apple Watch?

 

[SkimPappa]

Does anyone know if it’s possible to lock an iPhone remotely from an Apple Watch?

1. Create a Focus: On your iPhone, go to Settings > Focus, add a new "Custom" Focus named "Lock".
2. Create a Shortcut: Open the Shortcuts app, create a new shortcut, and search for the Lock Screen action.
3. Create Automation: In Shortcuts, go to Automation, create a new one: "When 'Lock' Focus is turned on" -> "Run Immediately" -> Choose your "Lock Screen" shortcut.
4. Lock via Watch: Activate the "Lock" Focus on your Apple Watch, and the iPhone will lock within seconds.

If you don’t have your phone lock with lost mode:

Use Lost Mode in Find Devices on iCloud.com

In Find Devices on iCloud.com, use Lost Mode to lock and track your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch if it’s ever lost or stolen.

support.apple.com

If you are near your iPhone

Control nearby devices with your Apple Watch

Control your iPhone or iPad with your Apple Watch.

support.apple.com

 

[zeus423]

I don’t know. Those podcast features sounds more like an update of an app rather than operating system. Same with “average bedtime”. I guess Emojis were mentioned third in a list so that nobody laughs at the main update being new emojis… and finally icloud sharing / device protection seems nice, but these are very minor improvements.
Not a word about Siri…
I am getting worried. Are they going to postpone Siri to the autumn and present iPhone 18 as “AI phone”? Does everyone remember iPhone 16? AI was mentioned like 999 times.

Wow, more emojis?!?! I'm so excited! /s

 

[Tagbert]

I don’t know. Those podcast features sounds more like an update of an app rather than operating system. Same with “average bedtime”. I guess Emojis were mentioned third in a list so that nobody laughs at the main update being new emojis… and finally icloud sharing / device protection seems nice, but these are very minor improvements.
Not a word about Siri…
I am getting worried. Are they going to postpone Siri to the autumn and present iPhone 18 as “AI phone”? Does everyone remember iPhone 16? AI was mentioned like 999 times.

I think it is clear that, with the decision to incorporate Google AI into Siri, that they are spending the time to do that properly. That deal only came together recently, so 26.4 was not the time, and likely not 26.5. We will certainly see more details and examples of that at WWDC in June with it appearing in betas over the summer and launching to a wider public in the fall. Yes, it is late and, yes, we would like it sooner, but I'd rather they take the time to do it well than to cram in something half-assed just to meet some vague expectation.

As we have seen, doing AI is rather more complex than they or most of us thought when we saw their first presentation almost two years ago. They seem to have been a lot more careful since then about not promising features until they are ready.

 

[coolfactor]

Add to the list the inability to use Mail app to load your Google Mail messages. At least not as timely as they used to be.

That slowness may be on Google's end. I've seen them de-prioritize IMAP within their own app, which created a terrible email experience when using the Gmail app to connect to competing mail services.

 

[coolfactor]

Knew it wouldn't be ready by iOS 26.4

Apple Explains Why Personalized Siri Features Have Still Yet to Launch

Let me guess. When Apple fails to have it ready by Spring 2026, Federighi will tell us that the 2nd gen architecture wasn't good enough either and that Apple's 3rd gen architecture will really make Siri come alive in Spring 2027

forums.macrumors.com

View attachment 2615395

We should be applauding Apple for making sure they get it right.

Remember Notifications support? That was delayed, and they eventually got it right.

 

[coolfactor]

Still no disable OS animations options.

Yes there is. Reduce Motion, and 26.4 tweaks this further.

 

[Plutonius]

Are most of the features bug fixes ?

 

[ndouglas]

i love the widget for ambient music! at least, i hope it works well.

let’s hope they bring that to ipad os, also.

💆🏽‍♂️

 

[teaneedz]

the only thing I look forward to that will probably "just work" is the orca emoji. i look forward to unleashing an orca pod on tim and craig's rudders.

 

[Diopter]

There should be a note in the article that Playlist Playground is only available in the USA.