Archives: iOS 26
iOS 26.4 Beta 1 Released: Features, Apple Music AI, RCS Encryption, Performance & Release Date
Software Update
iOS 26.4 Beta 1 — What’s New & Changes
- Build & Size Details iOS 26.4 Beta 1 arrives with build 23E5207Q. Update size is approximately 8.72GB from iOS 26.3. Modem firmware updates to 1.54.01 on iPhone 17 models.
- Major Apple Music Redesign Full-screen animated album artwork now appears inside albums. Shuffle, Play, and Download buttons are centered. Background colors adapt to album art for a richer visual experience.
- AI Playlist Playground New Playlist Playground uses Apple Intelligence to generate playlists from text prompts. Users can customize results, adjust songs, and modify covers.
- Concerts Near You Apple Music now displays upcoming concerts with full event details, ticket links powered by Ticketmaster, dates, venues, and set lists.
- Podcasts Now Support Video Apple Podcasts fully supports inline video playback. Users can toggle video on/off and enable captions during playback.
- Wallpaper Packs On-Demand Default wallpapers (Weather, Astronomy, Pride, Unity, etc.) are no longer preloaded. They now download individually via “Get.”
- App Store Redesign Search bar moved to the top. Apple Account page redesigned. Subscriptions moved higher. Apps & Purchase History combined. Updates now have a dedicated section with a separated “Update All” button.
- Privacy & Security Enhancements New Managed Device toggle added under Location Services. Stolen Device Protection is now enabled by default on new devices. RCS gains optional End-to-End Encryption (Beta) for testing.
- Performance & Battery Geekbench scores: 3871 single-core, 9839 multi-core. Slightly lower than iOS 26.3. Battery life may be inconsistent as expected with first beta releases.
- Release Timeline Beta 2 expected early March (week of March 2). Final iOS 26.4 release likely late March 2026.
This summary covers iOS 26.4 Beta 1 (February 2026) based on developer testing and early beta feedback. Features and performance may change before final release.
iOS 26.3 Beta 2 — What’s New & Noteworthy
Software Update
iOS 26.3 Beta 2 — What’s New & Changes
- Build Number Update iOS 26.3 Beta 2 ships with build 23D5103D, confirming this as a minor refinement update rather than a feature-heavy release.
- Modem Firmware Upgrade Modem firmware is updated to 1.40.02 on the iPhone 17 series, indicating cellular reliability and connectivity improvements.
- Background Security Improvements Apple tested its new Background Security Improvements system via iOS 26.3A and 26.3B silent updates, installing security fixes without a full OS update.
- Wallpaper Categories Refined Lock Screen wallpapers now separate Weather and Astronomy. Weather wallpapers gain three visual variations instead of a single option.
- Transfer to Android Option A new Transfer to Android option appears under Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone, enabling direct nearby device transfers in collaboration with Google.
- Notification Forwarding Removed Notification forwarding to third-party smartwatches was removed in Beta 2. This feature is EU-only and appeared globally by mistake in Beta 1.
- Apple Intelligence & Google Gemini Apple officially confirmed Google Gemini will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri 2.0, via Apple’s Private Cloud Compute.
- Performance & Battery Performance remains comparable to iOS 26.2. Early Geekbench scores are slightly lower in beta testing, while battery life appears unchanged in daily use.
- Stability & Release Timeline iOS 26.3 Beta 2 feels stable overall. Beta 3 is expected next week, with the final 26.3 release likely in late January or early February 2026.
This summary covers iOS 26.3 Beta 2 (January 2026) based on developer testing and early beta feedback. Features and performance may change before final release.