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Apple has released the release candidate for iOS 26.4. At the same time, iPadOS 26.4, macOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4 are also available in their final test versions. This marks the end of the current beta phase before the official release.
The release candidate is usually the final version, which is rolled out to all users shortly afterwards. No major changes are expected at this stage.
New features or major changes are typically not included in the release candidate. The focus is entirely on stability, bug fixes, and final system optimization.
Should any minor changes or adjustments be discovered, a separate and detailed report will be published as usual.
iOS 26.4 reaches its final phase
With the release candidate, Apple concludes the active development phase of iOS 26.4. After several beta versions, in which new features were introduced and subsequently optimized, the system is now close to its widespread release.
The release candidate will be made available to both developers and participants in the public beta program. This will give a larger user base access to the near-final version before the update is rolled out worldwide.
Review: The most important new features of iOS 26.4
During its beta phase, iOS 26.4 proved to be a substantial update within the iOS 26 series. The most significant changes affect several core system areas.
Media and Apps
- Playlist Playground in Apple Music for AI-based playlist creation
- Concert integration directly in Apple Music
- Full-screen design for albums and playlists
- Support for video podcasts in Apple Podcasts
Security and communication
- Device theft protection is enabled by default.
- Mandatory biometric authentication for sensitive actions
- Security delay in critical account changes
- Preparing end-to-end encryption for RCS messages
Important: RCS encryption is not part of the final version of iOS 26.4. Apple is continuing to test this feature and plans to introduce it in a later iOS 26 update.
System and detail improvements
Furthermore, iOS 26.4 brings numerous system-wide adjustments, including:
- newly structured background image gallery
- Transparent display of hotspot data usage
- New sleep metric "Average sleep time"„
- Return of blood oxygen levels in the vital data graph
- Ambient Music Widget
- new "Urgent" section in Memories
- revamped Apple Account Hub
- EU-specific features for third-party wearables
Later betas added further details such as new emojis, minor design adjustments, changes to accessibility features, and support for new Apple devices.
- iOS 26.4 Beta 4 is here: Apple continues the testing phase
- iOS 26.4 Beta 2: All features and adjustments
- iOS 26.4: All new features of Beta 1
- iOS 26.4: These changes are barely noticeable
iOS 26.4: Release imminent
With the release candidate, iOS 26.4 is practically complete. Experience shows that the final release follows a few days after this version, provided no major problems arise.
The update will then be rolled out worldwide to all compatible devices. Until then, the release candidate serves as the final test version to identify and fix any remaining bugs. A complete overview of all features and changes will follow once the final version of iOS 26.4 is released.
For those who want to delve deeper into Apple's history and philosophy, here are some suitable book recommendations! (Image: Apfelpatient)
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