6 New iOS 26.4 Beta Features You Should Be Excited About

The first beta of iOS 26.4 is out for developers. Unlike the light on features iOS 26.3, it seems Apple has several functions in store for this upcoming software update.

While there are no signs of the revamped Siri, nor the new emojis that Apple usually releases on x.4 updates, beta 1 brings video podcast capabilities to Apple Podcasts, Playlist Playground for Apple Music users, in addition to a beautiful UI change for albums and playlists, a breakdown of Personal Hotspot usage, Stolen Device Protection on by default, and a revamped wallpaper section.

All these features should excite users, as they bring quality of life improvements for their iPhones and new ways to experience them. Besides that, with Apple reportedly focusing on a bug-free experience for iOS 27, it seems the next major software update for the company will be all about creating a smoother experience for iPhone users, getting iOS better for AI applications, and improving battery life thanks to under-the-hood changes. Here's why you should be excited about some of the newest features Apple has been testing with iOS 26.4, which should be available in late-March, or early-April.

With iOS 26.4, Apple Podcasts will get one of the biggest updates, as Apple will unlock video podcasts for content creators. With Apple's HTTP Live Streaming technology, Apple says this will bring the "highest quality viewing experience for users," while also adding new revenue streams for creators, such as video ads. That said, users will be able to choose between watching or listening to a podcast on iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS devices.

For Apple Music users, Apple is enabling a new Playlist Playground feature, which works similarly to the ability of relying on ChatGPT to create an Apple Music list. The main difference, however, is that the company is offering a more integrated experience, as your own Apple Music will help you curate playlists, while ChatGPT doesn't have access to your listening history.

Besides that, Apple Music is further tweaking albums and playlists. With iOS 26.4 beta 1, Apple offers a colored background, based on the prevalent color of an album/playlist cover. The color reacts to all the Liquid Glass icons on the display, showing that the company continues to tweak the experience several months after its official release.

Other exciting features available with beta 1 of iOS 26.4 include Personal Hotspot's new function that shows how much data each device has used. Under "Data Usage," you can see the Apple devices that constantly connect to your hotspot and how much data they use. MacRumors says that non-Apple products appear under "Other Devices." It's unclear if Apple will continue to work on this feature, let users reset stats, and so on.

Additionally, Apple's Stolen Device Protection feature is now turned on by default with iOS 26.4. Introduced with iOS 17.3, this feature was opt-in, but Apple is now activating it on all devices, as it creates a security delay when someone tries to deactivate your iPhone in an unknown location. This way, if you were robbed and had to give access to your credentials, criminals have to wait an extra hour to deactivate your device, possibly giving you enough time to change your password and lock it.

Finally, Apple continues to tweak the wallpaper settings experience, as it now features an updated design with all the different built-in wallpapers available, in addition to your own choices. This way, this section looks more organized and easier to use. Apple has also done the same for watchOS 26.4.