Apple’s iOS 26.4 developer beta has landed, and while the long-rumored next-gen Siri remains on the sidelines, this build delivers meaningful upgrades where people spend hours every day: Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and messaging. Developers can grab the beta now, with a broader public beta likely to follow, and early impressions point to smarter recommendations, more flexible podcast viewing, and a cautious first step toward encrypted RCS texting.
AI-Powered Playlists Come to Apple Music in Beta
The standout addition is Playlist Playground, an AI-powered way to generate custom Apple Music playlists from plain English prompts. Ask for “evening wind-down songs,” “90s grunge hits,” or “new indie tracks with female vocals,” and Apple Music will assemble a 25-song mix that you can refine with extra prompts, reorder, or trim. You can even add cover art and a description before saving, treating the result like any other playlist in your library.
It’s a savvy move in a market where discovery is king. Research firms such as MIDiA have long noted that curated discovery and playlists shape listening habits at scale, and rival services have already leaned into AI-driven personalization. Apple’s spin emphasizes user control: you’re not just handed a setlist—you can iterate on it until it matches the exact vibe you had in mind.
Apple Music also gets a visual refresh in this beta, including full-page artwork and a new way to surface concerts and tour dates in your area. For artists and fans alike, tying streaming to the live calendar helps close the loop from listen to ticket purchase—an approach we’ve seen gain traction across the industry as live events rebound. Apple hasn’t detailed the underlying AI models here in its developer notes, but the direction is clear: faster, more personalized routes to the right music at the right moment.
Apple Podcasts Leans Into Video With Adaptive Playback
Apple Podcasts already supports video, but iOS 26.4 makes it feel built-in rather than bolted on. You can fluidly switch between audio and video, with adaptive playback that adjusts quality on the fly based on your connection. There’s support for both vertical and horizontal viewing, plus the option to download video episodes for offline watching—useful for long flights or spotty commutes.
Critically, creators gain dynamic video ad insertion. Apple says this opens access to the larger video advertising market while letting publishers maintain creative control over format and placement. Expect more shows to experiment with mid-roll segments, sponsored lower thirds, or episode-specific promos. With Edison Research identifying YouTube as a top platform for podcast consumption and video-led shows surging in visibility, Apple’s upgrades arrive as creators chase both reach and higher CPMs.
Apple also notes that video episodes will feed into personalized recommendations and editorially curated features inside Apple Podcasts. That matters: prominent placement can drive sizable audience lifts for emerging shows, particularly as casual listeners sample via autoplay or charts before committing to a follow.
RCS Encryption Begins Limited Test in Messages App
The third headline item is a measured but important move: Apple is testing end-to-end encryption for Rich Communication Services (RCS) in the Messages app. During this beta window, encryption is limited and not available on all devices or carriers, and Apple says it won’t ship in the general release of iOS 26.4—rather, it’s slated for a future update once the kinks are worked out.
RCS is the modern successor to SMS and MMS, enabling features like higher-quality media, typing indicators, and read receipts. It also sits at the heart of cross-platform texting between iPhone and Android. Google has reported more than 1 billion RCS users, and the GSMA continues to steward the standard, but encryption has historically depended on the specific implementation rather than the baseline spec. Apple’s testing signals an intent to close the security gap as RCS rolls out, complementing the end-to-end encryption iMessage already provides for Apple-to-Apple chats.
For now, though, treat this as groundwork rather than a flip-the-switch moment. Compatibility, carrier readiness, and interoperability are complex, and Apple is clearly pacing the rollout to avoid breaking everyday messaging while it tightens security.
What the iOS 26.4 Beta Means for Early Testers
The iOS 26.4 beta is developer-only at launch, with a public beta likely to follow. If you install it, expect a smoother Apple Music experience that makes discovery feel more collaborative, a Podcasts app that embraces the reality of video-first consumption, and the first signs of a more secure future for cross-platform texting. As always, beta software can be buggy—avoid installing on a primary device, and remember that features, especially RCS encryption, may change before the final release.
