• This week, Apple released the first developer betas for iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, macOS 26.4, and its other operating systems. • On Tuesday, it followed those up with public beta versions of the same updates. • Usually released around the midpoint between one major iOS release and the next, the *.4 updates to its operating system usually include a significant batch of new features and other refinements, and if the first beta is any indication, this year’s releases uphold that tradition. • A new “Playlist Playground” feature will let Apple Music subscribers generate playlists with text prompts, and native support for video podcasts is coming to the Podcasts app. • TheCreator Studio versionof the Freeform drawing and collaboration app is also available in the 26.4 updates, allowing subscribers to access stock images from Apple’s Content Hub and to insert AI-generated images. • But we’ve spent time digging through the betas to identify some of the more below-the-surface improvements and changes that Apple is testing.
Article Summaries:
- Apple released the first developer betas for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 26.4, followed by public betas the same week. The updates introduce Playlist Playground for Apple Music, native video‑podcast support, and a Creator Studio version of Freeform that includes stock and AI‑generated images. Other refinements include charging limits for MacBooks, end‑to‑end encryption for non‑Apple texting, a return of the Compact Safari tab bar, on‑by‑default stolen‑device protection, and the gradual phasing out of Rosetta. The highly‑anticipated “intelligent Siri” feature has been postponed to a later release, likely 26.5 or beyond.
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