The anticipation was palpable last week following the release of iOS 26.3. Tech enthusiasts held their breath, eagerly awaiting the first beta of iOS 26.4 – an update rumored to finally deliver a completely redesigned Siri, a project whispered about since 2024.
That excitement has now given way to a growing sense of disappointment. The iOS 26.4 update arrived without the promised Siri overhaul. Doubts are surfacing about whether features previously slated for iOS 26.5 will even materialize, and the possibility looms that we won’t see a new Siri until the major OS 27 release this fall.
Despite the absence of the revamped assistant, iOS 26.4 is shaping up to be a substantial update, packed with features independent of the Siri redesign. The release candidate is now available, with a full public release expected within the week.
Apple Music receives significant enhancements. A new Playlist Playground (beta) allows users to generate playlists simply by providing a descriptive prompt, complete with a title, description, and tracklist. Concerts helps you discover live shows from artists you love, and even suggests new artists based on your listening habits.
Offline music identification is another key addition. The Control Center can now identify songs even without an internet connection, delivering results as soon as you reconnect. An Ambient Music widget brings curated playlists directly to your Home Screen for Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.
Visually, album and playlist pages gain a more immersive feel with full-screen backgrounds. Accessibility features are also improved, with a new setting to reduce bright effects and more intuitive controls for subtitles and captions.
The update introduces eight new emoji, including an orca, trombone, landslide, ballet dancer, and a distorted face, expanding the expressive possibilities of the keyboard. Freeform gains advanced image creation and editing tools, alongside access to a premium content library through Apple Creator Studio.
Reminders become more powerful with the ability to mark tasks as urgent, easily accessible from the Quick Toolbar. Smart Lists can now filter specifically for these urgent reminders. Family Sharing also sees improvements with Purchase Sharing, allowing adult members to use their own payment methods.
Finally, keyboard accuracy has been refined for faster typing. These combined enhancements make iOS 26.4 a noteworthy update, even without the headline feature of a redesigned Siri.
