Apple's latest developer beta adds AI-generated Apple Music playlists, early testing for encrypted RCS messaging and a new setting to tone down iOS 26's brighter visual effects.

Apple’s much-anticipated release is set to not just eliminate bugs but also add features and further enhance the Liquid Glass interface. Apple’s iOS 26 for iPhone got off to a rough start when it was finally released to the public in September of last year.

OS 26.4 Beta 4 with a focus on stability and polish. See the new Emoji 17.0 characters and Liquid Glass refinements and more.

When Apple released iOS 26.2 on Dec. 12, the company wrote online that the update patches two bugs that may have been actively exploited, so you should download the update now to protect your device.

Apple's iOS 26 beta release is just around the corner. With the company unveiling the new software update during the WWDC 2025 keynote, Cupertino is expected to introduce the biggest revamp to its iPhone operating system since the launch of iOS 7 years ago.

Zach began writing for CNET in November, 2021 after writing for a broadcast news station in his hometown, Cincinnati, for five years. You can usually find him reading and drinking coffee or watching a TV series with his wife and their dog. According to ...