Apple's iOS 26.4 released for iPhones: Here are the 10 biggest features

Apple has released iOS 26.4, and while the AI-powered Siri overhaul everyone has been waiting for still hasn't arrived, the update is far from a dud. There's a new AI playlist tool, eight fresh emoji, CarPlay AI support, and a bunch of small-but-noticeable changes scattered across the system.Here's everything that's new.The headline feature is Playlist Playground, currently in beta and limited to the US. Open Apple Music, type in a prompt—a mood, an activity, a vibe—and it generates a 25-song playlist with a custom title. Because it taps into your listening history, it's more relevant than asking ChatGPT to do the same thing. You can refine it further with follow-up prompts.Apple Music is also adding a dedicated Concerts tab that surfaces upcoming shows near you, pulling from your library and recommending similar artists. Ticketmaster is among the ticketing partners. The song recognition tool in Control Center can now identify tracks offline. It holds the result and delivers it once you're back online—useful in the metro or on a flight.The full set: orca, trombone, landslide, ballet dancer, distorted face, hairy creature (read: Sasquatch), fight cloud, and treasure chest. There are also new skin tone modifiers for wrestling and bunny-ear dancer emoji.Adults in a Family Sharing group can now each use their own payment methodPreviously, the family organiser's card covered all purchases. iOS 26.4 lets every adult member link their own. A small but overdue change for anyone sharing a plan across separate finances.Introduced in iOS 17.3, Stolen Device Protection previously had to be manually enabled. iOS 26.4 turns it on automatically. It requires Face ID or Touch ID to access sensitive features like passwords and Lost Mode—and adds a one-hour delay for things like changing your Apple ID password.The Podcasts app now supports video episodes with HTTP Live Streaming, meaning quality adjusts automatically based on your connection. You can switch between audio and video mid-episode, and download episodes for offline watching.After being pulled amid a legal dispute with Masimo, blood oxygen is back in the Vitals tab. There's also a new Average Bedtime metric in the Sleep section, showing your patterns over the past two weeks.iOS 26 introduced a bug where typing quickly caused missed characters, which then confused autocorrect. iOS 26.4 fixes it—Apple didn't acknowledge the issue by name, but the release notes make it clear enough.iOS 26.4 adds a new app category to CarPlay—voice-based conversational apps. That means ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Claude can be used while driving, once their respective apps add support. Apple has safety guardrails in place: these apps launch directly into voice mode and can't display text or images.iOS 26.4 software update is available now for iPhone 11 and later via Settings > General > Software Update.