We’re still waiting for iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first beta of iOS 26.4 is likely at least a week or two away. After beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we’ve recapped the known or rumored features of iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier for iPhone users to switch to an Android device. The new tool lets you place your iPhone next to an Android device to wirelessly transfer photos, messages, notes, apps, and more. You can also transfer your phone number.
In iOS 26.3 beta, the new tool can be found in the Settings app, under General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Transfer to Android. It is available worldwide.
Transfer of Notice to the EU
In the EU, iOS 26.3 introduced both the Notification Forwarding feature and AirPods-like proximity pairing for third-party accessories such as earbuds and smartwatches.
Apple had to make these changes to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
RCS Arrangements Nailed to the End Edges
Starting with the second beta of iOS 26.3, Apple seems to be making the groundwork for carriers to be able to support end-to-end encryption of RCS messages.
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Starting with iOS 26.3, there is a dedicated section for weather wallpapers, with three preset options available to choose from. To access them, tap and hold Lock Screen and tap the plus sign in the lower right corner of the screen.
iOS 26.3 introduces a new “Limit Precise Location” setting that limits location data available on mobile networks to increase user privacy.
iOS 26.1 introduced the Background Security Update feature designed to provide security updates for Safari, WebKit, and other system components between iOS software updates. Apple has been testing this feature with updates like “iOS 26.3 (a)” and “iOS 26.3 (b),” but they don’t actually contain any security fixes.
iOS 26.4
Personal Siri
Last month, Apple and Google announced that Google Gemini will help power a personal version of Siri coming this year.
A more personalized version of Siri is expected to be introduced with iOS 26.4, following a long delay. The new capabilities will include better understanding of the user’s personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper controls for each app, but some of this functionality may not be available until iOS 27 later this year.
For example, from back at WWDC 2024, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother’s flight and lunch reservation plans based on information obtained from the Mail and Messages apps.
Looking ahead, Apple is reportedly planning to introduce a full Siri chatbot in iOS 27, allowing users to have ChatGPT-like conversations with Siri.
New Emoji
Last year, the Unicode Consortium previewed some of the new emoji expected to be added to the iPhone with iOS 26.4.
Here are the nine emojis:
- Trombone
- Treasure chest
- Inverted Face
- The Hairy Creature (aka Bigfoot or Sasquatch)
- Fight Cloud
- Apple Core
- Orca
- Ballet dancers
- A landslide
Apple recently added new emoji to the iPhone with iOS 18.4, an update that came out in March last year. iOS 17.4, iOS 16.4, and iOS 15.4 have also introduced new emoji over the years, so the timing is predictable at this point.
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MacworldFilipe Espósito leaked some possible features of iOS 26.4:
- If you have credit card information stored in Apple’s Passwords app, you’ll be able to Autofill that information in third-party apps.
- You will be able to create folders in the Freeform app.
- Apple is apparently working on a new sports section of the Apple TV app, but the report did not provide any further details on this.
- There are signs of “a new verification system that will check the integrity of the device before signing in to Apple ID and iCloud.”
- A new “external direct location” feature for AirPods in the Find My app.
iOS 26.4 should have many other new features, so stay tuned.
