iOS 26.4 simply launched, and it’s filled with a number of new options. Right here’s all the things new out there throughout six iPhone apps in iOS 26.4.
Apple Music
Apple Music simply obtained 5 new options in iOS 26.4, making it one of many largest app updates within the launch.
New options embody:
- Playlist Playground, an AI playlist creation software
- Lovely new fullscreen design for albums and playlists
- Ambient Music widgets for the Dwelling Display screen
- Live performance data for artists and native venues
- Capability so as to add songs to a number of playlists directly
My private favorites to this point are the brand new fullscreen design for albums and playlists, and Playlist Playground. The latter characteristic does require an AI-compatible iPhone, nonetheless.
Reminders
Late final 12 months in iOS 26.2, the Reminders app gained considered one of my favourite new options: ‘Pressing’ reminders.
The thought is which you could now mark any time-based reminder as ‘Pressing,’ and whenever you do, the app will ship extra than simply a regular push notification when its due time arrives.
’Pressing’ reminders set off an alarm once they come due, and stick round through a particular Lock Display screen UI and Dwell Exercise till you mark the duty full. In addition they present the choice of snoozing the alarm.
In iOS 26.4, Apple provides a pleasant contact for the characteristic: now all your ‘Pressing’ reminders can be found from a devoted ‘Pressing’ sensible listing on the prime of the app. This new listing makes it straightforward to see your most essential, time-sensitive duties in a single place.
Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts supported video podcasts lengthy earlier than they grew to become in style on YouTube and Spotify. However the legacy characteristic wanted some upgrades, and iOS 26.4 delivers.
Beginning in iOS 26.4, the Podcasts app now provides an “enhanced video podcast expertise.”
Right here’s what meaning, per Apple’s press launch:
Within the Apple Podcasts app, customers will be capable to swap seamlessly between watching and listening to exhibits, making the expertise of discovering and viewing video podcasts as easy and gratifying as listening to audio podcasts has all the time been. Customers can watch video from inside the app and transfer to horizontal full show, in addition to obtain movies to observe offline. And automated high quality adjustment powered by HLS expertise ensures clean playback throughout community circumstances, delivering the absolute best expertise whether or not listeners are on Wi-Fi or a mobile connection.
The variety of video podcasts at the moment out there on Apple Podcasts is pretty restricted, however hopefully these upgrades will go a good distance towards altering that.
Apple TV
Apple’s TV app makes it straightforward to change the model of subtitles in iOS 26.4.
When watching a video, faucet the Subtitles button and also you’ll discover a new Model menu.
Out there kinds embody Traditional, Massive Textual content, Define Textual content, and Clear Background. However you can too hit the ‘Handle Kinds’ button to customise the subtitle model even additional.
This characteristic was beforehand out there through Accessibility settings, nevertheless it’s nice to see it made extra outstanding contained in the Apple TV app.
Well being
One in every of my favourite options of Apple’s Well being app is Highlights, which exhibits tendencies in your knowledge over time.
iOS 26.4 provides a brand new Spotlight for sleep knowledge: bedtime. It provides a fast visible overview of your bedtime during the last two weeks, offering the common, a bar chart, in addition to highlighting the earlier evening’s bedtime.
The replace additionally brings Blood Oxygen readings again to the Vitals graph. These readings had been faraway from Vitals following Apple’s Masimo saga. However now that Blood Oxygen is again for Apple Watch customers, iOS 26.4 restores the info to Vitals.
Freeform
Earlier this 12 months when Apple Creator Studio launched, it gave subscribers new ‘premium’ options in Pages, Keynote, and Numbers.
Apple promised on the time that premium options would even be coming to Freeform later within the 12 months. And iOS 26.4 fulfills that promise.
Freeform now consists of the Content material Hub seen in different iWork apps, offering entry to Apple-curated images, graphics, and backgrounds. The app additionally permits you to generate new AI photos utilizing OpenAI’s picture fashions.
Which new app options in iOS 26.4 are you most enthusiastic about? Tell us within the feedback.
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