iOS 26.4 recently launched, and it’s a big update with tons of new iPhone features. Here are four of my favorite new iOS 26.4 features.
#1: Apple Music’s Playlist Playground
Apple Music gets a number of new features in iOS 26.4, including an exciting AI capability: ‘Playlist Playground.’
Playlist Playground lets you create new playlists with nothing more than a text prompt.
The music app offers suggested prompts that you can choose from, but you can also start from scratch and write anything you want.
Playlist Playground After creating a new playlist, you can give further input to refine it, or manually add or remove songs to your liking.
I love how easy Playlist Playground makes playlist creation. It makes it very easy to find the right music for my current mood.
#2: New Emoji
Apple usually only adds new emoji to the iPhone once per year, and the latest batch is in iOS 26.4.
The new emoji include:
- Ballet dancer
- deformed face
- fight the cloud
- hairy creature
- landslide
- orca
- Trumpet
- treasure chest
My personal favorites so far are Distorted Face, Fight Cloud, Hairy Creature, and Treasure Chest. I can definitely see them joining my regular emoji rotation.
#3: Video Upgrade in Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts has supported video podcasts for years, but the feature became stagnant and was barely used by creators. With the growing popularity of video shows on YouTube and Spotify, Apple needed some upgrades of its own and delivered iOS 26.4.
Apple has given the Podcasts app a new and improved video experience. According to Apple, here’s why:
In the Apple Podcasts app, users will be able to seamlessly switch between watching and listening to shows, making the experience of finding and watching video podcasts as simple and enjoyable as listening to audio podcasts has always been. Users can watch videos from within the app and go to full display horizontally, as well as download videos for offline viewing. And automatic quality adjustment powered by HLS technology ensures smooth playback across network conditions, whether listeners are on Wi-Fi or a cellular connection, delivering the best possible experience.
The Podcasts app is already my favorite podcast client because of two excellent features: transcripts and automatic chapters. The new video experience is another reason I’m happy to stick with Apple Podcasts.
#4: New design for Apple Music albums and playlists
one more apple music This feature is one of my iOS 26.4 favorites: the new fullscreen design for Albums and Playlists.
Now, the full UI of the Music app complements the color of the album or playlist art.
It’s a beautiful effect that makes the app feel fresh and personalized to whatever you’re listening to.
For more information on the new features available in iOS 26.4, check out our full guide here.
Which new iOS 26.4 feature are you enjoying the most so far? Let us know in the comments.
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