Apple is already moving on from iOS 26.3. After releasing the first couple iOS 26.4 developer betas, the company is now on the third developer beta for iOS 26.4.
The third developer beta is a mostly polish-focused update, continuing Apple’s iOS 26.4 testing cycle ahead of a spring release. iOS 26.4 includes early testing support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging, AI-generated playlists in Apple Music, changes to Stolen Device Protection, new video capabilities in Apple Podcasts and a handful of under-the-hood tweaks that signal where Apple is headed next.
The update as a whole doesn’t introduce anything as flashy as iOS 26’s Liquid Glass redesign or its headline Apple Intelligence features, but it continues Apple’s pattern for point releases: expanding features that were previously limited or hidden, beefing up privacy and security and laying the groundwork for things that won’t fully arrive until later this year.
While developer betas like iOS 26.4 are primarily meant for app developers, anyone with a registered developer account can install them, and many of us do. But remember it’s meant for developers, not day-to-day use. Early builds often carry bugs that can crash apps, drain your battery, overheat your phone and generally make your device feel sluggish. Unless you need to test software against Apple’s next release, it’s smarter to stick with the public beta on your main iPhone and only download the beta on another device.
All the new features in the iOS 26.4 developer beta
iOS 26.4 developer beta 3 is a relatively small update, but it adds a few notable changes and expands features Apple has been quietly testing.
- Early end-to-end encrypted RCS support: iOS 26.4 adds a toggle in Settings > Messages > RCS Messaging that lets developers test end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging inside the Messages app. When enabled, encrypted RCS chats will show a new lock icon in conversation threads. At the moment, the capability is limited — it isn’t available for all devices or carriers. This is not a full rollout, but is an early step toward encrypted RCS in a future update.
- Stolen Device Protection updates: Apple is turning on Stolen Device Protection automatically for all iPhone users instead of leaving it opt-in. This security feature, first introduced in 2023, requires Face ID or Touch ID (and in some cases a time delay) before someone can do things like view saved passwords, turn off Lost Mode, erase the device or change your Apple ID password when away from trusted locations. You can still disable it if you choose.
- Apple Music Playlist Playground: iOS 26.4 introduces Apple Music’s new Playlist Playground, an Apple Intelligence-powered tool that lets you generate full playlists from text prompts (i.e., chill rainy day mix). You can enter your own description or choose from built-in ideas, then tweak the generated playlist with further prompts. Apple Music also includes a new Concerts Near You feature and redesigned full-page artwork for albums and playlists.
- Video in Apple Podcasts: The Podcasts app supports video episodes, allowing you to switch between audio and video versions, stream shows and download video podcasts for offline viewing.
iOS 26.4 also includes other minor new features and improvements, like a new unified Apple Account hub and the return of Notification Forwarding, as well as the usual round of bug fixes and performance optimizations typical of an early developer beta.
Which iPhone models support iOS 26?
As long as you own an iPhone 11 or newer, you can download iOS 26. That means the iPhone XR/XS generation is out, while every A13 Bionic handset forward, including the rumored forthcoming iPhone 17 models, will work.
Apple Intelligence works only on compatible phones, which include any iPhone 16 model and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
How to prepare your iPhone to install the iOS 26.4 developer beta
Before you get too excited and start downloading the iOS 26.4 developer beta, there are a few things you need to do:
- Check your hardware first. This beta runs only on iPhone 11 and newer. If you want the headline Apple Intelligence features, you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max or anything in the iPhone 16 or 17 lineup.
- Update to the latest public release. Make sure your phone is already on the most current stable build (right now that’s iOS 26.3). This helps prevent any issues that arise from updating with outdated software.
- Have a good Wi-Fi connection. You want the installation to go flawlessly, which means you should be connected to a decent Wi-Fi network.
- Have enough space on your phone. You need roughly 9GB of space on your phone to download the iOS 26.4 developer beta.
- Archive a backup. A normal iCloud backup can be overwritten; you need one that can’t. On your Mac, connect your iPhone, open Finder, select your device, hit Back Up Now > Manage Backups, right-click the new backup and click Archive. On Windows, the process is similar. Open iTunes, click Back Up Now, locate the backup in Preferences and archive it.
- Know the escape hatch. If the beta breaks your phone for any reason (this has never happened to me), you’ll have to put the phone in Recovery Mode, restore iOS 26.3 and then pull that archived backup back onto the device.
Once you’ve followed these steps, you’re pretty much ready to go.
How to install the iOS 26.4 developer beta on your iPhone
Apple now lets anyone install developer betas without paying the $99 annual fee. To do so, visit the Apple Developer site on the device you plan to update, open the ☰ menu, choose Account, and sign in with that device’s Apple ID. Agree to the terms, tick the required boxes and tap Submit. You may also need to enable Developer Mode in Settings > Privacy and Security.
Now you can install the iOS 26.4 developer beta on your phone as an over-the-air update:
- After you sign up for the Apple Developer program, you should see the option to download the iOS 26.4 developer beta in your settings.
- On your device, open Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose the iOS 26.4 Developer Beta.
- Go back and tap Download and Install under the new «iOS 26.4 Developer Beta» option that appears.
Finally, punch in your passcode, accept the terms and let the installer do its thing. On a decent Wi-Fi connection, the download-and-reboot routine should take roughly 10 to 15 minutes, but that may vary. When your iPhone powers back on, you’ll be running the developer beta.