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iOS 26.4 Beta Adds AI Music Playlists and Video Podcasts

Apple released iOS 26.4 in public beta last week, introducing a slate of features that push the company deeper into AI-powered experiences while expanding media capabilities across its ecosystem. The update is expected to launch publicly in March or April.

The centerpiece is Apple Music's new "Playlist Playground," which uses Apple Intelligence to generate custom 25-song playlists from text prompts like "upbeat workout mix" or "calm evening." Users can refine results and select matching cover art. The app also adds a refreshed full-screen artwork interface and a "Concerts Near You" section for discovering live shows.

Apple Podcasts is getting a significant upgrade with video episode support, allowing creators to publish video content using HTTP Live Streaming. Listeners can seamlessly switch between audio and video playback within the same episode, with automatic quality adjustment and offline download capabilities. The move follows Spotify's push into video and includes support for dynamic video ad insertion, with Apple planning to charge participating ad networks an impression-based fee starting later this year.

CarPlay receives two major additions: in-car video playback for parked vehicles through apps like Apple TV, and support for third-party AI services including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. The AI integration marks Apple's willingness to open its platform to competing assistants, though notably, a next-generation Siri experience remains absent from this release, reportedly delayed once again.

Security improvements include making Stolen Device Protection enabled by default, requiring Face ID or Touch ID for sensitive actions. The update also begins testing end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging between iPhones, though full rollout for iPhone-to-Android encrypted messaging will come later.

Other notable additions include Audio Zoom in the Camera app for focused recording, an Ambient Music widget for quick access to soundscapes, and an "Urgent" section in Reminders for high-priority tasks with prominent alerts.

Smaller updates include a redesigned Wallpaper Gallery, the ability to add songs to multiple Apple Music playlists at once, new Health app metrics including Average Bedtime, and improved Personal Hotspot data usage tracking.