The macOS Tahoe 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 betas that Apple released today reintroduce a compact Safari Tab Bar option for those who prefer that view option.


Apple removed the compact tab bar option with the launch of ‌macOS Tahoe‌ and iPadOS 26.4, but there were Mac and iPad users who missed it.

The Safari app on Mac and the Safari section of the Settings app on ‌iPad‌ both now feature an option to toggle on the Compact Tab Bar as an alternative to the standard Separate Tab Bar.

‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 are limited to developers right now, but Apple should release public betas soon. The software is expected to launch in the spring.
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The iOS 26.4 update that Apple is beta testing includes a new "Playlist Playground" feature in the Apple Music app that's designed to let users create a playlist with a text-based prompt.


In the ‌Apple Music‌ app, there's an option to type in an idea and get automatic song suggestions for a playlist. Apple has some pre-set suggestions that include "morning coffee music," "hip-hop party songs," and "disco songs that defined the 1970s," but you can type in any idea, mood, or feeling.

From there, the Playlist Playground feature will automatically generate a list of 25 songs, along with a custom title. Playlists that you create can be customized further with additional text prompts, and you can select a cover and a description.

The Playlist Playground is available in the iOS 26.4 beta, and you can get to it by opening up ‌Apple Music‌, tapping into the Library, and tapping on the "+" button to create a new playlist. If it doesn't show up, you may need to restart your device or the ‌Apple Music‌ app.

Playlists can be shared and displayed on your profile, similar to standard playlists.

iOS 26.4 is limited to developers right now, but Apple will likely release a public beta in the near future. The software will launch in the spring.
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macOS Tahoe will be the last version of macOS that supports Intel-based Macs, with Apple planning to phase out Intel Macs entirely following its transition to Apple silicon.


Apple today reminded developers and users that future versions of macOS will not support Intel machines, and Rosetta 2 support for apps will end after macOS 27.

Starting with ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4, when users launch an app that uses Rosetta 2, there will be a popup letting them know that the app will no longer work when support for Rosetta 2 ends.

Apple says that it will continue to support older, unmaintained gaming titles with Rosetta along with software running Intel binaries in Linux VMs beyond macOS 27. There could also be future security fixes.

Apple first announced plans to stop supporting Intel Macs with new versions of macOS back in June 2025 when it debuted ‌macOS Tahoe‌ at WWDC.

Apple started its transition to Apple silicon with the 2020 launch of the M1 Mac machines, and three years ago, the company completed the transition to Apple silicon with the Apple silicon Mac Pro.

macOS 27 will launch in September 2026, so the end of support for Intel-based Macs is approaching.
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Apple today released new public beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4. The firmware is limited to developers and public beta testers at the current time, and it has a build number of 8B5034f. Apple first provided this firmware last week, but it was only available to developers at the time.


Apple today started testing iOS 26.4, so it's possible the new firmware includes features related to the iOS 26.4 beta.

With iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, Apple added a beta firmware update installation option that's available from the AirPods settings interface when the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, which facilitates beta testing.

Developers and public beta testers can use the beta option to turn on beta downloads.
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Starting with iOS 26.4, Stolen Device Protection will be enabled by default and turned on for all iPhone users. Stolen Device Protection adds extra security in case of physical ‌iPhone‌ theft.


Apple implemented Stolen Device Protection back in 2023 after reports about a new ‌iPhone‌ theft method. Thieves would spy on an intended victim to learn their passcode, then steal the target's ‌iPhone‌. With the passcode, criminals were able to empty bank accounts, access passwords, and turn off Find My.

Stolen Device Protection requires additional authentication through Face ID or Touch ID to access certain ‌iPhone‌ features like the Passwords app, Lost mode in ‌Find My‌, Safari purchases, and more. Some features are disabled entirely without authentication, while others have a one-hour security delay.

Actions requiring ‌Face ID‌ or ‌Touch ID‌ to complete:

• Viewing/using passwords or passkeys saved in iCloud Keychain


• Applying for a new Apple Card


• Viewing an ‌Apple Card‌ virtual card


• Turning off Lost Mode


• Erasing all content and settings


• Taking certain Apple Cash and Savings actions in Wallet


• Using payment methods saved in Safari


• Using your ‌iPhone‌ to set up a new device

These actions do not have a passcode backup, so you can't use a passcode to avoid using ‌Face ID‌ or ‌Touch ID‌.

Actions that have a 1-hour security delay, and require two biometric authentications:

• Changing your Apple ID password


• Updating select ‌Apple ID‌ account security settings, including adding or removing a trusted device, trusted phone number, Recovery Key, or Recovery Contact


• Changing your ‌iPhone‌ passcode


• Adding or removing ‌Face ID‌ or ‌Touch ID‌


• Turning off ‌Find My‌


• Turning off Stolen Device Protection

Prior to iOS 26.4, Stolen Device Protection had to be enabled manually in the ‌Face ID‌ and Passcode section of the Settings app. There is an option to remove security delays when the ‌iPhone‌ is in a familiar location, which allows full functionality at home but protection when out and about.

iOS 26.4 is limited to developers at the current time, but a public beta will be coming in the near future. Apple plans to release the update in the spring.
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Apple is testing secure messaging between Android and iOS devices with iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and macOS Tahoe 26.4. The updates introduce end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages, a security feature that is not currently available for cross-platform messaging.


Apple has been working with the GSM Association to implement E2EE for ‌RCS‌ messages. iMessage, the messaging protocol for sending texts between iPhones, has long supported end-to-end encryption. ‌RCS‌ messages between Android devices have also featured E2EE, but there was no full encryption for Android to iPhone (or vice versa) communications. With the addition of E2EE for ‌RCS‌, messages between ‌iPhone‌ users and Android users will eventually be just as secure as iMessage.

Developers running the iOS 26.4 beta will see a new switch in the Settings app that's turned on by default. The toggle enables testing end-to-end encrypted ‌RCS‌ messaging for supported devices and carriers. Most carriers that support ‌RCS‌ will also support ‌RCS‌ end-to-end encryption, according to Apple. During the first beta, ‌RCS‌ encryption is available for testing Apple devices only when iMessage is disabled.

‌iPhone‌ users who have the beta installed will see a lock icon in ‌RCS‌ chats, with the icon indicating that E2EE is enabled. The lock icon will also now appear in iMessage chats.

‌RCS‌ End-to-end encryption for Apple devices will roll out to beta users gradually, so not everyone will have access right away. Encryption will become available over time, and you can tell if it's enabled through the lock icon.

Cross-platform testing between ‌iPhone‌ users and Android users will begin at a later date.

E2EE for ‌RCS‌ will require Apple to update to ‌RCS‌ Universal Profile 3.0, which the GSMA published with Apple's input. Apple currently supports ‌RCS‌ Universal Profile 2.4. ‌RCS‌ Universal Profile 3.0 will also add features for editing text messages, deleting text messages, and replying to specific messages inline during cross-platform conversations.

Apple released the first betas of iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 today, with the updates available for developers. Apple plans to launch the updates in the spring, but while E2EE is in testing, the full functionality is not expected until a later iOS 26 update.
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With iOS 26.4, Apple is adding video podcast capabilities to the Apple Podcasts app. The feature uses HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) to provide podcast creators with "unprecedented control and monetization opportunities" while also providing a high-quality viewing experience.

"Twenty years ago, Apple helped take podcasting mainstream by adding podcasts to iTunes, and more than a decade ago, we introduced the dedicated Apple Podcasts app," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services. "Today marks a defining milestone in that journey. By bringing a category-leading video experience to Apple Podcasts, we're putting creators in full control of their content and how they build their businesses, while making it easier than ever for audiences to listen to or watch podcasts."

The iOS 26.4 Podcasts app will let users switch between watching and listening to shows, with videos able to be downloaded for offline viewing. HLS ensures smooth playback regardless of network connection, so videos will work on Wi-Fi or cellular. Apple says that the video episodes will integrate with existing ‌Apple Podcasts‌ features, including personalized recommendations and editorial suggestions in the New and Category sections.

Creators are able to distribute through participating hosting providers and ad networks, with Acast, ART19, Omny Studio, and SiriusXM brands supporting HLS video at launch. Creators will be able to dynamically insert video ads for broader video advertising opportunities.

The Podcasts app previously supported video podcasts via RSS, but the iOS 26.4 feature is a streamlined, native option for creating and monetizing video podcasts.

Podcasters can find more information on the new video feature through Apple's podcasts website. HLS video is available for testing today in the beta versions of iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4. iOS 26.4 will be released in the spring.
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Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming less than a week after Apple released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3.


Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update.

iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 could be significant updates that will introduce several new features. We were counting on the betas to include the smarter, more personalized version of Siri that Apple first debuted at WWDC 2024, but Apple has apparently run into issues that could see some or all ‌Siri‌ features delayed until iOS 26.5 or iOS 27.

We could still get some new ‌Siri‌ capabilities, such as tools for generating images and searching the web.

The update is also expected to include new emoji characters, such as trombone, treasure chest, orca, landslide, and Bigfoot.

iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 are limited to developers at the current time, but Apple will likely release a public beta in the next week or two.
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Apple today provided the first beta of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming just a few days after Apple launched ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.3.


Developers can download the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 update by opening up the System Settings app, selecting the General category, and then choosing Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required.

‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 could introduce some new Siri features, though at least some of the capabilities that we were expecting have been delayed. The update is also expected to introduce new emoji characters.

The beta is available to developers right now, but a public beta is expected in the next week or two.
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Apple today provided developers with the first betas of upcoming watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4 betas for testing purposes. The software comes a few days after Apple launched the 26.3 versions of each platform.


The software updates are available through the Settings app on each device, and because these are developer betas, a free developer account is required.

The updates are expected to introduce new emoji characters, plus there could be new Siri capabilities, but we don't know exactly what's in the software as of yet.

Apple will likely provide public beta testers with access to the tvOS 26.4 and watchOS 26.4 betas later this month, but visionOS 26.4 will remain limited to developers. The software updates will probably launch in mid-to-late March.
This article, "Apple Releases First watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4 and visionOS 26.4 Betas" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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