Apple Rolls out iOS 26.4 Release Candidate to Eligible iPhones

It has only been a week since the fourth iOS 26.4 Developer Beta update dropped and Apple is now back again with the Release Candidate build of iOS 26.4. The latest version has further tweaked the Liquid Glass interface in iPhones with changes in apps, settings and more.

iOS 26.4 Release Candidate Now Live for iPhones

The latest iOS 26.4 Release Candidate update comes right after Apple released the iOS 26.4 Developer Beta 4 build a few days ago. It has brought underlying software fixes and improvements for iOS 26-supported devices and retains every new feature introduced with all the previous iOS 26.4 builds.

For starters, it has extended support for encrypted RCS messaging between Apple Messages and Google Messages. iPhone owners can now enjoy secure end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for messages shared between the two apps.

iOS 26.4 Release Candidate update page screenshot — Image Credit: Ajaay Srinivasan/ Beebom Gadgets

It has also carried forward several new Liquid Glass tweaks of iOS 26.4. For instance, the bottom tab inside the Games app now integrates the Search tab alongside the Home, Arcade, Friends, and Library tabs. Users can click the search option to find installed games on their iPhones. The search bar moves to the top when accessed.

Another area where iOS 26.4 has brought change is in terms of accessibility. The Accessibility settings page now includes a new “Reduce Highlighting Effects” toggle in the Display & Text Size menu, designed to reduce highlighting effects around the edges of buttons and sliders.

Lastly, with the iOS 26.4 Release Candidate, Apple has continued to keep the AI-powered Playlist Playground feature in Apple Music intact. It also carries forward the full-screen album art display from the iOS 26.4 Public Beta 1 update. The Apple Podcasts app also now supports video podcasts and the Stolen Device Protection feature stays on by default.

That said, eligible users can update to the latest iOS 26.4 Release Candidate build by going to Settings> General> Software Update> Update Now. The update is currently going live from the iPhone 11 to the latest iPhone 17e.