FTC disclosures and affiliate links accompany the article but are not central to the beta content.

Stolen Device Protection becomes enabled by default in this beta, alongside an ambient music widget and updated sleep metrics like average bedtime.

The article notes ongoing feature discovery in beta 3 and invites readers to share their findings in the comments.

VisionOS 26.4 adds and showcases foveated streaming, with the capability requiring third-party app support for noticeable benefits.

Foveated streaming in visionOS 26.4 streams video to the exact gaze area, while peripheral regions are compressed to optimize quality and reduce latency.

As with any beta, expect bug fixes and security patches ahead of final releases.

Apple has released the third developer beta of iOS 26.4, along with iPadOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4, continuing the beta cycle ahead of a broader rollout.

Beta 2 already hinted at tweaks to upcoming changes, while beta 3 expands on enhancements seen since beta 1, including ongoing discovery in the beta 3 period.

Earlier beta rounds included End-to-End Encrypted RCS messaging between iPhone and Android, with Apple testing encrypted conversations first between iPhone-to-iPhone and iPhone-to-Android use cases.

Among anticipated features are end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging and an improved video podcast experience, signaling broader messaging security and media consumption improvements.

The update is expected to be feature-rich, potentially adding Siri image generation enhancements, smarter web search, and a new emoji set including trombone, treasure chest, killer whale, landslide, and Bigfoot.

tvOS 26.4 introduces new subtitle customization options and a distinct audio setting.