iOS 26.4 beta 1: Here’s everything new

Apple has delayed most of the Siri upgrades that were originally expected in iOS 26.4 to later versions, specifically iOS 26.5 and iOS 27. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple ran into issues with the development of these features. However, some Siri capabilities such as tools for generating images and searching the web may still appear in iOS 26.4, though this has not been confirmed. The delay is notable because Apple had been developing these smarter, more personalized Siri enhancements for two years and recently secured a deal with Google in January 2026 to use Gemini AI technology to power some of these upcoming improvements.

Stolen Device Protection is a security feature that requires biometric authentication (such as Face ID or Touch ID) when attempting to access sensitive functions on an iPhone away from trusted locations like home and work. It also includes a time delay for a second biometric authentication for certain sensitive actions. In iOS 26.4, this feature is now enabled by default for all users, whereas previously it had to be manually enabled by individual iPhone users. This change represents a shift toward prioritizing device security by default rather than requiring users to opt in.