What's New in iOS 26.4 Beta 2: Full List of Features and Changes

Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.4 to developers today, bringing a few notable interface tweaks and expanding its testing of cross-platform messaging security. The new build arrives one week after the initial release.



The most significant addition is the expansion of end-to-end encryption for RCS messages. While the first beta limited testing to Apple devices, beta 2 enables encrypted messaging between iPhones and Android devices. Users will see a lock icon on secured threads, though both parties must be running compatible software, specifically iOS 26.4 and the latest version of Google Messages. Apple says the feature is for testing purposes only, is not available on all devices or carriers, and will roll out publicly in a future update.



Apple is also continuing to refine its navigation layouts. Following a similar change to the App Store in the first beta, the Search bar in the Games app has been moved from the bottom tab to the top of the display. Other visual tweaks include a more transparent Liquid Glass effect on the Home Screen edit menu and proper Dark Mode support for menu popups in Control Center. The Account Hub in the App Store and Apple Music has also received a small design update, now displaying the rainbow Apple Account logo with left-aligned text.



A new "Reduce Highlighting Effects" toggle has been added under Display and Text Size. In the Software Update menu, tapping the name of a pending update now reveals its build number. The current build is 23E5218e. According to MacRumors, Apple has also changed how beta enrollments are handled in the background. If a user leaves beta updates enabled but does not install any test builds for four months, the system will automatically revert them to the public release track.



Despite code references found in earlier builds, this release does not activate any new emoji characters. For a full breakdown of features introduced in the first beta, see our complete iOS 26.4 beta 1 feature guide.


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