iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4: Here Are 5 New Features to Expect on Your iPhone

iOS 26 was finally released connected Monday, but the bundle bid ne'er stops, and the archetypal developer beta of iOS 26.1 volition apt beryllium released soon.


iOS 18.1 was an anomaly, arsenic the archetypal developer beta of that mentation was released successful precocious July past year, to let for aboriginal investigating of Apple Intelligence features. The archetypal betas of iOS 15.1, iOS 16.1, and iOS 17.1 were each released successful the 2nd fractional of September, truthful it is apt the iOS 26.1 beta rhythm volition statesman this month.

The pursuing caller features are expected to beryllium added successful aboriginal updates, ranging from iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4. These are lone the features that are known astir truthful far, truthful determination volition evidently beryllium galore others added implicit the people of the adjacent year.

Digital Passport

A aboriginal mentation of iOS 26 volition fto you adhd a integer mentation of your U.S. passport to Apple's Wallet app. Unfortunately, the diagnostic has been delayed.

The alleged "Digital ID" diagnostic for U.S. passports volition beryllium disposable successful a "software update," according to Apple's good people connected its iOS 26 page. Apple did not notation a circumstantial version, but hopefully it arrives successful iOS 26.1 oregon iOS 26.2.

After creating a Digital ID successful the Wallet app, you volition beryllium capable to contiguous it successful idiosyncratic astatine TSA checkpoints successful prime U.S. airports for individuality verification purposes during home travel. However, Apple says it is not a replacement for a carnal passport, and it cannot beryllium utilized for planetary question and borderline crossing purposes.

Apple says the Digital ID diagnostic is secure, private, and compliant with REAL ID.

It volition besides beryllium imaginable to usage the Digital ID diagnostic for property and individuality verification successful apps, online, and successful stores, according to Apple.

RCS Upgrades

Earlier this year, Apple said it planned to add enactment for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to the Messages app successful aboriginal iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS bundle updates, and we are inactive waiting for that to happen. As of the archetypal authoritative mentation of iOS 26 released this week, the upgrade has yet to beryllium implemented connected iPhones.

End-to-end encryption for RCS was announced successful March, arsenic portion of version 3.0 of the RCS Universal Profile, a planetary modular for RCS features and specifications. This means that Apple has indirectly confirmed that it volition enactment RCS Universal Profile 3.0, which includes not lone end-to-end encryption for RCS, but respective different iMessage-like enhancements for RCS that were primitively introduced successful RCS‌ Universal Profile 2.7.

Apple has to hold connected carriers to instrumentality RCS Universal Profile 3.0 too, truthful it is understandable wherefore the process is taking time.

Here are 5 caller capabilities to expect for RCS conversations connected the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, erstwhile Apple rolls retired enactment for RCS Universal Profile 3.0:

• End-to-end encryption, which volition forestall Apple and immoderate different 3rd enactment from being capable to work messages and attachments portion they are being sent betwixt devices, arsenic has ever been the lawsuit with iMessage


• In-line replies


• Edit messages


• Unsend messages


• Full-fledged Tapback enactment for RCS messages, with nary peculiar workarounds

RCS enactment arsenic a full was added to the iPhone with iOS 18, which supports ‌RCS‌ Universal Profile 2.4. It is efficaciously a modernized mentation of the SMS standard, which remains disposable arsenic a fallback enactment for substance messages implicit a cellular network.

RCS volition beryllium playing drawback up with iMessage successful galore ways. iMessage conversations with bluish bubbles person already supported end-to-end encryption by default since iOS 5. In addition, iMessage has supported in-line replies since iOS 14, portion the options to edit and unsend iMessages were introduced with iOS 16.

It seems apt that Apple volition rotation retired these RCS upgrades astatine immoderate constituent during the iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and watchOS 26 bundle cycle.

Personalized Siri

In precocious July, Apple CEO Tim Cook said his institution was making "good progress" connected a much personalized mentation of Siri, and helium reiterated the features were connected way to motorboat adjacent year. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the caller Siri to motorboat successful the U.S. in outpouring 2026, truthful Apple is apt aiming for an iOS 26.4 launch.

Apple archetypal announced the personalized Siri features during its WWDC 2024 keynote, but successful March it announced that they were delayed. The caller capabilities volition see amended knowing of a user's idiosyncratic context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls. For example, Apple showed an iPhone idiosyncratic asking Siri astir their mother's formation and luncheon preservation plans based connected info from the Mail and Messages apps.

Weather via Satellite

A small much than 3 months ago, MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered references to an unreleased "Weather via satellite" feature successful the codification for the archetypal iOS 26 developer beta. However, the diagnostic has yet to beryllium released oregon adjacent announced by Apple, truthful it is unclear if it is inactive coming oregon if it was scrapped.

The references person not been removed from the code, arsenic of the iOS 26 Release Candidate, truthful it is imaginable that Apple volition present the diagnostic eventually. Perhaps the diagnostic volition beryllium added successful a follow-up update, specified arsenic iOS 26.1 oregon iOS 26.2.

The diagnostic would fto you presumption the forecast and different upwind accusation successful the Weather app, successful supported areas without Wi-Fi and cellular range. Apple's different outer features see Emergency SOS via satellite, Messages via satellite, Find My via satellite, and Roadside Assistance via satellite, with availability varying by country.

Apple has yet to complaint a interest for immoderate of its outer features. Last week, the institution announced it is providing existing iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users with an additional twelvemonth of escaped access to the full suite of outer features connected those devices.

New Emoji

iOS 26.4 volition apt add caller built-in emoji to the iPhone.

In solemnisation of World Emoji Day connected July 17, the Unicode Consortium previewed immoderate of the caller emoji that volition beryllium coming with Unicode 17.0.

Here are immoderate of the caller emoji:

• Trombone


• Treasure Chest


• Distorted Face


• Hairy Creature (Bigfoot/Sasquatch)


• Fight Cloud


• Apple Core


• Orca


• Ballet Dancers


• Landslide

Notably, Distorted Face is simply a fashionable emoji successful Discord servers. It is fundamentally a distorted mentation of the embarassed look emoji, besides known arsenic Flushed Face.


It typically takes Apple respective months to plan caller emoji successful its ain style, truthful the emoji listed supra volition apt beryllium added to the iPhone successful iOS 26.4.

Apple astir precocious added caller emoji to the iPhone with iOS 18.4, an update that came retired successful precocious March. iOS 17.4, iOS 16.4, and iOS 15.4 besides introduced caller emoji implicit the years, truthful the timing has go predictable by this constituent if it holds up.
This article, "iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4: Here Are 5 New Features to Expect connected Your iPhone" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

Discuss this article successful our forums