Apple launches iOS 26.4 with AI playlists, purchase sharing, and more | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Apple launches iOS 26.4 with AI playlists, purchase sharing, and moreComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsAppleCloseApplePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AppleApple launches iOS 26.4 with AI playlists, purchase sharing, and moreYou can now ask Apple Music to generate a playlist based on a description.You can now ask Apple Music to generate a playlist based on a description.by Emma RothCloseEmma RothNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma RothMar 24, 2026, 7:22 PM UTCLinkShareGiftIllustration: The VergeEmma RothCloseEmma RothPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.iOS 26.4 is here, and it comes with a bunch of small but notable updates. That includes a new Playlist Playground launching in beta in Apple Music, which uses AI to generate a song playlist — complete with a title, description, and tracklist — based on a text prompt.Apple Music is also adding a new concert discovery feature, allowing you to find nearby shows featuring artists from your library, as well as new ones recommended by the app. Other updates include full-screen backgrounds for album and playlist pages, along with a new Offline Music Recognition tool that “identifies songs without an internet connection and delivers results automatically when you’re back online.”Playlist Playground. Image: AppleApple’s Family Sharing feature, which allows you to share Apple subscriptions with up to six other people, will now let each adult member add their own payment methods to make purchases (instead of just using the method belonging to the group organizer). Additionally, iOS 26.4 adds eight new emoji, including an orca, trombone, landslide, ballet dancer, and distorted face. It also improves the accuracy of its keyboard when typing quickly, according to Apple.There are a few new accessibility features, too, including an update to Apple’s “reduce bright effects” setting that now minimizes flashes that occur when tapping on certain elements like buttons. Apple is making subtitle and caption settings easier to find as well, and says its “reduce motion” setting now “more reliably reduces the animations of Liquid Glass.”Apple released its macOS 26.4 update as well, which introduces a new compact tab bar option in Safari and the ability to set charging limits from 80 to 100 percent to help preserve the lifespan of your device’s battery.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Emma RothCloseEmma RothNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma RothAppleCloseApplePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AppleiOSCloseiOSPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All iOSiPhoneCloseiPhonePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All iPhoneNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMost PopularMost PopularNvidia CEO Jensen Huang says ‘I think we’ve achieved AGI’The US government just banned consumer routers made outside the USDonut Lab’s solid-state battery could barely hold a charge after getting damagedConfronting the CEO of the AI company that impersonated meVideoAyaneo says selling its Windows gaming handheld ‘is no longer sustainable’The Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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iOS 26.4, the latest software update from Apple, introduces a series of refinements and additions across several key areas of the iPhone experience. The update centers significantly on enhancements within Apple Music, expanding its AI capabilities alongside traditional features. A notable feature is the “Playlist Playground” beta, allowing users to generate playlists entirely through text-based prompts. This tool leverages artificial intelligence to create a custom playlist, complete with a descriptive title and a curated tracklist, based on a user-provided textual description of their desired musical atmosphere. This feature represents a move toward more intuitive music discovery and personalization within the Apple Music ecosystem.

Beyond music, the update incorporates improvements to Family Sharing, specifically addressing the process of making purchases. Previously, only the group organizer could add payment methods; now, each adult member within a Family Sharing group possesses the ability to contribute their own payment information, streamlining the process for shared subscriptions and purchases. Furthermore, the operating system includes eight new emoji additions to the existing library, notably a new orca, trombone, landslide, ballet dancer, and distorted face, reflecting evolving digital communication trends.

Apple has also addressed user experience enhancements through several technical improvements. The keyboard’s predictive text functionality has been refined for increased accuracy during rapid typing, and the “reduce bright effects” setting, designed to minimize screen flicker, has been expanded to offer more comprehensive protection of user’s eyes. Accessibility features have been enhanced, improving the functionality of the “reduce motion” setting, which now reliably reduces animations associated with Liquid Glass, offering a smoother visual experience. In addition, subtitle and caption settings have been simplified for easier navigation and utilization.

Alongside software updates, Apple released macOS 26.4 which delivers several improvements for Mac users. These include a more compact tab bar option for Safari, offering a cleaner visual interface, and an option to set charging limits from 80 to 100 percent, aimed at extending the lifespan of the device’s battery. These alterations underscore Apple’s continued commitment toward optimizing both the iPhone and Mac experiences. The additions ultimately reinforce Apple’s ongoing strategy of integrating AI-driven personalization alongside established features, enhancing both the functional and aesthetic qualities of its mobile operating systems.