Apple iOS / iPadOS 26.4 Beta 2 Update Summary: iPhone 17 and other users automatically "opt-out" of Beta for 4 consecutive months without upgrading to new Beta versions

IT Home February 24 News, Apple today pushed iOS / iPadOS 26.4 Beta 2 updates to developers. After reviewing the official update logs and reports from multiple media outlets, IT Home has summarized the main contents of this update.

This update not only makes a significant step forward in underlying communication technology but also refines various aspects of the user’s daily interaction interface and system settings.

Testing RCS End-to-End Encryption (currently in testing in some countries and regions)

The most forward-looking change in this update is that Apple has begun testing RCS end-to-end encrypted communication between iPhone and Android devices. During this testing phase, when an iPhone user sends an encrypted message to an Android user, and both meet the conditions (iOS upgraded to 26.4, Android using the latest Google Messages), a dedicated “lock icon” will appear in the chat interface.

However, reports indicate that this end-to-end encryption feature will not be released with the official iOS 26.4 release but will be further refined and fully launched later this year.

System Interface

In terms of system interface, Apple has further optimized the visual experience. When users long-press the home screen to bring up the “Edit” menu, the menu now uses “Liquid Glass” material, making the visual effect lighter.

At the same time, in the Account Center of the App Store and Apple Music, the “Apple Account” label has been aligned to the left and unified with the rainbow-colored Apple logo used in system settings.

The search bar for game applications has been moved from the bottom of the screen to the top to match mainstream app interaction logic.

Optimized Beta Version Management

iOS 26.4 Beta 2 introduces a smarter beta management mechanism. If users enable the beta update switch but do not install any beta system for four consecutive months, Apple will automatically switch the device back to the “Official Version” channel to prevent potential issues caused by long-term stagnation.

System Settings

Additionally, two practical details have been added to system settings: a “Reduce Brightness” option has been added under “Accessibility - Display & Text Size”;

In the system update interface, users can now directly view the specific internal version number (Build Number) by simply tapping the update name.

Emoji

Although the first beta version of iOS 26.4 contained traces of new emoji expressions, these new emojis are still not implemented in Beta 2.

Playlist Playground (US only)

Apple’s promoted “Playlist Playground” feature is currently limited to users in the United States and has not yet been opened to other countries and regions.