Apple has released the fourth developer beta of iPadOS 26.4, meaning the stable release is imminent. This new update contains many new features that are generally not available this late in the operating system update cycle. Here are all the important changes your iPad will receive with the new iPadOS 26.4 update.
Apple Music is experiencing serious resurgence
The biggest change is with Apple Music. The app now has a fully immersive look and feel, with album art filling the entire screen and colors, text and interface adapting accordingly.
With the new Playlist Playground feature, you can now create AI-generated playlists by simply describing what you want. Type “Study Session” or “Old Party Songs” and Apple Music will create a playlist for you in seconds.
Artist profiles now show upcoming concerts with Ticketmaster integration, so you’ll always know when your favorite artist is performing near you.
Video podcasts are coming to the iPad
Video podcasts have finally arrived in the Apple Podcasts app. If a podcast supports video, a small icon will appear in the episode. Tap play and the video will load directly into the podcast app. You can also hide the video if you have a limited data plan and download video podcasts to watch offline.
Reminder of hidden windows
iPadOS 26 brought a proper windowing system to the iPad, allowing you to open multiple app windows and resize them freely. The disadvantage is that it is easier to lose track even when the windows are open.
iPadOS 26.4 fixes this issue with a new pop-up that appears when you launch an app with hidden windows. By tapping, you can display all windows again at once. Now you’ll never lose track of an app’s open windows.
Ambient music widget
While you could previously access ambient sounds from Control Center, you can now add them directly to your home screen and start playing with a single tap via a new widget. There are four options: Sleep, Relaxation, Productivity, and Wellbeing, each offering multiple playlist options.
New emojis
The iPadOS 26.4 update brings eight new emojis to help you express yourself. New emojis include Ballet Dancer, Distorted Face, Fight Cloud, Hairy Creature (Sasquatch), Landslide, Orca, Trombone and Treasure Chest. New emojis generally don’t excite me, but using the distorted face emoji is fun.
Further changes will follow in iPadOS 26.4
With the iPadOS 26.4 update you get several other minor upgrades. Safari on iPad finally gets a new compact tab bar option, there’s a new Reduce Bright Effects setting that tones down the shimmer effect of Liquid Glass, and the App Store gets a layout update.
Reminders now include an urgent alert-like alert feature, Stolen Device Protection is enabled by default, the wallpaper gallery has been redesigned, and the Control Center is now tinted to improve readability.
When will iPadOS 26.4 come to your iPad?
Overall, iPadOS 26.4 is shaping up to be a solid update with a good mix of flashy features and smaller improvements. As for when your iPad will receive the update? The stable version usually releases about two weeks after the developer beta, so you can expect it before the end of the month.
