These 7 hidden features come to your iPhone with iOS 26.4

Lots of new features coming to your iPhone soon! You probably missed these seven features of iOS 26.4.

iOS 26.4

Apple has released the first test version of iOS 26.4! This is a major update, bringing many new features to your iPhone. For example, several standard Apple applications receive more features in iOS 26.4, including Apple Podcasts, Messages and Apple Music. Now it turns out that iOS 26.4 brings even more improvements to your iPhone that you probably missed. These are seven changes coming to your iPhone with the next update!

1. Improved microphone

Do you regularly make videos with your iPhone? Then you get an important feature in iOS 26.4, because Apple introduces “Audiozoom” in the next software version. This feature links the audio to the object the iPhone camera focuses on in a video. Are you pointing the camera at a person while filming? Then Audiozoom ensures that the sound focuses on the same person. With this setting, both image and sound have the same subject, so that ambient sounds are less disturbing.

2. Average bedtime

The Health app gets a useful feature in iOS 26.4. You have been able to keep track of data about your sleep rhythm in the application for some time. This way you can see how long you slept and the new sleep score shows the quality of your night’s sleep. In iOS 26.4, Apple adds another section, because you will soon see what your average bedtime is. You can find the average bedtime from iOS 26.4 in the Health app under ‘Show all health data > Sleep’.

3. Play videos in CarPlay

With iOS 26.4, a very important feature is coming to CarPlay, because it will be possible for the first time to play videos in the car. Apple currently does not allow videos on the CarPlay screen, but iOS 26.4 will change that. The operating system will at least support Apple TV, and more streaming services and applications with videos may be added. This is not without condition: the car must be stationary if you want to play videos.

4. Apple Music

Do you have a subscription to Apple Music? You will then get a useful feature with iOS 26.4, because it will finally be possible to add a song to multiple playlists at once. Currently you still have to perform separate actions, but that is no longer necessary from iOS 26.4. Spotify has had a similar feature for years, so it’s high time Apple Music added the feature.

5. Face ID passcode

Apple has also made a small adjustment to the Settings app. In iOS 26.4, if you go to ‘Settings > Face ID & passcode’ on your iPhone, a custom window will appear for entering your passcode. In iOS 26.3 this window is aligned to the left of the screen, from iOS 26.4 Apple opts for a centered view. Furthermore, the settings do not change, only the layout is adjusted in iOS 26.4.

6. Personal hotspot

With the personal hotspot on your iPhone you can give other devices access to your mobile data. This also has a disadvantage, because it can use up your data bundle (too) quickly. Apple is therefore adding a feature to the personal hotspot settings in iOS 26.4. In the new software version you can see which devices have connected to the hotspot and how much mobile data they have used. This gives you a better insight into the consumption of your mobile data bundle.

7. Set charging limit

On the iPhone 15 and newer you can set a charging limit. This function determines the battery percentage to which your iPhone will charge. The advantage of this is that the battery ages less quickly, for example, iOS 18 and later updates provide recommendations for a charging limit to extend the life of your battery. In iOS 26.4, a similar feature comes to all iPhones, because you can then set a charging limit via the Shortcuts app. So you no longer need an iPhone 15 or newer to set a charging limit.

Release of iOS 26.4

In total, more than thirteen new features are coming to your iPhone, making iOS 26.4 a very big update. Other features expected with iOS 26.4 include new emoji, support for AI apps in CarPlay and end-to-end encryption for RCS messages. Furthermore, users in the European Union will have the option to forward notifications from the iPhone to third-party smartwatches and accessories. This function is currently exclusive to the Apple Watch.

We still have to wait a while for iOS 26.4, because the update will only come to your iPhone in the second half of March. So just be patient, many new features will be coming to your iPhone next month. In the meantime, more test versions of iOS 26.4 will be released, which may contain even more features. Don’t want to miss any of that? Then sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter so you always stay informed!