Apple’s iOS 26.4 is shaping up to be a meaningful spring update, focusing on smarter AI features, a major Siri evolution, and noticeable improvements to health and daily-use apps. Here’s a complete, up‑to‑date overview of what we know so far.
iOS 26.3 vs iOS 26.4: Quick Comparison
Feature
iOS 26.3 (Current)
iOS 26.4 (Expected)
Siri
Basic commands & text understanding
LLM‑driven, on‑screen awareness
Health
Activity & workout tracking
AI nutrition coach & food logs
Messages
Standard RCS support
Encrypted RCS & AI smart replies
Productivity
Limited Freeform organization
Freeform folders & automation
Release
February 2026
March / April 2026
CNC Aluminum Cooling Case for Mac Studio with Mac Pro Enclosure Design
Major New Features Coming in iOS 26.4
1. Siri Gets Its Biggest AI Upgrade Yet
In iOS 26.4, Siri moves to a fully LLM-based core, similar in nature to the models powering ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. This represents a fundamental shift: Siri is no longer built around voice-to-text conversion followed by keyword matching.
Instead, Siri in iOS 26.4 is designed to understand user intent at a semantic level. Powered by Apple’s next-generation Foundation Models v10, and rumored to selectively integrate Google Gemini for advanced reasoning, Siri can interpret meaning, context, and relationships within content—rather than simply triggering predefined actions.
This change allows Siri to move beyond command execution and into intent understanding. It can analyze what you’re looking at on screen, infer what you want to accomplish, and determine the appropriate system-level actions to take.
Unlike the intent-matching approach used in iOS 26.3, Siri in iOS 26.4 understands why you are making a request, not just what words you say.
In practice, this enables Siri to:
Understand emails, messages, documents, and webpages as structured content
Perform multi-step tasks across apps based on inferred intent
Maintain contextual awareness throughout an entire interaction
This LLM-first architecture marks Siri’s transition from a reactive voice assistant into a proactive, system-wide intelligence layer at the core of iOS.
iOS 26.4 is also expected to introduce a new batch of emojis based on Unicode 17.0. These typically include a mix of new facial expressions, people, objects, and symbolic icons, continuing Apple’s tradition of annual emoji updates.
Though not a headline feature, new emojis remain one of the most visible user-facing additions in mid-cycle iOS updates.
3. Health App Redesign and AI Coaching
Apple is reportedly planning one of its most substantial Health app updates in years with iOS 26.4.
Potential changes include:
A refreshed interface focused on faster data access and easier logging
Nutrition and calorie tracking, expanding Apple’s wellness ecosystem beyond activity metrics
New guided health video content, covering sleep, nutrition, posture, and mental wellness
An AI-powered health assistant capable of offering personalized fitness, diet, and posture suggestions
These updates reinforce Apple’s long-term strategy of positioning the iPhone and Apple Watch as core personal health platforms.
iOS 26.4 Expected Release Date
iOS 26.4 is expected to launch in March or April 2026, following Apple’s typical spring software update cycle. Unlike major fall releases, mid-cycle updates like iOS 26.4 usually emphasize feature refinement, AI expansion, and ecosystem polish rather than dramatic UI redesigns.
A developer beta is likely to appear several weeks before the public release, giving Apple time to fine‑tune performance and stability.
Final Thoughts
As of February 8, 2026, iOS 26.4 appears to be a strategically important update rather than a flashy one. With a smarter Siri, deeper health insights, and meaningful app refinements, Apple is clearly using this release to prepare users for even bigger AI-driven changes in future iOS versions.