A week after seeding beta 4, Apple is releasing iOS 16.4 RC to developers. With that, Apple is nearing the end of this beta cycle and is preparing for the official release in the coming weeks. Here’s what you need to know about this update.
While iOS 16.3 lacked new features, iOS 16.4 RC shows Apple was just holding up for this moment to release new functions for iPhone users as the company is now adding new emojis, web push notifications, 5G Standalone support, and more.
30+ new emojis: In the fourth major update of the iOS 16 beta cycle, Apple is finally adding new emojis. There are 31 new figures available. And, for the first time, no people figures are being added. The highlights include a donkey, jellyfish, hair pick, high-five hands, and new heart colors.
Web push notifications: Home Screen web apps can finally send web push notifications, including badges. In addition, third-party browsers can show a user interface for users to add a website to their home screen. This is a long-promise feature that was set to launch during iOS 16 life cycle.
5G Standalone: Another iOS 16.4 beta feature coming to US users is a new 5G Standalone function. This will help your iPhone deliver faster speeds of up to 3GBps. Currently, T-Mobile is the only carrier supporting this capability.
Apple Music and Apple Podcasts tweaks: For the Music app, iOS 16.4 includes several tweaks. For example, adding a song to the queue no longer brings a full-screen pop-up. The playlists menu also shows the artwork cover in a smaller size. Apple Podcasts, for example, brings changes to the Library, improvements to Up Next, and CarPlay updates.
Battery: iOS 16.4 beta now tells you how much the Always-On display consumed while using it.
Alongside iOS 16.4 RC, Apple is also seeding macOS 13.3 RC, iPadOS 16.4 RC, watchOS 9.4 RC, and tvOS 16.4 RC. BGR will inform you if we discover new features with these upcoming operating system updates.
