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Apple releases iOS 16.4 beta 4 to developers, here’s what’s new

Published Mar 15th, 2023 1:02PM EDT
iPhone 14 Pro Max Always-On Display Lock Screen
Image: José Adorno for BGR

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A week after seeding beta 3, Apple is releasing iOS 16.4 beta 4 to developers. Here’s what you need to know about this update.

While iOS 16.3 lacked new features, iOS 16.4 beta 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 beta 4, Apple is also seeding macOS 13.3 beta 4, iPadOS 16.4 beta 4, and watchOS 9.4 beta 4. Yesterday, the company seeded tvOS 16.4 beta 4. BGR will inform you if we discover new features with these upcoming operating system updates.

José Adorno Tech News Reporter

José is a Tech News Reporter at BGR. He has previously covered Apple and iPhone news for 9to5Mac, and was a producer and web editor for Latin America broadcaster TV Globo. He is based out of Brazil.