Apple Seeds Second Betas of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 to Developers

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming two weeks after the launch of the first betas.

iOS 16
Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates over-the-air after installing the appropriate profile from the Developer Center. Going forward, beta updates will not require a profile and will instead be done directly on device through an Apple ID linked to a developer account. Note: There appears to be an issue with the iOS 16.4 beta 2 update that is preventing some developers from seeing it at the current time.

iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 add new emoji characters, including shaking head, pink heart, light blue heart, donkey, moose, jellyfish, hyacinth, ginger, black bird, and more. There are 31 new emoji in total, including left and right hand options in several skin tones.

Safari Web Push notifications have been added on the iPhone and iPad, and you can receive them from websites that have been added to the Home Screen on your device. Web Push notifications are identical to the notifications that you get from websites on the Mac, and behave like any other iOS notification.

Third-party browsers like Chrome are now able to let users add websites and websites to the ‌Home Screen‌, and Apple has reintroduced the HomeKit architecture upgrade. There are also changes to Podcasts, minor updates to Apple Music, new options for Shortcuts, and more, with a full list of new features in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 available in our features guide.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...

Top Rated Comments

xxray Avatar
36 months ago
“I’m not seeing anything on my device.”

Give it a half hour. It’ll come.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
36 months ago
Exactly One year from today! See below. ??

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/02/28/apple-event-invites-could-be-sent-out-tomorrow/

I'm happy Apple released a new iOS 16.4 Beta 2 today. Let's get it! ?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
36 months ago
Released today to devs
iOS 16.4 beta 2 (20E5223e) - February 28, 2023
iPadOS 16.4 beta 2 (20E5223e) - February 28, 2023
macOS 13.3 beta 2 (22E5230e) - February 28, 2023
watchOS 9.4 beta 2 (20T5233d) - February 28, 2023
tvOS 16.4 beta 2 (20L5474e) - February 28, 2023
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
usurffree Avatar
36 months ago

So is the HomeKit architecture working better?
At some point, I really hope they allow us to pick the primary hub device. I have 6 New Homepods, 2 Older Homepods, 11 Minis, and 6 of the newest Apple TV's 128 versions. That's 23 total Apple "hubs" in my home app. It's constantly picking a mini at the far end of the house a majority of the time, but also switches to others that make little sense.(Basement models). I'd love to put the primary living room Apple TV as my hub, it's 4 feet from where the Internet/routers and all the goodies are.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jsamuels Avatar
36 months ago
I have a dev account. Here's what I'm seeing. Maybe it will straighten itself out.


Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rjjacobson Avatar
36 months ago

I have a dev account. Here's what I'm seeing. Maybe it will straighten itself out.

I had that message on phone so selected personal user and 5 minute later it works but left as developer on ipad and it also worked 5 minutes later. I am appleseed member for years so I think that is some kind of developer mode anyway it worked.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)