iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April.

iOS 16
iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features coming with the software update, including new emoji, push notifications from websites, and more.

1. New Emoji

New Emoji iOS 16 4 Emojipedia

Image Credit: Emojipedia

iOS 16.4 adds new emoji introduced with Unicode 15.0, including a shaking face, a heart in three new color options, a donkey, a moose, a jellyfish, and others. Earlier this week, we provided a look at all of the new emoji coming with the update.

2. Web Push Notifications

iOS 16 4 Web Push
iOS 16.4 adds opt-in support for web-based push notifications via Safari on the iPhone. This feature allows users to receive notifications from websites through Safari, just like notifications sent from App Store apps. Only websites that a user saves as a web app on the Home Screen can request to send push notifications.

3. Beta Updates Menu

iOS 16 4 Beta Updates Menu
Starting with iOS 16.4, there is a new "Beta Updates" menu in the Settings app under General → Software Update. This menu will allow members of Apple's Developer Program to access developer betas of iOS without needing to install a configuration profile from the Apple Developer website, simplifying the beta installation process. It is also possible to easily enable public betas of iOS from the same menu.

The developer beta option will only appear on your iPhone if the device is signed into the same Apple ID you used to enroll in Apple's Developer Program. In future iOS releases, Apple says this new menu will be the only way to enable developer betas, preventing configuration profiles from being used and shared online for free.

4. Podcasts App Improvements

Apple Podcasts CarPlay iOS 16 4
iOS 16.4 introduces several new features in Apple's Podcasts app across the iPhone and CarPlay.

A new Channels menu in the Podcasts app provides a list of podcast channels all in one place on the iPhone, while the Up Next queue now includes episodes listeners have saved to their Library and episodes that they play from shows they do not follow.

CarPlay now provides access to the Up Next and Recently Played queues from the Listen Now tab, along with podcast recommendations in the Browse tab.

5. New Home App Architecture

homekit showdown
iOS 16.4 reintroduces Apple's revamped Home app architecture, which was initially rolled out with iOS 16.2 but temporarily pulled due to bugs.

After updating to iOS 16.4, an optional update is available in the Home app with new underlying architecture. Apple said the new architecture improves the app's performance, efficiency, and reliability for controlling smart home accessories. The new architecture follows the Home app gaining support for Matter accessories in iOS 16.1.

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...