iOS 26.4 Update Tipped to Bring First Real Siri Upgrades, Beta Timeline Leaks

By: Ajay Ajay

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Updated on: 09-Feb-2026

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Key Highlights

• iOS 26.4 developer beta may roll out week of February 23
• First Apple Intelligence–powered Siri upgrades expected
• New Siri features may include personal context and on-screen awareness
• Stable release likely by end of March 2026
• New emoji additions also tipped
• Focus on performance, stability, and bug fixes

iOS 26.4 Beta Timeline: What to Expect

Apple is reportedly preparing to release the first developer beta of iOS 26.4 in the last week of February, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. If the beta rollout follows Apple’s usual schedule, additional test builds could arrive by early March, with the stable update expected before the end of March.

As with past mid-cycle updates, Apple is unlikely to confirm exact rollout dates until shortly before release.

Siri Set to Take Its First Apple Intelligence Step

The iOS 26.4 update is expected to introduce early versions of long-promised Siri upgrades that were originally announced at WWDC 2024 but later delayed.

Reported Siri improvements include:

• Personal context awareness Ability to locate information from messages, emails, and notes
• On-screen awareness Siri may understand what’s currently displayed on the screen
• Expanded app controls Improved in-app and cross-app actions using voice commands

While these features won’t represent Siri’s full AI overhaul, they are said to be the first public rollout of Apple Intelligence-powered functionality.

Performance and Stability Are a Priority

According to the report, Apple is placing greater emphasis on performance improvements and bug fixes with iOS 26.4. This aligns with Apple’s broader plan to stabilize its software platforms in 2026, ahead of larger architectural changes planned for iOS 27.

Users can expect:

• Smoother system animations
• Reduced background crashes
• Improved battery and thermal behaviour on supported iPhones

New Emoji Likely Coming With iOS 26.4

Alongside functional upgrades, iOS 26.4 is also tipped to introduce new emoji characters. Leaks suggest the following may be included:

• Apple core emoji
• Fight cloud
• Treasure chest

These additions are expected to follow Unicode’s latest emoji recommendations.

Apple Intelligence and Gemini Integration

Apple has already confirmed plans to use Google’s Gemini as an additional AI option for Siri, alongside its own in-house models. This partnership is expected to help Siri handle more advanced, chatbot-style queries, while Apple continues to emphasize privacy.

Key points:

• Processing will remain largely on-device
• Complex tasks may use Apple’s Private Cloud Compute
• Gemini acts as a supplement, not a replacement

What This Means for iPhone Users

iOS 26.4 appears to be a transitional update, laying the groundwork for Siri’s long-awaited evolution rather than delivering a full AI reboot. Users should expect incremental but meaningful improvements, especially in how Siri understands context and interacts across apps.

If Apple sticks to its reported timeline, iPhone users could start testing these changes within weeks.

Also Read: iPhone 18 Pro Camera Upgrade Tipped

Comparos Take: iOS 26.4 may not be Siri’s big AI moment—but it looks like the update where Apple finally starts delivering on its promises, while fixing long-standing performance pain points.