Apple releases iOS 26.4 beta 2 with encrypted RCS and UI updates: Check all features

Apple has released iOS 26.4 beta 2, arriving just a week after the first developer build and continuing what is shaping up to be an incremental yet important update. While there are no headline-grabbing redesigns this time around, the focus is tighter security, tidier interfaces, and small usability tweaks that smooth out daily iPhone life.

The build, currently available to developers, carries the number 23E5218e. A public beta is expected to follow shortly. So, here’s everything that’s new in iOS 26.4 beta 2.

Encrypted RCS moves beyond the iPhone bubble

The most significant development in this second beta is the expansion of encrypted RCS testing. In the first beta, Apple enabled end-to-end encryption for RCS messages, but only between iPhones. Now, testing extends to conversations between iPhone and Android devices.

And that matters. RCS has long been positioned as the modern successor to SMS, but security parity across platforms has been inconsistent. With this update, Apple is laying groundwork for encrypted cross-platform messaging. Conversations marked as encrypted will be protected end-to-end, meaning messages cannot be read in transit between devices.

Apple is clear that this feature will not ship in iOS 26.4 itself. It remains in beta testing and will roll out more broadly in future releases across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS 26. Carrier and device support will also vary during testing.

Subtle UI polish across the system

Elsewhere, the changes are less dramatic but still welcome. In Settings under Accessibility, Apple has added a new toggle called “Reduce Highlighting Effects” within Display & Text Size. It appears designed to tone down some of the glowing outlines and edge effects around buttons and sliders, which some users find visually busy.

ALSO READ: iOS 26.4 will enable Stolen Device Protection on iPhones by default

Dark Mode also gets a small refinement. Menu popups inside Control Center now display with a properly dark background when the phone is in Dark Mode, bringing better visual consistency.

Apple is also aligning design tweaks across its apps. In beta 1, the App Store moved the Search bar back to the top of the Search tab and integrated the Search tab into the main bottom navigation bar. Beta 2 applies the same structural change to the Games app.

There are minor adjustments to the App Store’s Account Hub as well, though nothing that will fundamentally change how you use it.

A steady, incremental update

iOS 26.4 already includes more than 40 changes across Apple Music, Podcasts, and other system features. Beta 2 builds on that foundation rather than introducing anything radically new.

As always with early developer builds, more tweaks could surface in the coming days. If you are running the developer beta, it is available now. Everyone else can expect the public beta soon, with a full release likely following in the weeks ahead.