Reprinted from TidBITS by permission; reuse governed by Creative Commons license BY-NC-ND 3.0. TidBITS has offered years of thoughtful commentary on Apple and Internet topics. For free email subscriptions and access to the entire TidBITS archive, visit http://www.tidbits.com/ OS 26.4 Adds AI-Generated Playlist Playground, Separates Family Sharing Purchases Adam Engst Apple has released OS 26.4 across its platforms, with Apple Music taking center stage on the iPhone and iPad. The new Playlist Playground beta in iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 uses Apple Intelligence to generate playlists from natural language descriptions, and a Concerts feature helps you discover nearby shows by artists in your library. Families gain more flexibility with Purchase Sharing, which finally lets adult members use their own payment methods. macOS 26.4 gains several battery-related improvements and marks a significant milestone: users will now see notifications warning that Rosetta support ends after macOS 27. Shared Improvements Across Platforms As is usually the case, a handful of features appear across several of Apple's operating systems: * One notable option appears in both macOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4. A new compact tab bar option in Safari gives you more space to browse and lets you search directly from the active tab. Change the setting in Safari > Settings > Tabs. The difference is fairly significant and may be welcome for users with smaller screens'such as MacBook Neo users'who want to reduce the vertical space used by Safari's window trimming. * Purchase Sharing: Adult members in Family Sharing groups can now use their own payment methods for purchases, rather than relying on the family organizer'a welcome change for families with financially independent children or multi-household families. * Video in Podcasts: Apple has added [1]support for video podcasts in the Podcasts app, allowing users to switch between listening and watching. * Freeform enhancements: The Apple Intelligence-powered image tools Apple promised for Freeform when it introduced Apple Creator Studio have now arrived (see '[2]Apple Bundles Pro Apps into New Creator Studio Subscription,' 15 January 2026). Apple says Freeform gains 'advanced image creation and editing tools, and a premium content library.' These appear to be the same tools available in Keynote, Numbers, and Pages, which let you create and edit images, upscale them with Super Resolution, and get framing suggestions from Auto Crop. * Reminders urgency: Building on the Reminders alarms introduced in OS 26.2 (see '[3]OS 26.2 Adds Reminder Alarms, Edge Light, Podcast Chapters, and Enhanced Safety Alerts,' 12 December 2025), you can now mark reminders as urgent from the Quick Toolbar or by touching and holding in iOS and iPadOS, and with a keyboard shortcut in macOS. You can also filter for urgent reminders in Smart Lists. * Eight new emoji: This update adds an orca, trombone, landslide, ballet dancer, distorted face, and three that Apple left hidden in the emoji keyboard as an exercise for the reader, but turned out to be a treasure chest, fight cloud, and hairy creature (Sasquatch). * Support for AirPods Max 2: That's all Apple says, so it's unclear whether this support is necessary for the AirPods Max 2 to work at all, or if it's required only for the new features (see '[4]AirPods Max 2 Gain H2 Chip and AirPods Pro Features,' 16 March 2026). * Easier caption access: Subtitle and caption settings are now accessible directly from the captions icon while viewing media. macOS 26.4 also receives a real-time preview. iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 Improvements A few of the changes most likely to impact users in [5]iOS 26.4 and [6]iPadOS 26.4 received little or no mention'[7]Julie Clover of MacRumors identified some of them. * Stolen Device Protection: For new users, Stolen Device Protection is now enabled by default. I confirmed that if it was off before installing iOS 26.4, it remained off afterward. (Though I immediately turned it on again, since I think it provides welcome security.) Control it in Settings > Privacy & Security > Stolen Device Protection. * Improved typing accuracy: Apple addressed a bug that caused characters to be dropped when typing quickly, increasing accuracy and reducing frustrating auto-correct errors. * Open window indicator: In iPadOS 26.4, when you switch to an app with hidden or minimized windows, an indicator shows that those windows are open. * Audio Zoom: In Settings > Camera > Record Sound, Apple added an Audio Zoom setting that causes audio recorded in videos to focus on the subject when the camera is zoomed. It's on by default. * Chatbots in CarPlay: You'll eventually be able to converse with voice-based chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini in CarPlay while driving, although starting a conversation will require tapping the screen since you can't summon the chatbot with a voice command. Apps will have to be updated to support CarPlay conversations. Otherwise, Apple Music receives the bulk of attention in [8]iOS 26.4 and [9]iPadOS 26.4: * Playlist Playground: The new Playlist Playground feature, which Apple labels as a beta, lets you describe what you want in natural language and have Apple Intelligence build a 25-song playlist. It's Apple's answer to Spotify's AI playlist features, and I'm looking forward to playing with it. It's currently restricted to users in the US. * Concerts: Another feature cribbed from Spotify surfaces nearby shows from artists in your library and recommends concerts based on your listening habits. Or at least that's what Apple says it does'I've never even heard of any of the artists or shows it displays for me. * Offline Music Recognition: The Music Recognition control in Control Center can now identify songs without an Internet connection, delivering results when you reconnect. This feature feels more like some Apple engineers showing off their machine learning capabilities than solving a common user complaint. * Ambient Music widget: New Home Screen widgets for Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing bring curated playlists to your Home Screen without opening the app. * Full-screen album and playlist backgrounds: Album and playlist pages now display more immersive full-screen artwork. * Multiple playlist adds: When adding a song to a playlist, you can now tap a list button to add it to multiple playlists at the same time. Several accessibility improvements address Liquid Glass concerns: * Reduce bright effects: A new setting minimizes bright flashes when tapping buttons and other interface elements'helpful for users sensitive to the visual effects introduced in iOS 26. * Improved Reduce Motion: The Reduce Motion setting now tones down Liquid Glass animations more reliably for users sensitive to screen motion. macOS 26.4 Tahoe Improvements Beyond the improvements shared with iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, Apple added several battery-related features to [10]macOS 26.4 Tahoe, documenting them only on its support site: * Slow charge indicator: A [11]Slow Charger label now appears in the battery status menu and in Settings > Battery when the Mac is connected to a charger that isn't delivering at least the minimum wattage. It should help people realize they can't use a little 5-watt charger with a MacBook Pro. * Charge limit: A new [12]Charge Limit feature lets you set a limit on what your Mac considers a full charge'anywhere between 80% and 100%. You can use this feature to prevent your Mac from charging to 100% regularly, which could reduce battery lifespan. We'll have to see how this works in real-world use, but it feels like a way to ensure your Mac doesn't go beyond 80% unless you manually choose Charge to Full Now. However, the [13]macOS 26.4 developer release notes offer more of interest: * Rosetta deprecation warnings: Starting with macOS 26.4, you'll see notifications when launching apps that rely on Rosetta for Intel compatibility. Apple announced at WWDC 2025 that [14]macOS 27 will be the last version to support Rosetta for most apps. (Beyond that, Apple will maintain a subset of Rosetta functionality for older gaming titles that aren't receiving updates.) Start looking for replacements for any apps that still rely on Rosetta. * Network MIDI 2.0: Audio MIDI Setup now supports Network MIDI 2.0 sessions in the MIDI Network Setup panel, enabling MIDI 2.0 connections over local networks with automatic device discovery. * HFS+ external drives: Apple fixed a [15]bug that could prevent HFS+ external media from mounting automatically. * Window resize pointer fixed: One of the developer release notes says, 'Fixed: Window resize pointer does not follow the window's corner shape.' I'm guessing that refers to the Liquid Glass-related problem that[16]Norbert Heger documented, where more of the clickable area for resizing a window lay outside the window than in it. In my testing, it seems that Apple moved the clickable area farther into the window by at least a few pixels. * Improved Tahoe virtualization: On certain hardware configurations, macOS 26.4 resolves an issue that could cause new macOS Tahoe virtual machine installations to boot to a black screen. * TextEdit horizontal scrollbar fixed: Although unmentioned in the release notes, Apple has also fixed [17]a bug that caused TextEdit to display a horizontal scroll bar unnecessarily, with some characters on the left being hidden when the character being typed caused the scroll bar to move right. The developer release notes are also transparent about remaining known issues that may affect users: * External Boot: Some M1 Mac configurations might panic when booting from an external disk. The workaround is to install to a secondary volume in an APFS container rather than an external disk to validate secondary boot sequences. * Exchange syncing: Calendar, Reminders, and Notes syncing may fail'the workaround is to disable Notes syncing. * Touch ID: After updating to macOS 26.4, if FileVault is enabled and a standard user attempts to log in before an administrator user does, Touch ID might not work. The workaround is for an administrator user to log in first. * macOS Recovery:Full erase functionality may not work if it's triggered by deleting a boot volume from the Activation Lock window in macOS Recovery. Instead, use the 'Erase All Contents & Settings' option while booted normally. * Printing: Of this known issue, Apple says only, 'jobs and Printer Status might not be reflected in Print Center.' The company doesn't offer a workaround or say whether the jobs will actually print. watchOS 26.4 Improvements Along with support for the AirPods Max 2 and the new emoji,[18]watchOS 26.4receives only one listed improvement: you can now start a workout with a single tap on the workout type icon in the Workout app. Apple's [19]developer release notes identify a known issue with Maps, where directions might fail to load on a watch when the companion iPhone is connected. The workaround is to start the direction from the iPhone. tvOS 26.4 Improvements [20]tvOS 26.4 sees only two changes. First, it fixes a bug in audio playback on Apple TV 4K that could occur when sound transitions between programs with different formats, such as Dolby Atmos and stereo. Second, Apple removed the iTunes Movies and TV Shows apps, as all content and playback have now been consolidated into the Apple TV app. visionOS 26.4 Improvements Like watchOS, [21]visionOS 26.4 gains support for the AirPods Max 2 (though I can't envision how you'd use them with Vision Pro) and the new emoji. The update's only other noted improvement is that Spatial Audio reportedly starts faster in familiar spaces by remembering the acoustic properties of rooms you've been in before. HomePod Software 26.4 Improvements Nothing beyond 'This update includes performance and stability improvements' to see here, folks. Security Updates Along with all the OS 26.4 updates, Apple also released security updates to macOS 15.7.5 Sequoia, macOS 14.8.5 Sonoma, iOS and iPadOS 18.7.7, and Safari 26.4. Although numerous vulnerabilities were fixed, Apple doesn't identify any as being exploited in the wild. They include: * iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4: [22]36 vulnerabilities * macOS 26.4 Tahoe: [23]71 vulnerabilities * watchOS 26.4: [24]22 vulnerabilities * tvOS 26.4: [25]17 vulnerabilities * visionOS 26.4: [26]27 vulnerabilities * iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7: [27]25 vulnerabilities * macOS 15.7.5 Sequoia: [28]56 vulnerabilities * macOS 14.8.5 Sonoma: [29]50 vulnerabilities * Safari 26.4: [30]7 vulnerabilities The Safari 26.4 update for Sequoia and Sonoma also includes the WebKit patch that Apple released as a Background Security Improvement last week (see '[31]Apple Relaunches Background Security Improvements with WebKit Patch,' 17 March 2026). Update Advice As with most mid-cycle updates, there are two groups: those who are merely updating from iOS 26.3 and those who are considering upgrading from iOS 18 and macOS 15. If you have already made the leap to OS 26.3, I recommend waiting a few days to make sure no surprise bugs crop up, then update all your devices. The new Apple Music features might be fun, being able to make independent purchases within a Family Sharing group might be welcome, and you might like the compact tab bar in Safari in macOS and iPadOS. For those who have been delaying an upgrade, it's probably time to identify a time to make the jump. All the OS 26 operating systems are probably feature-complete now'the OS 26.5 updates will almost certainly contain just unspecified bug fixes, security fixes, and perhaps a small tweak or two. Many people have been holding out hope that Apple would see the light and recant Liquid Glass, particularly with the departure of Alan Dye (see '[32]Apple Executive Departures Could Signal Welcome Changes,' 5 December 2025). Even then, I said that Apple is unlikely to reverse course on Liquid Glass. More emphatic support for that position came via developer Danny Bolella, who attended a three-day workshop on Liquid Glass at Apple's New York City offices, where he asked Apple about the possibility of a rollback. In a section titled 'Universal Lesson 1: The Ship Has Sailed (Liquid Glass is Permanent),' [33]Bolella wrote: Their reaction? Genuine shock. They were actually concerned that developers were holding onto this position. They made it emphatically clear that Liquid Glass is absolutely moving forward, evolving, and expanding across the ecosystem. Their exact warning to me was that those who don't adopt it now 'are gonna find themselves in a tough position later.' Nothing is forcing you to upgrade right away, but there is little reason to delay much further. Pick a time that's convenient for you and click the button. References Visible links 1. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/02/apple-introduces-a-new-video-podcast-experience-on-apple-podcasts/ 2. https://tidbits.com/2026/01/15/apple-bundles-pro-apps-into-new-creator-studio-subscription/ 3. https://tidbits.com/2025/12/12/os-26-2-adds-reminder-alarms-edge-light-podcast-chapters-and-enhanced-safety-alerts/ 4. https://tidbits.com/2026/03/16/airpods-max-2-gain-h2-chip-and-airpods-pro-features/ 5. https://support.apple.com/123075 6. https://support.apple.com/123074 7. https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-26-4-features/ 8. https://support.apple.com/123075 9. https://support.apple.com/123074 10. https://support.apple.com/122868 11. https://support.apple.com/102397 12. https://support.apple.com/102338#chargelimit 13. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/macos-release-notes/macos-26_4-release-notes 14. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/apple-silicon/about-the-rosetta-translation-environment 15. https://mjtsai.com/blog/2026/02/19/macos-26-4-beta-problems-mounting-hfs-volumes/ 16. https://noheger.at/blog/2026/02/12/resizing-windows-on-macos-tahoe-the-saga-continues/ 17. https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/1p0tpbp/textedit_annoying_bug_in_macos_261/ 18. https://support.apple.com/123002 19. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/watchos-release-notes/watchos-26_4-release-notes 20. https://support.apple.com/106336 21. https://support.apple.com/123024 22. https://support.apple.com/126792 23. https://support.apple.com/126794 24. https://support.apple.com/126798 25. https://support.apple.com/126797 26. https://support.apple.com/126799 27. https://support.apple.com/126793 28. https://support.apple.com/126795 29. https://support.apple.com/126796 30. https://support.apple.com/126800 31. https://tidbits.com/2026/03/17/apple-relaunches-background-security-improvements-with-webkit-patch/ 32. https://tidbits.com/2025/12/05/apple-executive-departures-could-signal-welcome-changes/ 33. https://captainswiftui.substack.com/p/talking-liquid-glass-with-apple#:~:text=Universal%20Lesson%201,back%20Liquid%20Glass. Hidden links: 34. https://tidbits.com/uploads/2026/03/Tab-bar-comparison-scaled.png 35. https://tidbits.com/uploads/2026/03/Playlist-Playground-scaled.jpg 36. https://tidbits.com/uploads/2026/03/Concerts-scaled.jpg .