iOS 16.4 release candidate is now available with new emoji and several features

After a delayed arrival of the first beta version that only arrived on February 16, more than three weeks after the arrival of iOS 16.3, it seems that Apple is ready to release the latest version of iOS 16 for the General public. There are several new features in the latest update, along with standard bug fixes and security updates. Here’s everything you can expect when it hits your iPhone, likely on Monday, March 27 or Tuesday, March 28.

Update of 03/21/23: iOS 16.4 release candidate has been released for developers. The final public release will almost certainly arrive next week..

iOS 16.4: New features

Here are some of the important changes and additions in iOS 16.4. We will continue to update this section as new changes are discovered.

Apple ID for beta access: Apple is cracking down on loading betas through third-party sites and profiles, requiring verification of an Apple ID enrolled in the public or developer beta program. With iOS 16.4, you will be able to designate an Apple ID with beta access separate from that used for the rest of the device’s features.

New emoji: This release adds the emoji that are part of the Unicode 15.0 standard. They include a shaking face (side to side, like “no”), several heart colors including a pink heart which was strangely absent until now, hands that grow left and right, several new animals (moose, goose, jellyfish), and some food products and musical instruments.

Web push notifications: This release adds support for web push notifications. Web apps registered to the home screen can send system notifications through the Push API, Notifications API, and Service Workers using the standard HTML5 Web Push API. Websites must ask for permission, just like apps, and it must be in response to a user action (like pressing a “subscribe” button or similar).

Upgrading the architecture of the house: The Home architecture upgrade that was pulled from iOS 16.2 is back in iOS 16.4. This is separate from the upgraded Home app, which remained.

Voice isolation for cell calls: A new setting in the Phone app will prioritize your voice and block ambient noise around you during calls.

Apple Classical Music: Apple has announced a new app dedicated to classical music which is available for pre-order in the App Store, but it won’t officially arrive until March 28. It doesn’t require iOS 16.4, but it seems likely that the two versions will coincide.

New Podcasts app: The Podcasts app on iPhone, iPad and CarPlay improves the Up Next queue and adds features such as episode filtering and the ability to browse by season.

Widgets: A new Wallet widget to easily track orders.

Book page turning animation: The page-turning animation, where the corner of the page folds, is back in Apple Books after being removed in the first version of iOS 16.

Juggernaut support: Automatic previews of links in messages like with Twitter.

New beta requirements: If your device is registered as a beta tester, you can open Settings > General > Software updates and a new menu lets you select whether you want no beta updates, developer beta updates (if any), or public beta updates. Additionally, developers will now need an authorized developer account to install updates rather than just a profile.

If you want to learn more about iOS 16, read about the new features (and issues) that have arrived in iOS 16 since its launch.

iOS 16.4: release date

Apple Music Classical is listed as part of iOS 16.4’s MusicKit and recently appeared in the App Store as a pre-order with a March 28 launch date. So it’s likely that Apple Music Classical is supposed to launch after iOS 16.4 (although the app itself requires iOS 15.4 only).

This is the best indication we have of a date so far – March 28 or earlier.

iOS 16.4 Release Notes

Here are Apple’s official release notes for iOS 16.4:

• 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
• Notifications for web apps added to the home screen
• Voice isolation for cell calls prioritizes your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you
• Duplicate Album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library
• VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
• Accessibility setting to automatically darken video when light flashes or strobe effects are detected
• Fixes an issue where purchase requisition requests from children may not appear on the parent’s device
• Addresses issues where Matter-enabled thermostats may become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home
• Collision detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models

iOS 16.4: How to install the public beta

Apple released the iOS 16.4 public beta on Friday, February 17. Here’s how to get it on your iPhone:

1. Click Register on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID.
2. Log in to the beta software program.
3. Click on Enroll your iOS device. (If you signed up for the beta of a previous version last year, you might need to uninstall the profile for that and then sign up again for the new one.)
4. Go to beta.apple.com/profile on your iOS device.
5. Download and install the configuration profile.
6. You may need to go to settings to activate the profile. Go to General > VPN and device management and tap the iOS 16 beta profile there.
7. This will make the beta available in the Settings app, under General > Software update.

iOS 16.4: How to Install the Developer Beta

Each stage of the iOS 16.4 development cycle will roll out first to developers and then to public beta testers (usually within about a day). If you are a developer and need to test your apps with the most recent OS version possible, this is the version to run. With iOS 16.4, Apple requires all testers to join the Apple Developer Program for $99 per year.

1. In Safari on your iPhone or iPad, go to developer.apple.com and sign in using your Apple ID.
2. Go to the Downloads section (you’ll find it in the left menu), scroll down to iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 beta and tap Install ProfileSO Accept.
3. Open the Settings application. You should see Profile downloaded at the top of the main screen – tap it. If you don’t see it, go to General > VPN and device management and tap the iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 beta profile there.
4. Faucet Install in the top right to install the iOS or iPadOS 16 beta profile.
5. Read the developer consent form and (assuming you’re happy with the terms) give your consent.
6. Restart your iPhone.
7. Now go to Settings > General > Software update, where you should see that the beta version of iOS or iPadOS 16 is available. Faucet Download and install.
8. Wait for your iPhone to finish downloading the update, then tap Install when prompted.

And if everything worked as it should, your iPhone will now be running iOS 16 beta.

iOS 16.4: Risks and precautions

First of all, note that betas are test versions of upcoming software. They are by definition unfinished, and while they should include most or all of the functionality of the finished product, there will be cosmetic differences and, inevitably, some bugs and other issues that will need to be ironed out during the development process.

In other words, don’t expect a perfect user experience. In particular, some existing apps (including ones you can rely on) may not work perfectly with the new version. In extreme cases, you may even find that your device is beta locked and cannot be used until the next beta release arrives. It is not uncommon for early beta software to also have issues such as excessive battery drain.

We can’t stress enough the importance of backing up your iPhone before installing a beta on your device, or better yet, using a secondary device rather than your primary iPhone or iPad.