Apple has officially rolled out ios 26.4 rc to developers, bringing a mix of new features, known issues, and important bug fixes. The latest release candidate is part of the iOS & iPadOS 26.4 SDK, bundled with Xcode 26.4, allowing developers to update and test their apps against the latest API changes.

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Overview of ios 26.4 rc

The ios 26.4 rc SDK enables development for iPhone and iPad devices running the upcoming version. It focuses on improving system stability, expanding developer tools, and preparing new frameworks for future public availability.

New Features in ios 26.4 rc

Several additions have been introduced in ios 26.4 rc:

Background Assets now support offline status checks using new methods like localStatus and assetPackIsAvailableLocally. Developers can also ensure the latest asset pack version is available locally.
Memory Integrity Enforcement allows apps to opt into full protection for improved memory safety.
Messages introduces testing support for RCS end-to-end encryption between Apple and Android devices, though it is not yet available for customers.
StoreKit adds new fields, including revocationType and revocationPercentage, to Transaction data.

Known Issues in ios 26.4 rc

The ios 26.4 rc release includes several known limitations:

Accessory Notifications Framework and AudioAccessoryKit are limited to developer testing and will be available to EU users in future releases.
Address Sanitizer and Thread Sanitizer may hang if used with older Xcode versions.
Reality Composer cannot export projects as .reality or USDZ files due to an empty export panel.
SwiftUI animations may not combine properly when targeting different component properties.

Resolved Issues in ios 26.4 rc

Apple has addressed multiple issues in ios 26.4 rc:

Fixed crashes when downloading asset packs.
Resolved automatic mounting issues with HFS external media.
Fixed unresponsive close button in Feedback after submitting reports.
Addressed CFRunLoopSource leaks in networking.
Fixed StoreKit purchase intent issues when apps launch from background.
Corrected SwiftUI user activity handling.
Restored proper KeyboardNotification delivery in UIKit.

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Overall, ios 26.4 rc focuses on refining developer tools, improving system reliability, and introducing groundwork for future features like encrypted messaging and accessory integrations. With a balance of new capabilities and bug fixes, ios 26.4 rc prepares apps for the upcoming stable release while highlighting areas still under development.