Apple today launched the fourth betas of the upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software arriving a week after the launch of the third betas.


Registered developers can download iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates over-the-air after installing the appropriate profile from the Developer Center. Going forward, beta updates will not require a profile and will be performed directly on the device via an Apple ID linked to a developer account.

iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 add new emoji characters including shaking head, pink heart, light blue heart, donkey, moose, jellyfish, hyacinth, ginger, black bird, etc. There are 31 new emoji in total, including options for left and right hands in multiple skin tones.

Safari Web Push notifications have been added to the iPhone and iPad, and you can receive them from websites that have been added to your device’s home screen. Web Push Notifications are identical to the notifications you receive from websites on the Mac and behave like any other iOS notification.

Third-party browsers such as Chrome can now allow users to add websites and websites to the “home screen”, and Apple has reintroduced the HomeKit architecture upgrade. There are also tweaks to Podcasts, minor updates to Apple Music, new options for Shortcuts, a reintroduced page-turning animation for Apple Books, and more, along with a full list of new Apple Music features. iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 available in our feature guide.

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