414 - Apple’s Massive Update Week: iOS 26.4, macOS Tahoe & More

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by Jill McKinley, Chuck Joiner, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius. Dave and the panel dive into Apple’s massive round of OS updates including iOS 26.4, macOS Tahoe 26.4, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and HomePod updates. The team discusses Apple Music’s new AI Playlist Playground, major security fixes you should install immediately, and Apple Podcasts adding video podcasting support. Plus, Apple kills the Mac Pro, celebrates 25 years of Mac OS, introduces a new Apple Business platform, and the panel reacts to Netflix price hikes and the shutdown of OpenAI’s Sora app.

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com

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Summary

Episode 414 kicks off with Dave and the panel discussing Apple’s latest wave of software updates across the entire ecosystem including iOS, iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and HomePod OS. The discussion highlights new features, performance improvements, and most importantly a large number of security fixes that make updating immediately highly recommended.

A major highlight of iOS 26.4 is Apple Music’s new Playlist Playground, an AI-powered feature that generates playlists based on prompts like mood, genre, or activity. The panel shares their experiences testing the feature and discusses how well it works compared to other music discovery tools.

The group also discusses several other iOS updates including offline music recognition, an ambient music widget, accessibility improvements, and family purchase sharing changes. CarPlay gains new features including an ambient music widget and upcoming support for voice-based chatbot apps like ChatGPT.

Apple Podcasts is also getting video podcasting support, allowing creators to publish video versions of their shows directly in Apple Podcasts using HLS streaming, opening up new opportunities for content creators and monetization.

On the Mac side, Apple officially discontinues the Mac Pro, signaling that the Mac Studio has effectively replaced it for high-end users. The panel also reflects on 25 years of Mac OS, sharing memories of early versions and Apple’s transition across PowerPC, Intel, and Apple Silicon.

The discussion also covers Apple’s new Apple Business all-in-one platform, which aims to combine device management, productivity tools, and customer engagement into a single platform — a move that could help Apple grow further in enterprise and small business markets.

Other topics include the shutdown of OpenAI’s Sora app, Netflix price increases, router security concerns in the U.S., and a preview of the upcoming MacStock Conference.

Topics and Links

In Touch With Vision Pro this week. 

Apple Releases visionOS 26.4

Beta this week. iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS 26.4 is released to the public.

iOS iPadOS

Apple Releases iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 With New Emoji, Playlist Playground, Purchase Sharing Changes and More

Apple releases iOS 26.4 with 8 new emoji and 12 more changes to your iPhone

Security Bite: What stands out in the iOS 26.4 security release notes

Apple Music in iOS 26.4 has new design for albums, playlists, and more

iOS 26.4 Features: Everything New in iOS 26.4

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

iOS 26.4 adds new features in six iPhone apps, details here 

iOS 26.4 just made Apple Creator Studio even better, here’s what’s new - 9to5Mac

watchOS

watchOS 26.4 Now Available With Workout Update and New Emoji - MacRumors

tvOS

Apple Releases tvOS 26.4 With Genius Browse

tvOS 26.4 Adds These New Features to Your Apple TV

tvOS 26.4 Adds These New Features to Your Apple TV

Apple Releases HomePod Software 26.4

Apple Releases watchOS 5 and watchOS 8 Updates to Keep FaceTime and iMessage Running on Older Apple Watches

In Touch With Mac this week

Breaking News: Apple Discontinues Mac Pro   Apple's $700 Mac Pro Wheels Kit Discontinued Along With Mac Pro

macOS Tahoe 26.4 Now Available With Safari Compact Tab Bar, Battery Charge Limits and More

Jeff suggests Helium as a privacy-focused Chromium browser

macOS 26.4 Introduces New Security Feature for Terminal Commands

macOS Tahoe 26.4 Adds Slow Charger Indicator for MacBooks

Mac OS X Launched 25 Years Ago Today: 'The Future of the Mac' 

Marty has Jeff’s book: Designer's Guide to MAC OS X Tiger 

Other Topics

WWDC 2026 to Showcase Apple's 'AI Advancements'

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

News

What You Need to Know About the Foreign-Made Router Ban in the US

OpenAI Discontinuing Sora AI Video App - MacRumors

The Studio season 2 is coming: Here’s every new guest star so far

T-Mobile’s Free MLB.TV Subscription Returns For 2026

Netflix announces price increases for every streaming plan i

Announcements

Macstock X is here celebrating its 10th anniversary ! Dave, Chuck, Jeff, Marty, and Jill are all speaking this year!. With Three Full Days of expert-led Presentations and Workshops, Macstock’s sessions are crammed full of productivity-enhancing content. NEW this year is a partnership with sponsor Ecamm. Ecamm Creator Camp: Mac Edition on July 9, 2026 there are only 100 tickets available for the bundle. There are 2 passes available: Macstock weekend pass July 10,11,12, 2026 or the Macstock Ecamm Bundle starting July 9 (only 100 tickets available)  Come join us. Register HERE Its official! Dave is speaking for a 10th consecutive year!!

Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveg65, , BlueSky @daveg65  and the show @intouchwithios

 

Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s managing editor, and Smile’s TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet Pixelfed @[e-mail] and Bluesky @jgamet.bsky.social‬ Podcasts The Context Machine Podcast  Retro Rewatch Retro Rewatch His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at [e-mail]  https://thepodtalk.net 

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him by email at [e-mail], on Mastodon at @[e-mail], on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.

 

Jill McKinley works in enterprise software, server administration, and IT A lifelong tech enthusiast, she started her career with Windows but is now an avid Apple fan. Beyond technology, she shares her insights on nature, faith, and personal growth through her podcasts—Buzz Blossom & Squeak, Start with Small Steps, and The Bible in Small Steps. Watch her content on YouTube at @startwithsmallsteps and follow her on X @schmern. Find all her work at http://jillfromthenorthwoods.com 

Chuck Joiner is the host of MacVoices and hosts video podcasts with influential members of the Apple community. Make sure to visit macvoices.com and subscribe to his podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @chuckjoiner and join his MacVoices Facebook group.

Guy Serle is one of the hosts of the new The Gmen Show along with GazMaz and email [e-mail]  @MacParrot and @VertShark on X  Vertshark on YouTube, Google Voice +1 Area code  703-828-4677