Apple has rolled out iOS 26.4 RC and iPadOS 26.4 RC for iPhone and iPad users, carrying build number 23E244. The source says this release lands just nine days after the previous Beta or RC build, which makes it a pretty quick follow-up as Apple wraps up testing for the 26.4 branch.
For users in the public beta channel, the update is available after signing up for Apple’s Beta Software Program and then heading to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates. Developers can access the same RC by logging into the Apple Developer Program and updating through the normal software update menu.
As with the parallel 18.x article from IT Home, this post says detailed change notes were not available yet when it went live. The article was posted automatically, and fuller update details were expected later. So the confirmed facts at this stage are the RC label, the build number, and the release sequence showing how Apple has been moving through the 26.x update cycle.
Here’s the release history included in the source for the iOS 26.4 RC path and nearby 26.x versions:
- 2026-03-10: iOS 26.4 Beta 4 (23E5234a)
- 2026-03-05: iOS 26.3.1 (23D813)
- 2026-03-03: iOS 26.4 Beta 3 (23E5223f)
- 2026-02-24: iOS 26.4 Beta 2 (23E5218e)
- 2026-02-17: iOS 26.4 Beta (23E5207q)
- 2026-02-12: iOS 26.3 (23D127)
- 2026-02-05: iPadOS 26.3 RC (23D125)
- 2026-01-27: iOS 26.2.1 (23C71)
- 2026-01-27: iOS 26.3 Beta 3 (23D5114d)
- 2026-01-13: iOS 26.3 Beta 2 (23D5103d)
- 2025-12-16: iOS 26.3 Beta (23D5089e)
- 2025-12-13: iOS 26.2 (23C55)
- 2025-12-04: iOS 26.2 RC (23C52)
- 2025-11-18: iOS 26.2 Beta 3 (23C504b)
- 2025-11-13: iOS 26.2 Beta 2 (23C503g)
- 2025-11-05: iOS 26.2 Beta (23C5027f)
- 2025-11-04: iOS 26.1 (23B85)
- 2025-10-29: iOS 26.1 RC (23B82)
- 2025-10-21: iOS 26.1 Beta 4 (23B5073a)
- 2025-10-14: iOS 26.1 Beta 3 (23B5064e)
- 2025-10-07: iOS 26.1 Beta 2 (23B5059e)
- 2025-09-30: iOS 26.0.1 (23A355)
- 2025-09-26: iOS 26.1 Beta (23B504l)
- 2025-09-16: iOS 26 (23A341)
- 2025-09-03: iOS 26 Beta 9 (23A5336a)
- 2025-08-26: iOS 26 Beta 8 (23A5330a)
- 2025-08-19: iOS 26 Beta 7 (23A5326a)
- 2025-08-12: iOS 26 Beta 6 (23A5318c)
- 2025-08-06: iOS 26 Beta 5 (23A5308g)
- 2025-07-23: iOS 26 Beta 4 (23A5297i)
- 2025-07-08: iOS 26 Beta 3 (23A5287g)
- 2025-06-24: iOS 26 Beta 2 (23A5276f)
Because this is an RC build, the update matters most as a sign that Apple is close to finishing this cycle for broad release. For people tracking Apple’s test pipeline, iOS 26.4 RC is usually the kind of milestone that suggests the company is now focused on last-minute polish for the next iPhone software update and iPad software update.
