Apple Releases Second Public Betas of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, HomeKit Update and More

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its launch. Today's betas come two weeks after the release of the first public betas.

iOS 16
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's free beta testing program can download the ‌iOS 16.4‌ beta over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website.

This is the last beta that will use certificates in this way as future beta updates will be linked to an Apple ID for both developers and public beta testers.

The iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates add a number of new emoji characters, including shaking head, pink heart, blue heart, gray heart, donkey, moose, black bird, goose, wing, jellyfish, hyacinth, pea pod, ginger, fan, comb, flute, maracas, and left and right facing hand options.

ios 16 4 emoji characters
Safari Web Push notifications are available, but web developers will need to add support. With this feature, you can add a website to your Home Screen and the website can send you push notifications, just like on the Mac. These notifications behave like any other iOS notification and can be filtered out with Focus mode, delivered on Apple Watch, and more.

There's a new add to ‌Home Screen‌ option for third-party browsers so you can add a favorite Chrome site directly to your ‌Home Screen‌, plus the HomeKit architecture upgrade that was pulled from iOS 16.2 is now available again. The second beta reintroduces the page turning animation in Apple Books, and it has hints of Apple Music Classical.

Apple has made minor tweaks to the Podcasts app, ‌Apple Music‌ app, and the AppleCare coverage interface, plus there are new Shortcuts, 5G connectivity in Turkey, an option to add an always-on display filter to Focus more, and more. Full details on everything new can be found in our dedicated iOS 16.4 guide.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

Apple's Next iPhone SE Launching on Wednesday - Here's What We Know

Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE. We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on. Naming Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...

Top Rated Comments

GtrDude Avatar
26 months ago
Yet another completely useless iOS update from Apple.

Here's what I would like to see Apple do:

1. redesign the notification center. It's ridiculous. At the very least add a "Clear All" button that comes up immediately, even if there's only one notification.

2. speaking of notifications, Apple needs to change that when you tap on the phone notifications it won't ring back. It needs to only go into the phone app. All other notifications take you to the app notifying you.
Be consistent Apple. People are constantly dialing back spam and robo callers. Apple needs to be on our side in this not the spammers.

3. make it possible to dismiss Calendar and any notification from any app if you're in another app.
This goes for Calendar, News, Timers...whatever the app, you shouldn't have to swipe the notification up and then go back to the lock screen or be forced to tap the notification to get into the app sending it in order to simply dismiss a notification if you're in another app when it comes in.

4. give us an LED visual on the front of the phone for notifications in addition to sound and vibration. Allow us to change the colors of the LED light based on what the notification app is.
The fine folks who like things the way they are can just leave this off and everything will be as is.

5. bring back the same intensity (or more) of the haptic feedback as it was when iOS 16 was first released.
It was great. Since then Apple has reduced it a little on every new release. Better yet, simply make it possible for people to adjust the haptic feedback.
Right now it's almost imperceptible, which is one step from being turned off anyway.
Those who are concerned with battery or simply don't like haptic feedback can leave it off.

6. make it possible to adjust volume for independent apps and settings and not this general thing they're doing.
Separate volume control for keyboard volume, music volume, ring volume, system volume, You Tube, notifications, emails.
I, for example, would love for the keyboard clicks and the lock sounds to be much louder than they are in relations with the rest of the volume in the phone and without it affecting the volume on the entire phone or the ring and notifications volume. It's silly of Apple to force it to be like this.

7. add suggestions from the address book as you start entering a phone number.
This has been available for the last 12-15 years on Android.

8. make it possible to customize the texting app in every conceivable way. Font size, bubble size shape color etc.

9. make it possible to schedule a text message to be sent at a certain time/date. This is a basic feature. Compose your message now and schedule it to be sent out when the time is right. I used to use this feature all the time when I had to text people who are in different time zones when they have to get the text at a certain time in their time zone but it's way too late for me to stay up to send the text. Just compose the text and it can be sent out while I'm sleeping or busy.

10. use an OS-wide clipboard and make cut and/or copy not expire until we, the users, clean it.
You should be able to copy text now and paste it tomorrow if you want to.
10b. make it possible to copy multiple copy entries ready to paste any one of them by long pressing, at least the last 10 cut/copies should be possible.

11. in Mail give us the option to NOT go to the next email when you are deleting an email but to go back to the inbox. Those who want to keep things the way they are should be able to turn this feature off.

12. make it possible to move the icons on the desktop anywhere you want to.

13. make it mandatory to app makers that they have to have a swipe from left to right in EVERY app to navigate back. Hitting a tiny arrow, like some of them have, at the top left on some apps and not on others to go back is inconsistent and nuts.

14. and my goodness Apple... when using snooze allow us to cancel it before it comes on if we want to.
14b. make it possible for us to have any snooze time we want in the alarm. Not just 9 minutes and that's that. If we want to snooze for 10 minutes, or 5 minutes, or....whatever we should be able to.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Justin Cymbal Avatar
26 months ago
I’m looking forward to getting my Apple Home upgraded to the new Apple HomeKit architecture once this is released to the public

I’m still going to wait a week or two after Apple releases this to read the reviews online and make sure that there’s no bugs in the HomeKit architecture like there was the first time that Apple released it
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lakersfan74 Avatar
26 months ago
I deleted the profile after beta 1 and still got the beta 2 update
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
26 months ago

I’m looking forward to getting my Apple Home upgraded to the new Apple HomeKit architecture once this is released to the public

I’m still going to wait a week or two after Apple releases this to read the reviews online and make sure that there’s no bugs in the HomeKit architecture like there was the first time that Apple released it
Same here.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NC12 Avatar
26 months ago

How does this work in relation to getting new updates. If you delete the first beta will you get the official public 16.4 release? I was toying with it yesterday but I didn't even know how to downgrade to the official 16.3.1.
With the newer beta versions profiles are no longer needed. If your Apple ID is enrolled in the public beta program or a developer account you can select which beta you want to install in update settings

Oddly enough I do not have a dev account but have the option for the Developer Beta anyway

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DotCom2 Avatar
26 months ago
I know I am going to use that jellyfish emoji a LOT! ?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)