Overview
- Developer betas for iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4 and visionOS 26.4 enable HLS video testing now, with a public release set for spring on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro and the web.
- Listeners can toggle instantly between listening and watching, use picture‑in‑picture, view in horizontal full screen and download episodes for offline playback.
- Adaptive bitrate streaming via HLS adjusts quality to network conditions, and video episodes are folded into Apple Podcasts recommendations and editorial curation.
- At launch, HLS video distribution is supported through Acast, Amazon’s ART19, Triton Digital’s Omny Studio and SiriusXM (including SiriusXM Media, AdsWizz and Simplecast).
- Creators can use dynamic video ad insertion for the first time; Apple will not charge creators or hosts but will levy an impression‑based fee on participating ad networks later in 2026, a model drawing criticism over limited partner access and lack of self‑hosting support.