TvOS

The second- and third-generation Apple TV have several built-in applications, but do not support third-party applications.

On September 9, 2015, Apple announced the fourth-generation Apple TV, with support for third-party applications. Apple also changed the name of the Apple TV operating system to tvOS, adopting the camel case nomenclature that they were using for its other operating systems: iOS, watchOS, and (later, in 2016) macOS.

The latest version, tvOS 27, was released on September 14, 2026.

History

On October 30, 2015, the fourth-generation Apple TV was released and shipped with tvOS 9.0. On November 9, 2015, tvOS 9.0.1 was released, primarily to address minor issues.

tvOS 9.1 was released on December 8, 2015, along with OS X 10.11.2, iOS 9.2, and watchOS 2.1. Apple also updated the Remote apps on iOS and watchOS, enabling basic remote functionality for the fourth-generation Apple TV (previously, the app only worked with earlier Apple TV models).

On November 25, 2015, Facebook debuted their SDK for tvOS, allowing applications to log into Facebook, share to Facebook, and use Facebook Analytics in the same way that iOS applications can.

On December 2, 2015, Twitter debuted their login authentication service for tvOS – "Digits" – allowing users to log into apps and services with a simple, unique code available online.

On June 13, 2016, at WWDC 2016, tvOS 10 was announced. It brought new functionality, such as Siri search improvements, single sign-on for cable subscriptions, a dark mode, and a new Remote application for controlling Apple TV. It was released on September 13, 2016, along with iOS 10.

On June 4, 2018, at WWDC 2018, tvOS 12 was announced. It brought support for Dolby Atmos E-AC3 and was released on September 17, 2018, along with iOS 12.

On April 13, 2020, it was discovered that the HomePod had switched from running a variant of iOS to a variant of tvOS.

On June 22, 2020, at WWDC 2020, tvOS 14 was announced. It brought support for the Apple Home shortcuts in Control Center and 4K videos on YouTube. It was released on September 16, 2020, along with iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

On June 7, 2021, at WWDC 2021, tvOS 15 was announced. It brought new features and improvements, including SharePlay, a "Shared with You" section in the TV app, and the ability to play content via voice command. It was released on September 20, 2021, along with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

On June 6, 2022, at WWDC 2022, tvOS 16 was announced. It brought support for Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con and Pro Controllers and additional Bluetooth and USB game controllers. It was released on September 12, 2022, along with iOS 16.

On June 5, 2023, at WWDC 2023, tvOS 17 was announced. tvOS 17 introduced FaceTime and support for other video conferencing apps for the second and third generation Apple TV 4K when paired with an iPhone or iPad, a redesigned control center interface, and third-party VPN support. It was released on September 18, 2023, along with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17.

On June 10, 2024, at WWDC 2024, tvOS 18 was announced. It was released on September 16, 2024, along with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.

On June 9, 2025, at WWDC 2025, tvOS 26 was announced, which used a new year-based numbering system. It introduced the Liquid Glass user interface design to the second and third generation Apple TV 4K. It was released on September 15, 2025, along with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. tvOS 26 was the last version to support the Apple TV HD and 4K (first generation). The Apple TV HD is the longest supported Apple device ever, having supported 11 major tvOS versions over ten years.

On June 8, 2026, at WWDC 2026, tvOS 27 was announced.

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Features

tvOS 9 shipped with several new features on the fourth-generation Apple TV. A new feature introduced was the ability to move through the interface with the new touchpad remote using multi-touch gestures. It also introduced a new App Store in which users can download and install new applications (such as apps and games) made available by developers for the Apple TV and tvOS.

tvOS supports Siri, which offers features such as cross-application search for media, rewind, fast forward, name and actor/director of the current movie, and skip back 15 seconds.

tvOS supports an application switcher on the Apple TV, application customization options, cinematic screensavers, and control of the TV using the included Siri Remote with the built-in support for HDMI-CEC in tvOS.

tvOS allows the user to control the Apple TV in different ways, such as using the included Siri Remote, pairing a third-party universal remote, pairing an MFi Gamepad to control games, using the Remote app on iOS, watchOS, or iPadOS, and pairing a Bluetooth keyboard.

Accessibility

tvOS, derived from iOS, incorporates many of the accessibility features found in iOS and macOS. These include VoiceOver, Zoom, and Siri, which support users who are blind or have low vision. VoiceOver, a screen reader available in over 30 languages, provides spoken descriptions of on-screen content and supports navigation through gestures such as flicks, taps, and the rotor.

The system includes options to increase screen contrast by reducing background transparency in various interface elements. A high-contrast cursor can be enabled to highlight focused content, and a Reduce Motion setting simplifies certain animations to minimize visual strain.

tvOS supports audio descriptions for films, indicated by the AD (Audio Description) icon in the iTunes Store and in iTunes on macOS and Windows.

Bluetooth keyboard support is also available. When used with VoiceOver, characters are read aloud as they are typed and confirmed. While designed for Apple's keyboards, the system is compatible with most third-party Bluetooth keyboards.

Closed captioning and SDH (Subtitles for the Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing) are supported for video content, with customizable caption styles and fonts. Compatible media is marked with CC or SDH icons in the iTunes Store.

The Siri Remote allows for customization of the touch surface, including tracking speed adjustments and the option to disable the touch functionality entirely in second-generation or later models, using directional buttons instead.

Apple's Remote app for iOS devices can also control Apple TV. It includes support for Switch Control, which enables users with motor impairments to navigate the interface using compatible switch devices.

Development

tvOS 9 shipped with all-new development tools for developers, adding support for a new SDK for developers to build apps for the TV including all of the APIs included in iOS 9 such as Metal. It also adds the tvOS App Store which allows users to browse, download, and install a wide variety of applications. In addition, developers can now use their own interface inside of their application rather than only being able to use Apple's interface. Since tvOS is based on iOS, it is easy to port existing iOS apps to the Apple TV with Xcode while making only a few refinements to the app to better suit the larger screen. Apple provides Xcode free to all registered Apple developers. To develop for the new Apple TV, it is necessary to make a parallax image for the application icon. In order to do this, Apple provides a Parallax exporter and previewer in the development tools for the Apple TV.

Version history

Overview

Information about software updates for Apple TV (2nd generation) onwards is published on Apple's support website.

Apple TV Software 1.0

Apple TV software 1.0 presented the user with an interface similar to that of Front Row. Like Front Row on the Mac, it presents the user with seven options for consuming content. Movies, TV Shows, Music, Podcasts, Photos, Settings, and Sources. It was a modified version of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.

Apple TV Software 2.0

In February 2008, Apple released a major and free upgrade to the Apple TV, labelled "Take Two" (2.0). This update did away with Front Row and introduced a new interface in which content was organized into six categories, all of which appeared in a large square box on the screen upon startup (movies, TV shows, music, YouTube, podcasts, and photos) and presented in the initial menu, along with a "Settings" option for configuration, including software updates. It also made updates over the air, meaning the computer was no longer required.

Apple TV Software 3.0

In October 2009, Apple released another update for the Apple TV called "Apple TV Software 3.0". This update replaced the interface in version 2.0 with a new interface which presented seven horizontal columns across the top of the screen for the different categories of content (Movies, TV Shows, Music, Podcasts, Photos, Internet, and Settings). This update also added features such as content filtering, iTunes Extras, new fonts, and a new Internet radio app. One new feature in particular was the 'Genius' playlist option allowing for easier and more user friendly playlist creating. The final update for the Apple TV (1st Generation) was Apple TV Software 3.0.2, released February 10, 2010.

Apple TV Software 4

Apple TV Software 4, based on iOS 4 and 5, was the first version of Apple TV Software available on the Apple TV (2nd generation). It ended support for the Apple TV (1st generation). Apple TV Software 4.4 brought My Photo Stream, AirPlay mirroring (from iPhone 4S and iPad 2), NHL, Wall Street Journal, slideshow themes and Netflix subtitles. Contrary to rumors and code found in iOS 5, the release did not bring support for Bluetooth or apps to the Apple TV (2nd generation).

Apple TV Software 5

On September 24, 2012, Apple TV (2nd generation) onwards received the Apple TV Software 5 software update, based on iOS 5 and 6, with Shared Photo Streams, iTunes account switching, better AirPlay functionality, and Trailers searching, among other smaller improvements.

Apple TV Software 6

On September 20, 2013, Apple TV (second generation) onwards received the Apple TV Software 6 software update, based on iOS 7, with iTunes Radio and AirPlay from iCloud.

Apple TV Software 7

On September 18, 2014, the third generation Apple TV received the Apple TV Software 7.0 software update based on iOS 8, with a redesigned UI, Family Sharing and peer-to-peer AirPlay. This release dropped support for the second generation Apple TV.

tvOS 9

tvOS 9 is based on iOS 9, with adaptations made for a television interface. It was announced on September 9, 2015, alongside the first-generation iPad Pro and the iPhone 6S. Tim Cook introduced tvOS, calling it a modern OS with support for apps. It was only available on the Apple TV HD, released in October 2015. It adds a native SDK to develop apps, an App Store to distribute them, Siri, and universal search across multiple apps. It dropped support for the third-generation Apple TV.

tvOS 10

tvOS 11

tvOS 12

tvOS 13

tvOS 14

tvOS 15

tvOS 16

tvOS 17

tvOS 18

tvOS 26

Apple advanced the version number to 26, succeeding tvOS 18, as part of a shift to a year-based versioning convention across its operating systems.

tvOS 27

tvOS 27 was announced at Apple's WWDC 2026 on June 8, 2026, and was released on September 14, 2026.