Latest news with #tvOS26
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Apple tvOS 26 is a huge letdown — here's why
Apple used WWDC 2025 to announce several upgrades for tvOS 26, and while the new Liquid Glass interface is gorgeous, it's seems like all flash and not much function. As a huge fan of the Apple TV 4K, one of the best streaming devices on the market, I wish Apple spent more time on making tvOS smarter instead of sleeker. Of course, maybe Tim Cook is just waiting for the next generation of Apple TV 4K to be ready before he rolls out a more robust update. Here's what Apple announced and why I think it falls short. The most prominent evolution across Apple's hardware updates beyond the design changes is the inclusion of Apple Intelligence. The new AI feature is getting its time to shine across Apple's ecosystem, but it's taken a backseat on its streaming hardware. While this might have something to do with the limited specs on offer with the Apple TV 4K, which originally launched in 2022, the new tvOS 26 features still pale in comparison to major rivals. Take, for instance, the Google TV Streamer. At the heart of its success is Gemini support, which allows it a host of awesome upgrades, like highlighted overviews for shows and movies. The device also uses AI to learn your preferences and offers personalized content suggestions. This doesn't seem like it would be a hard implementation for Apple. The Google TV Streamer also has a killer screensaver function that brings real personalization to your streaming device. Apple could give its own TV 4K a serious upgrade with AI screensavers that take Aerial shots to new heights. I was really hoping Apple Intelligence could give its TV 4K the boost it deserves. But it's not the only letdown. Apple's tvOS 26 announcement was a major bummer in this particular category, as I was really hoping Apple Intelligence could give its TV 4K the boost it deserves. But it's not the only letdown. Another disappointment for me was Apple sidestepping any mention of the gaming app on its tvOS 26 upgrade or Apple TV devices. macOS and iOS were the big ticket items for Apple when it came to gaming announcements during WWDC, but tvOS was completely ignored. This is an untapped portion of the market, one that's gaining traction thanks to Fire TV supporting Xbox Game Pass. It's not alone, as even some of the best OLED TVs are now home to a slew of cloud gaming platforms. It's doubtful Apple would ever partner with Xbox or GOG — and Epic Games is most definitely out of the cards — but casting a wider net for its internal games app across devices would make it a killer device. Just look at the Nvidia Shield TV as yet another example of how Apple lags in comparison to its rivals. There's a Shield TV Pro model that gives huge improvements to cloud gaming using DLSS, and Apple has next to nothing on offer for gamers beyond Arcade. Apple spent more time focusing on upcoming shows and movies in its tvOS 26 announcement with little time generating actual buzz on the underlying software and hardware that makes its Apple ecosystem so appealing. Given the incredible privacy and features that already underpin the Apple TV 4K, you'd think Apple would want to give it the improvements it deserves to stand out against the competition, but it didn't get much screen time at this WWDC. Maybe the minimal focus on Apple TV and tvOS 26 is evidence that future updates are coming with new hardware. It's time to give Apple TV more Apple Intelligence love and a real gaming boost.
Tahawul Tech
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tahawul Tech
Apple TV brings redesign, enhanced entertainment experience to home
tvOS 26 elevates the Apple TV design featuring Liquid Glass, along with updates to Sing in Apple Music with iPhone. Apple announced tvOS 26, making Apple TV even more immersive, enjoyable, and convenient. Featuring a stunning new design with Liquid Glass, tvOS 26 is designed to keep the focus on what's playing so users never miss a moment. The Apple TV app also now showcases cinematic poster art that makes it fun and easy to discover what to play next. Enhancements to profile-switching and a streamlined way to log in to apps make it easier than ever to access entertainment, while updates to Apple Music Sing bring users new ways to enjoy singing along with friends using iPhone. Liquid Glass Comes to the Largest Screen in the Home The new design introduces a new material called Liquid Glass.1 It brings a vibrant look to Apple TV, delivering a fresh and expressive design that beautifully reflects and refracts its surroundings using real-time rendering. Interactions with the Apple TV app are also enhanced to create a more delightful and engaging experience while watching shows and movies. The new design keeps the content central to the viewing experience while fast-forwarding or rewinding, starting a sleep timer, adjusting audio, or setting a 'Movie night' scene in Control Center. Easily Access Entertainment The Apple TV app is redesigned with beautiful new poster art that incorporates Liquid Glass, and allows more shows and movies to be displayed, enhancing how users discover entertainment. To quickly find personalized viewing recommendations, users will now have the choice to automatically display profiles when Apple TV wakes, allowing them to quickly get back to their recommendations and Watchlist in the TV app and playlists in Apple Music. Additionally, tvOS 26 introduces a new API for developers that links app logins to an Apple Account, making it effortless for users to sign in to their favorite apps, shows, and movies when setting up a new device. Take the Mic with Sing in Apple Music Sing-along sessions reach a new level of fun with tvOS 26, allowing users to transform iPhone into a handheld microphone for Apple TV and have their voices amplified as they belt out their favorite songs.2 Get the party started with friends, as everyone can jump in using their own iPhone to queue up songs or react with onscreen emoji. Accompanied by real-time lyrics and visual effects that light up the big screen, Sing in Apple Music is more engaging than ever, and with Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation, users can follow and sing along to an even wider variety of songs, even if they don't know the language.3 Stay Connected with FaceTime With tvOS 26, users can enjoy a more personalized FaceTime experience that's consistent with iOS. Contact Posters on Apple TV make it easier and more personal by displaying a contact's customized photo and name when starting a FaceTime call on Apple TV. Live Captions expand to include French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish, enabling Apple TV to use on-device intelligence to display Live Captions for FaceTime conversations, so users can follow what's being said in even more languages. Additionally, FaceTime audio and phone call notifications will appear onscreen for the active profile, allowing users to answer on connected HomePod speakers or their iPhone, and ensuring that communication with loved ones remains at the forefront. Additional updates coming to Apple TV: Enjoy breathtaking landscapes with new Aerial screen savers captured across India, including in Goa and Kerala. Personalize the screen saver experience by choosing specific Cityscape, Earth, Landscape, or Underwater Aerials to display — or hide. Designate any AirPlay -enabled speaker as the permanent speaker for Apple TV. Availability All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at New software features will be available this fall as a free software update. For more information, visit and Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit Available on Apple TV 4K (2nd generation and later). Available on iPhone 11 and later with Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) running the latest operating system software. Lyrics Translation available for select songs in the following languages: English to Chinese (simplified), English to Japanese, Korean to Chinese (simplified), Korean to English, Korean to Japanese, and Spanish to English. Lyrics Pronunciation available for select songs in the following scripts: Cantonese to Jyutping, Chinese (simplified) to Pinyin, Chinese (traditional) to Pinyin, Hindi to Romanized Hindi, Japanese to Romanized Japanese, Korean to Katakana, Korean to Romanized Korean, and Punjabi to Romanized Punjabi.
The Verge
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Apple tvOS 26 adds AirPlay speaker support, karaoke mode, and better user profiles
tvOS 26, the latest operating system update for Apple TV hardware, has been unveiled in the roster of announcements made by Apple at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). We're currently on tvOS 18, so the new tvOS 26 name may confuse some users who were watching out for tvOS 19 announcements. As with the iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, tvOS has also been renumbered to '26' to reflect the release cycles for Apple's device operating systems, in this case September 2025 to September 2026. The most noticeable change is that tvOS 26 has a new look. UI elements have been visually refreshed with a glossy 'Liquid Glass' design language that aligns with visionOS as part of Apple's goal of unifying the user experience across all of its operating systems. Any AirPlay-enabled speaker can be designated as the permanent default speaker for Apple TV devices, a feature that was previously restricted to select Apple HomePod models. This will make it easier to get better sound from Apple TV boxes that are connected to TVs without wired sound systems attached. The update also includes a karaoke mode, called Sing in Apple Music, that will let you use your iPhone as a mic as song lyrics appear on the TV, including translation and pronunciation cues. You'll also be able to queue up songs from your iPhone. Apple says that Apple TV users will have the choice to automatically display profiles when the device wakes up to quickly jump back into their personal recommendations, watchlists, and Apple Music playlists. A new API will let developers link app logins to an Apple account, making it easier to sign into streaming services when setting up a new device. It will also support the new multiplatform Games app that's coming to iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. The app will aggregate Apple Arcade games as well as titles downloaded from the App Store, providing users with a single platform to launch games and view editorial content, leaderboards, and in-game achievements. The tvOS 18 update introduced real-time onscreen insights about live-action Apple TV Plus movies and shows, AI-enhanced subtitles, and new screensavers for Apple TV 4K when it rolled out in September last year. The tvOS 26 update will be available today in developer beta, with a public beta in July and a full release in the fall.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Apple TV's tvOS 26 gets ‘Liquid Glass' treatment and profile-switching feature
Apple revealed an update to its Apple TV operating system, tvOS 26, during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2025) on Monday, featuring a "Liquid Glass" aesthetic for Apple TV that offers a sleek and 'unobtrusive' design, the company said. One of the standout features for users is the ability to quickly jump into their own user profile. Apple TV will now present profile options each time it wakes from sleep, making it more convenient for each family member to select their profile and quickly resume watching their own favorite shows and movies. The revamped Apple TV app also features new poster art on the main screen, allowing more shows and movies to be displayed. Additionally, the Control Center, where users can perform actions such as starting a sleep timer or adjusting audio, received the Liquid Glass treatment. This ensures that the video remains the focal point while viewers watch content. Additionally, tvOS 26 introduces a new API for developers that links app logins to an Apple Account, simplifying the sign-in process for users when setting up a new device. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Stuff.tv
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
While the tvOS redesign looks nice, this one new feature might ruin my experience
Apple's just pulled the curtain back on tvOS 26, the latest update to the Apple TV's operating system. Like iOS 26 for the latest iPhones and all of Apple's other software updates, it gets the new Liquid Glass design. The new interface is based on glass and genuinely looks lush, reflective, fluid. But, there's one new feature that threatens to turn this glossy update into a daily irritation: the new Profiles view that automatically pops up every time you wake the Apple TV. On paper, this profile view is meant to help you dive straight into your own recommendations and watchlists. But in practice? It sounds like the digital equivalent of someone waving in your face every morning before you've had coffee. Gone are the days of simply switching on your Apple TV resume the show you're currently watching. You can switch it off, apparently, but the fact it's on by default is rather irksome. Outside of that, tvOS 26 is undeniably slick. The redesigned Apple TV app now floods the screen with cinematic poster art, which essentially means more oversized thumbnails with swishy animations. There's also a new API for developers that should make logging into apps a bit less soul-destroying, especially if you're setting up a new device. It all ties neatly into your Apple Account. Then there's a new party piece: Apple Music Sing. You can now use your iPhone as a karaoke mic, complete with voice amplification and live lyrics on the telly. Throw in emoji reactions from guests and some multilingual lyric translation, and suddenly your living room is ready for any party. FaceTime's also been given the iOS makeover. Contact Posters now pop up on Apple TV when you're receiving a call, and Live Captions now speak six more languages. New Aerial screensavers have arrived, plus, you can now pick and choose which cityscapes or underwater shots appear when your Apple TV is idle. All these tvOS 26 features are available for developers to test starting today through the Apple Developer Program. A public beta is coming next month, with a full release set for this autumn as a free software update. You'll need at least an Apple TV 4K (2nd gen or later) to get in on the fun, and an iPhone 11 or newer if you want to wield it as your karaoke mic.
