tvOS 26 is Compatible With These Apple TV Models - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

tvOS 26 is Compatible With These Apple TV Models

by

Apple has seeded the first tvOS 26 beta to developers for testing, and we have confirmed that the software update is compatible with all Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models.

tvOS 26 Apple Newsroom
It is particularly impressive that tvOS 26 supports the original Apple TV HD model from 2015, although the new Liquid Glass design and some other added features are limited to the newer Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and Apple TV 4K (3rd generation).

Apple says the first tvOS 26 public beta will be available next month, and the update will be released to the general public later this year.

Apple shared a press release outlining several new features and changes coming with tvOS 26, including the option to automatically display profiles when the Apple TV wakes, an enhanced Apple Music Sing experience, and more.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
Related Forums: Apple TV and Home Theater, Apple, Inc and Tech Industry

Popular Stories

General visionOS watchOS and tvOS Betas Feature Redux

Apple Releases Second watchOS 26.6, tvOS 26.6 and visionOS 26.6 Betas

Monday June 15, 2026 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with the second betas of upcoming watchOS 26.6, tvOS 26.6, and visionOS 26.6 betas for testing purposes. The software comes three weeks after Apple seeded the first betas. The software updates are available through the Settings app on each device, and because these are developer betas, a free developer account is required. There's no word on what's in the...
Read Full Article • 6 comments
f 5d631a2d7714517b0b0137e38aadf744d175cb3e

Apple Releases First iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Betas to Developers

Monday June 8, 2026 11:40 am PDT by
Following the WWDC 2026 keynote event, Apple has seeded the first betas of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27 to developers for testing purposes. Registered developers can opt in to betas and download the software through the Settings app on each device. The software includes many of the new features that were shown off earlier today, though some of what...
Read Full Article • 107 comments
Apple TV 2025 Thumb 2 Sans Text

Apple Announces tvOS 27 With These New Features

Monday June 8, 2026 2:00 pm PDT by
Apple barely touched on tvOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote today, but the update exists, and it adds some new features to the Apple TV. In a slide that was shown very briefly during the keynote, Apple revealed some of tvOS 27's new features and enhancements: A redesigned Podcasts app Smoother app launches and animations Faster AirPlay connectivity with other Apple devices Smart ...
Read Full Article • 79 comments

Top Rated Comments

S
svish
14 months ago
Good that even the older models are supported. Very long software support. Very happy to hear this.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
schillers_mullet Avatar
schillers_mullet
14 months ago
Sure hope they fix the continuity camera. It's a game changer being able to use FaceTime on tvOS, but the reliability is really poor for group calls. Drops constantly.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
jz0309
14 months ago
my 2nd gen ATV 4k has become quite laggy recently, not the actual playback but when switching between apps. So while 26 is supported on it, not sure I want to update in the fall ...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MagicBoy Avatar
MagicBoy
14 months ago

I don't really care about the new interface
Half the third-party apps likely won't support it anyway. Netflix, YouTube and Prime mostly ignore the Apple GUI standards in favour of a godawful experience with poor performance.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aespana Avatar
aespana
14 months ago

Of course I'm the complete fool who recently furnished their home with 1st gen Apple TV 4K units in all rooms, after finally getting rid of the laggy HD models. The speed boost here felt like going from hard drive to solid state drive.

They spent half the keynote talking about the liquid glass design to get me all hyped, and now I learn I'm getting a passive-aggressive design indicator to upgrade to a newer model, lest I'll be stuck with the old hat UI.

I feel attacked!
We bought an Apple TV 4K first gen like 3-4 years ago, second hand, even without control (Apple TV 3rd gen control worked fine) and it was and it is actually, one of the best gadget we have

It just works. You click the control, it turns on the TV and boom, clean interface, smooth performance, good image quality, etc. It will get tv26 at least, I don't really care about the new interface
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gaximus Avatar
gaximus
14 months ago
I've been waiting for a new model to be announced, I really want to update my Apple TV.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments