About Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD software updates

Find out which Apple TV you have or how to update it to the latest software.

tvOS 16.1.1, for Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) only, fixes an issue where Apple TV could become unable to install apps.

tvOS 16.1 introduces a completely redesigned Siri experience, brings Shared Photo Library to the biggest screen in the home and lets you work out and meditate with Apple Fitness+ with iPhone.

Siri

• All-new design for Siri makes it even easier to find films and programmes to watch, play the latest music, discover new apps, get sports scores and more.
• Say "Hey Siri" to enjoy hands-free control when wearing AirPods that are connected to your Apple TV.

Photos

• Shared Photo Library support lets you see your favourite moments from the entire family.
• Create a Shared Photo Library on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, then select Shared Library in the Photos app.

Apple Fitness+

• Work out and meditate with Apple Fitness+ on Apple TV – now all you need is iPhone to receive onscreen coaching, timers and trainer callouts while also tracking your estimated Move ring progress.

Home hub

• Matter – the new smart home connectivity standard – is now supported, enabling a wide variety of smart home accessories to work together across ecosystems.

tvOS 16 makes the best entertainment experience even better for everyone in your home and includes a simpler way to add more users, brings multiple languages to the onscreen keyboard, supports personalised spatial audio and adds new Siri languages and accessibility capabilities. This update also includes performance and stability improvements.

Multiuser

• Enhancements that make it easier to add profiles for every member of your Family Sharing group, so that each person gets their own Up Next watchlist and personalised TV, film, music and app recommendations.
• To add members, press and hold the TV button to open Control Centre. Then select a person onscreen.

Spatial Audio

• Personalised Spatial Audio uses a personal profile for Spatial Audio created on your iPhone to deliver a more precise and immersive listening experience on Apple TV 4K with AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation) and AirPods Max.
• To start, set up a personal profile for Spatial Audio on iPhone using the same Apple ID as the primary user on your Apple TV 4K. Additional profiles are not supported.

Keyboard

• Multiple keyboard language support enables switching between languages when using the onscreen keyboard.
• To enable, go to Settings > General > Languages to add more languages. Then select the globe icon to change languages when entering text.
  

Siri

• Language support for Spanish in Chile, Finnish in Finland and English in South Africa to help you find programmes, music and more using just your voice.
• To enable Siri, go to Settings > General > Siri. Then press the Siri button on your remote to see some examples of what you can ask.

Accessibility

• Hover Text support to see onscreen descriptions more clearly.
• New VoiceOver voice options.
• To turn on an accessibility feature or adjust preferences, go to Settings > Accessibility.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update addresses an issue where music could stop playing after a short time.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes stability improvements when setting up or restoring your Apple TV.

tvOS 15.4 lets you complete a purchase on Apple TV with Apple Watch, adds the ability to display HomeKit cameras in Picture in Picture while watching TV and supports connecting Apple TV to Wi-Fi networks that require additional sign-in steps, such as those provided by hotels or student halls. This update also includes performance and stability improvements.

Apple Watch

• Use your Apple Watch, along with iPhone or iPad, to complete a purchase on Apple TV.

Home cameras

• Keep an eye on your home – even while watching TV – by using Picture in Picture to always show a home camera feed.

Captive portal Wi-Fi networks

• Use Apple TV in more locations, such as hotels or student halls. With your iPhone or iPad, you can now connect Apple TV to Wi-Fi networks that need additional sign-in steps.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

tvOS 15.2 introduces a new Memories experience for Photos, includes a new Store tab in the Apple TV app, brings support for the Apple Music Voice Plan – a new subscription tier designed to access music using Siri – supports additional Siri languages and adds beautiful new screensavers. This update also includes performance and stability improvements.

Photos Memories

• A new way to view your Memories on the big screen with a new interactive interface, new animation and transition styles, and multiple image collages.
• Apple Music subscribers will hear songs that combine expert recommendations with your music tastes and what’s in your photos and videos.

Apple TV app¹

• The Store tab is a new all-in-one destination to browse, buy and rent the world’s best films and TV programmes.

Apple Music Voice Plan

• The Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists and stations in Apple Music using Siri.

Siri²

• Now includes language support for Dutch and French in Belgium, Russian in Russia, and French, German and Italian in Switzerland.
• Let Siri help you find programmes, music and more. To enable Siri, go to Settings > General > Siri. Then press the Siri button on your remote to see some examples of what you can ask.

Screensavers

• Enjoy stunning views of Iceland and Scotland.
• Location details can be found by pressing the clickpad or tapping the Touch surface on your Siri Remote. To see the next location, swipe on the clickpad or Touch surface.
• New Aerials can be downloaded more often. Go to Settings > General > Screen Saver to choose your settings.

1. The Apple TV app and features of the Apple TV app aren’t available in all countries and regions. See what's available in your country or region.

2. Siri availability and functionality vary by country or region.

• South Korea: with Apple TV, the Apple TV app, Siri and the App Store now available in South Korea, you can get incredible entertainment experiences for the entire family.
• Apple TV app:* localisation improvements for South Korea.

* The Apple TV app and features of the Apple TV app aren't available in all countries and regions. See what's available in your country or region.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements, and this feature:

• SharePlay: watch together with friends and family – wherever you are. Chat with FaceTime on your iPhone or iPad while watching on Apple TV.

• Apple TV app:¹ browse the For You or For All of You row to get recommended titles for everyone watching. Check Shared with You to see the programmes and films your friends have shared in Messages.
• Siri:² Siri now understands Cantonese in Hong Kong, English in India, Italian in Italy and Mandarin in Taiwan. 
• Enhanced audio: enjoy spatial audio when using AirPods Pro and AirPods Max with Apple TV 4K. Or use HomePod mini as your default speaker for Apple TV 4K.
• HomePod controls: launch apps and control Apple TV from your HomePod mini. Say something like “Hey Siri, play Trolls World Tour on the TV.” 
• Home: see all of your HomeKit cameras at once and control nearby accessories when viewing a camera on your Apple TV. 
• Sign in: use Face ID or Touch ID on your iPhone or iPad to complete a purchase or to sign in to supported apps on your Apple TV.
• Screensavers: enjoy stunning views of the Grand Canyon, Patagonia and Yosemite. Press the clickpad or tap the Touch surface on your Siri Remote to see the location, or swipe to see the next screensaver.

1. The Apple TV app and features of the Apple TV app aren’t available in all countries and regions. See what's available in your country or region.

2. Siri availability and functionality vary by country or region.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

• Siri Remote (2nd generation) or Apple TV Remote (2nd generation): browse and control Apple TV with an all-new touch-enabled clickpad, offering five-way navigation for precise movements, along with fast and fluid swipes and gestures. 
• Colour balance: use your iPhone to measure your television’s colour balance, and Apple TV will adjust to produce more accurate colours onscreen. Go to Settings > Video and Audio > Calibration. This feature requires iPhone with Face ID and iOS 14.5 or later.
• Siri:* Siri now understands German in Austria and English in Ireland and New Zealand.
• Type to Siri: use the onscreen keyboard, iPhone, iPad or a Bluetooth keyboard with Siri. Search for films, launch apps and more. To turn this on, go to Settings > Accessibility.
• Home Screen: free up space on your Apple TV by automatically removing apps you’re not using. Your data is saved and apps remain visible and will be downloaded again when used. To turn this on, go to Settings > Apps.
• Game controllers: support for the latest PlayStation DualSense and Xbox Wireless controllers. 

*Siri availability and functionality vary by country or region.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

• Apple TV app:¹ easily discover and watch all of your favourite Apple Originals in a new, dedicated Apple TV+ tab.
  
• Apple Fitness+:² stay active with a new fitness experience on the big screen – powered by Apple Watch. Fitness+ provides unlimited access to studio-style workouts from world-class trainers, with new workouts added weekly.
  
• Apple One:³ get Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+ and more in one simple plan. To sign up, go to Subscriptions in Settings on your Apple devices.

1. The Apple TV app and features of the Apple TV app aren’t available in all countries and regions. See what's available in your country or region.

2. Fitness+ is only available in certain countries or regions. Find out where Fitness+ is available.

3. See if Apple One is available in your country or region. If Apple News+ is available in your country or region, the Apple One Premier plan is also available to you.

• HomePod home cinema: connect HomePod to Apple TV 4K and enjoy stereo, surround sound and Dolby Atmos audio. Add a second HomePod for a more immersive sound stage with true stereo sound. 
• Apple One:* get Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+ (coming late 2020) and more in one simple plan. Share your plan with other family members while having personal access to each service across all of your devices. To find out more, go to Settings > Users & Accounts > [Your account] > Subscriptions.

* See if Apple One is available in your country or region. If Apple News+ is available in your country or region, the Apple One Premier plan is also available to you.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

• Share audio: enjoy films and TV programmes with a friend without disturbing others around you. Connect two sets of AirPods or compatible Beats products to your Apple TV 4K to share a viewing experience with separate volume controls. 
• Picture in Picture: watch a film while keeping an eye on the latest sports, check the weather while binge watching a TV series or play a video game while watching content by your favourite gamer – now with supported third-party apps.
• Home: get notifications when someone rings your doorbell and see a live view of who’s there. Or ask Siri to show any of your HomeKit-enabled cameras and trigger scenes in the new Home view in Control Centre.
• Multi-user for gaming: switch users in Control Centre to access just your game progress, achievements and friends. Then pick up where you left off from Continue Playing in Apple Arcade.*
  
• Game controllers: Apple TV supports even more controllers, such as the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers. And now you can create custom button mapping for your controllers in Settings.
• Screensavers: get lost in space, take to the air or dive deep into the sea by choosing only the locations you want to see. From Settings, select which types of Aerial will cycle onscreen.
• AirPlay: use AirPlay to stream content from the Photos app on your iPhone to your Apple TV 4K so you can share your favourite photos and videos in full 4K resolution.

* Apple Arcade and Apple Arcade feature availability may vary by country or region.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

• Home Screen: watch full-screen previews of new films, hit music, top-rated games and more as you highlight apps on the top row. Swipe up to hear audio and make selections. 
• Multi-user: get a tailored Apple TV experience with your own Up Next list in the Apple TV app, playlists in Apple Music and more. Invite users with your Apple TV or the Home app to get started. 
• Control Centre: hold the TV button on the Siri Remote to switch users, change audio sources, access music and set Apple TV to sleep mode. 
• Apple Arcade:* enjoy unlimited access to 100+ new games on your Apple devices. From immersive new worlds to earth-shattering sound effects, the experience is all too real on your big screen with Apple TV.
• Game controllers: play games with popular controllers, such as PlayStation DualShock 4 and the Xbox Wireless Controller with Bluetooth. 
• Apple Music: listen to your favourite music with perfectly timed lyrics. Swipe through the lyrics and jump to any verse in the song with a click.
• Screensavers: enjoy stunning new videos of underwater seascapes from bodies of water from all over the globe. Tap the Siri Remote to see the location or swipe to see the next one. 

*Apple Arcade and Apple Arcade feature availability may vary by country or region. Find out more about what’s available in your country or region.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements, and this feature:

• Apple TV app:* the all-new Apple TV app gives you one place to watch all of your favourite programmes and films across all of your devices. Subscribe to just the Apple TV channels you want. Browse thousands of titles from the iTunes Store that you can buy or rent. And get recommendations for shows and films based on everything you watch.

*The Apple TV app and features of the Apple TV app aren't available in all countries and regions. See what's available in your country or region.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements and these features:

• Siri:* ask Siri on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to play what you want to watch on your TV and control what’s playing.
• Apple TV Remote: with iOS 12.2, you can access the Apple TV Remote directly from the Lock Screen on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. So you can play, pause, rewind and control your Apple TV easily with just a tap.

*Siri availability and functionality vary by country or region.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

• Dolby Atmos: with Apple TV 4K and a Dolby Atmos-compatible sound system, you can enjoy three-dimensional audio that sends sound around and above you.
• Aerial screensavers: enjoy new Aerials shot from space. Get location information for an Aerial with just a tap and switch different locations with a swipe.
• Auto-fill passwords: with iOS 12, you can auto-fill passwords saved on your iOS device to sign in to apps on your Apple TV.
• Find My iPhone: if you turn on Find My iPhone for your devices, you can ask Siri on Apple TV to play a sound on a device to help you find it.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements, and this feature:

• AirPlay 2: listen to your favourite songs across every Apple TV, HomePod and AirPlay 2-compatible speaker you have in your home. Or play something different in every room at the same time.

• Apple TV app: now available in Brazil and Mexico.
• Siri:* Siri now understands Portuguese in Brazil.
• Video playback: on Apple TV HD, you can play videos in their original frame rate.

*Siri availability and functionality vary by country or region.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements and these features:

• Apple TV app: now available in France, Germany and the UK. And in the United States, you can browse the new Sports tab for live and upcoming games, and choose your favourite teams to add games automatically to Up Next and receive notifications.
• Amazon Prime Video: now available in the App Store for Apple TV. Enjoy Prime Originals, along with popular films and TV programmes.
• Video playback: on Apple TV 4K, you can play videos in their original frame rate and dynamic range.
• Accessibility: VoiceOver navigation and reading improvements including a VoiceOver Follow Focus rotor item and a Read Screen After Delay option available in all navigation modes. Also improved consistency of text input when dictated.

This update includes general performance and stability improvements, and this feature:

• Apple TV app: now available in Norway and Sweden.

• 4K and High Dynamic Range (HDR): enjoy a cinematic experience on your Apple TV 4K with sharp, crisp images and more true-to-life colours.
• Apple TV app: now available in Australia and Canada, the Apple TV app gives you one place for all of your programmes and films. Continue watching your favourites and see what’s new and popular.
• One Home Screen: keep your apps and Home screens the same across every Apple TV you own, just by signing in to iCloud.
• Control your Apple TV from Control Centre: in iOS 11, you can now control your Apple TV from Control Centre on all of your iOS devices.
• AirPods: if your AirPods are paired to an iOS device that’s signed in to iCloud, you can connect them to your Apple TV automatically.
• Appearance: change the background appearance of your Apple TV automatically from light to dark based on the time of day.
• Display languages: Apple TV now supports right-to-left scripts, including Arabic and Hebrew.
• Accessibility: Apple TV offers compatibility with more than 70 refreshable braille displays.