Apple’s next major update for its set-top platform, tvOS 26, delivers a visually upgraded interface, better content discovery, and a handful of quality-of-life improvements designed to simplify everyday use. Anchored by a new visual design language that uses real-time rendered “Liquid Glass” elements, Apple TV now aims to offer a viewing experience that feels more polished and spatially immersive—without interrupting what’s on screen.
The centerpiece of this update is a new system-wide design aesthetic, bringing fluid reflections and soft translucency to the TV interface. These changes appear across the Apple TV app, Control Center, and system overlays like fast-forwarding, audio adjustments, or setting mood-based scenes. The emphasis remains on foreground content, but the interface now feels more responsive and expressive.
The Apple TV app gets a visual lift as well, now showcasing cinematic poster art and showing more titles simultaneously. This redesign aims to improve discoverability without disrupting how users already browse and navigate. Profile handling is also more streamlined—users can now set profiles to auto-display when Apple TV wakes up, surfacing personalized watchlists and Apple Music playlists more quickly.
For developers, tvOS 26 includes a new login API that links app authentication to the Apple Account associated with a profile. This change simplifies setup across apps, especially when users are configuring a new Apple TV unit.
One of the more playful additions to tvOS 26 is an expansion of Apple Music Sing, which turns your iPhone into a live microphone. This feature not only amplifies your voice through the TV but syncs it with animated lyrics and effects on the big screen. Each connected iPhone can also be used to queue songs, react with on-screen emojis, or follow along using new Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation tools. These enhancements broaden Sing’s appeal, especially for parties or multilingual households.
FaceTime on Apple TV becomes more familiar in this release, adopting features like Contact Posters that mirror the iOS experience. These personalized visuals now appear when calls are initiated through Apple TV. Expanded Live Captions, now supporting languages like French, Japanese, and Spanish, add accessibility for more users. Incoming call notifications—whether audio or video—are linked to the active profile and can be answered through iPhone or HomePod, preserving continuity without needing to reach for a remote.
There are also small but notable changes aimed at improving daily use:
- New Aerial screen savers include scenes from India, such as landscapes from Goa and Kerala.
- Users can now select screen saver categories like Earth, Cityscape, or Underwater—or hide specific ones entirely.
- AirPlay speakers can be designated as a default audio output for Apple TV, providing a consistent setup for home audio systems.
Availability
tvOS 26 is now available for developer testing and will enter public beta next month. The final version is expected in the fall as a free update for Apple TV 4K (2nd generation and later). Features like Apple Music Sing with iPhone microphone support require an iPhone 11 or later, and not all new features will be available in every language or region at launch.
