Apple today released tvOS 26 for the Apple TV player. The release of the latest version of the Apple TV operating system was joined by the release of the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.
Key Takeaways
- tvOS 26 introduces a Liquid Glass redesign for Apple TV and its app, offering a sleeker, more immersive interface.
- Apple TV users can also take advantage of automatic displaying of profiles, iPhone karaoke mic, and improved Apple Music Sing.
- FaceTime now includes Contact Posters, expanded language support for Live Captions, and on-screen call notifications for the active profile.
tvOS 26 brings with it a new Liquid Glass redesign. After installing the update, users can expect a more immersive design and one that better matches the new look and feel of other Apple hardware devices.
Along with the overall operating system, the Apple TV app has received its own redesign, featuring new poster art (incorporating Liquid Glass) and more space for more shows and movies to be displayed at the same time.
In another attempt to improve personalized recommendations, users now have the option to enable profiles to be automatically displayed when an Apple TV player wakes up.
For those that like the karaoke feature on Apple TV, tvOS 26 now makes it possible for an iPhone to be used as a handheld microphone. Sing in Apple Music is also now more engaging, and users can now follow and sing along to a wider variety of songs.
FaceTime on Apple TV has also received a number of improvements, including a more personalized FaceTime experience, Contact Posters, Live Captions in more languages, and on-screen FaceTime audio and phone call notifications for the active profile.
Although now available for both Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K players, not all tvOS 26 features and upgrades will be available on both models.
How To Install tvOS 26
The new tvOS 26 is available to download on Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K players by accessing the settings menu and navigating to System followed by Software Update and selecting Update Software.
Those who have already set Software Updates to Automatically Update in the settings menu can expect tvOS 26 to be downloaded and installed automatically.
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