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Need-To-Knows
- Apple Music Sing turns your Apple TV and iPhone into a karaoke machine
- Liquid Glass redesign of the UI
- Developer Beta is out now, public release expected in September 2025
Whilst it isn’t exactly Apple’s jewel in the crown, tvOS 26 received a round of new updates at WWDC 25, like all of Apple’s other operating software. We still haven’t seen or heard of any hardware updates to Apple TV.
tvOS 26 brings some interface changes and new features aimed at refreshing media playback, along with some sensible user profile upgrades, and more unique offerings like Apple Music Sing. Here’s everything that’s new!
Compatibility
| Feature | Supported Models |
|---|---|
| Liquid Glass UI | Apple TV 4K (2nd & 3rd gen) |
| Apple Music Sing | Apple TV 4K (3rd gen only) |
| FaceTime Captions | Apple TV 4K (2nd gen & later) |
| Thread 1.4 | Apple TV 4K (2nd gen & later) |
| Other features (AirPlay, Sign-in, Profiles, Screensavers) | All Apple TV 4K + Apple TV HD |
At A Glance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Liquid Glass UI | New semi-transparent, frosted glass-like interface design |
| iPhone Music Sing | Use your iPhone for karaoke through Apple Music Sing |
| Wake-to-Profile | Any AirPlay speaker can be the default output |
| FaceTime Captions | Subtitles in more languages during calls |
| AirPlay Default | Any AirPlay speaker can be the audio default output |
| Apple ID Sign-in | Quicker login in third-party apps |
| Screensavers | New screensaver images |
| Thread 1.4 Support | More smoothly integrated with newer smart home setups |
Related: Read all about iPadOS 26
1. Liquid Glass Design
- A new UI style with translucent effects across menus, icons, and controls. For example, the video playback icons are now translucent and will respond to whatever is being shown behind them.
- Only works on Apple TV 4K (2nd and 3rd gen). Older Apple TV models get the update but keep the previous UI.
Related: macOS Tahoe features fully explained
2. Apple Music Sing: iPhone as Microphone
- Apple Music Sing can turn your iPhone into a microphone for use alongside Apple Music as a karaoke device. Lyrics show up on the screen via Apple Music and you sing through your iPhone.
- Includes translated lyrics, emoji reactions, and pronunciation hints.
- Multiple users can join in with their iPhones and add songs to a queue.
- Only available on Apple TV 4K (3rd gen).
Top Tip: How to screenshot on Mac
3. Profile Switching Upon Wake
- tvOS now asks which user profile you want to load as soon as Apple TV wakes up.
- Helps avoid using the wrong user data for recommendations and settings.
Related: Read Mark’s full Apple TV 4K review
4. FaceTime Updates
- Contact Posters are now displayed on Apple TV during incoming FaceTime calls so you can see who is calling more easily.
- Live Captions are now supported in French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish during calls.
- FaceTime audio calls that appear on Apple TV can also be answered using HomePod.
Get the lowdown: New watchOS 26 features
5. AirPlay Speaker Selection
- You can now set any third-party AirPlay-enabled speaker (not just HomePods) as the default output for Apple TV.
6. App Sign-in via Apple ID
- Developers can let users sign in to apps using their Apple ID, skipping password entry via the TV remote.
More Apple: iPhone 16 review
7. New Aerial Screensavers
- New screensavers added, including aerial landscapes from India like Goa and Kerala.
8. Thread 1.4 Support
- Apple TV 4K (2nd gen or newer) now supports Thread 1.4 integrations for smart home devices. This is the latest smart home software and should make Apple TV easier to integrate with other smart home devices.
Wrap Up
There isn’t a huge amount of change with tvOS 26, but the small tweaks to user experience, like the automatic call out to choose a profile upon waking, are handy updates. The karaoke functionality is the standout feature of the update, though and is something I can actually see people making use of.
Related: iOS 26 new features
tvOS 26 is compatible with Apple TV HD and all Apple TV 4K models. Developer beta is available now, with a public beta expected in July and full rollout in October 2025.
