Apple TV is to receive a major redesign with the launch of tvOS 26.
This update – which jumps in its numbering scheme from tvOS18 – introduces a bold new design called Liquid Glass, which visually responds to your surroundings in real time, keeping the focus on what’s playing while making it easier to control audio, set scenes, and navigate content.
The Apple TV app also gets a redesign with cinematic new poster art that incorporates Liquid Glass, and allows more shows and movies to be displayed.
A new karaoke-style feature called Sing transforms the iPhone into a handheld microphone for Apple TV. The experience will be accompanied by real-time lyrics and visual effects that light up the big screen.
Developers will be able to link app logins to an Apple Account, making it easier for users to sign in to their favourite apps, shows, and movies when setting up a new device.
tvOS 26 also extends Apple TV as a communications device, offering a more personalised experience that’s consistent with iOS on the iPhone and iPad. Contact Posters will display a contact’s customised photo and name when starting a FaceTime call on Apple TV. Live Captions expand to include French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish, enabling Apple TV to use on-device intelligence to display Live Captions for FaceTime conversations, so users can follow what’s being said in even more languages.
In audio, it will be possible to designate any AirPlay-enabled speaker as the permanent speaker for Apple TV.
The features are now available for testing through the Apple Developer Program and a public beta will be released next month.
