Apple to Unveil Television Set Operating System at WWDC?

BGR claims to have received information from a "trusted source" indicating that Apple will demonstrate the operating system for its television set at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next month. The company is reportedly making a public unveiling of the operating system ahead of the actual product in order to allow third-party manufacturers to build functionality into their components to allow them to be controlled from the Apple television set and remote.

This new OS is said to be much more feature-complete than the current OS that runs on the Apple TV, and is apparently the one that Apple’s upcoming HDTV will run. Yes, that one.

We’ve heard Apple is actively trying to court manufacturers to use a new “control out” API in order for third-party manufacturers to make accessories that are compatible with the new Apple TV OS and the upcoming “iTV.” It’s said that by using the API, it will be possible to control any connected components all from the Apple remote (and the Apple remote iOS app as well, we’re assuming).

The report's source indicates that Apple is unlikely to show off its actual television set at WWDC, and most rumors have suggested that the company won't introduce the product until late this year at the earliest.

apple tv 2012 interface
BGR has a mixed track record of late, having accurately offered information on several iOS releases last year while being more hit-or-miss on hardware-related claims.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tag: BGR
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
maxresdefault

iOS 26 Code Leak Reveals Apple Smart Home Hub Details

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:02 pm PST by
Apple is working on a smart home hub that will rely heavily on the more capable version of Siri that's coming next year. We've heard quite a bit about the hub over the last two years, but a recent iOS 26 code leak provides additional insight into what we can expect and confirms rumored features. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Macworld claims to have access to an ...

Top Rated Comments

deannnnn Avatar
177 months ago
Seems like a lot to be releasing at WWDC.
iOS 6, OSX Mountain Lion, New MacBook Pros, new iMacs, and now the Apple TV set (or just it's OS)?
No way we're going to get all of these things at once.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
669532 Avatar
177 months ago
as long as its after all those new macs...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adildacoolset Avatar
177 months ago
When tim cook says that there's a lot to look forward to, I'm in suspense. New redesigned macs? A TV? Redesigned iPhone? All of the above? What do they have in store for 2012?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wankey Avatar
177 months ago
This a gigantic year for Apple. I gotta say this year's lineup of updates are better than last year.

Wow nothing has actually come out yet, Apple has one of the most effective hype machines ever.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
paradox00 Avatar
177 months ago
Well they're at least half right. Apple TV runs iOS and iOS 6 will be released to developers at WWDC. Hopefully Apple TV becomes a full fledged member of the iOS family this time around.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
177 months ago
I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of rumors prior to WWDC, most of which are probably BS.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)