Apple Provides Fifth Beta of Upcoming tvOS 11 Update to Developers

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming tvOS 11 update designed for the fourth-generation TV, two weeks after seeding the fourth beta and two months after releasing the first beta during the 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference.

Registered developers can download tvOS 11 by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C cable and installing the beta software using iTunes.

tvos 11 beta
tvOS 11 didn't receive a lot of attention at the Worldwide Developers Conference due to time constraints, but according to Apple's release notes, it introduces a few new features to the operating system.

tvOS 11 offers automatic switching between light/dark mode based on local time, Home screen syncing options that keep multiple Apple TVs in a household in sync, new background modes and notification support, Focus API improvements, custom sound support, network-based pairing and development support, improvements to Mobile Device Management, and more.

The fifth beta of tvOS 11 most likely focuses primarily on bug fixes and other small refinements, as the first four betas did. Apple's new tvOS 11 update is available for both registered developers and public beta testers. It will see a public release later this year.

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

Popular Stories

CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
tvOS 18 Thumb 1

Apple Releases tvOS 18.4.1

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS 18 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 18.4.1 comes two weeks after Apple released tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.4.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
iPhone Security Feature 25

Five iPhone Security Features You Should Be Using

Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:15 pm PDT by
Apple has quite a few security features that it's added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years. Now more than ever, it's important to make sure you're taking advantage of the built-in security tools that are available to keep yourself and your data safe, so we've rounded up a list of the most important options. If you don't already have these enabled, you might want to consider turning...
vision air cable

Images of Apple 'Vision Air' Power Cable Emerge Online

Thursday April 17, 2025 5:55 am PDT by
More images of a redesigned power cable allegedly for a future Apple "Vision Air" headset were today shared online by the prototype collector and leaker known as "Kosutami." Yesterday, the leaker explained that the Apple "Vision Air" will feature a thinner design and switch the battery enclosure and several of its internal structures to titanium to reduce the device's overall weight. Most of ...

Top Rated Comments

tazinlwfl Avatar
101 months ago
AppleTV works with airpods? Is that for people with hearing issues?
No, my wife and I walk around our place, each with an AirPod in our ear. It's not theater-quality audio but it also lets us to hear clearly over other sounds (neighbors, appliances, etc) as we multitask. I use bt headsets to watch TV or listen to music on the AppleTV all the time, often during in-home workouts or late-night Netflix binging. The AirPods just makes it better. tvOS 10 was pretty great, but tvOS 11 has a lot of static and dropping.

ETA: The most unsung feature of these AirPods are the ability to share with a partner. And it's not just this formfactor of truly wireless headphone that makes it special. The AirPods are very light, they have pretty great range from each other, and they're easy to insert and take out. That is probably silly to some, but I sometimes give my wife an AirPod by placing it in her ear (or take it away) very gently. Because it's not the in-ear style, it's not like I have to cram it in. And the shape/size of AirPods have kept them in despite how easy it is too insert or remove. We used to share wired headphones, head-to-head, unable to pull away less we get unplugged. We could go most of a school day like that. Now we grocery shopping to our own soundtrack, listening to some heavy mix wandering in different aisles. Pretty much everywhere we go now we each have an AirPod in our ear, listening to a audio book, podcast, etc.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ErikGrim Avatar
101 months ago
Hope this beta fixes the Apple ID password amnesia from the previous beta.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)