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 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 Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12

Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Caution)

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

ErikGrim

17 months ago

Hope this beta fixes the Apple ID password amnesia from the previous beta.

Rating: 1 Votes

tazinlwfl

17 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.

Rating: 1 Votes

[ Read All Comments ]