Apple Seeds Second Beta of Upcoming tvOS 13 Update

Monday June 17, 2019 10:01 am PDT by Juli Clover

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 13 update to developers, two weeks after first unveiling the tvOS 13 software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the new tvOS 13 developer beta can be downloaded onto the ‌Apple TV‌ via a profile that's installed using Xcode.

tvos13
tvOS 13 introduces an updated Home screen aimed at making it easier to discover new content. Apps are now able to play full-screen video previews right on the Home screen, similar to Netflix.

Multi-user support is available for the first time, letting more than one profile exist on the ‌Apple TV‌ so each family member can have their own customized ‌Apple TV‌ interface with separate recommendations, music playlists, and Watch Now lists.

Switching between profiles can be done with the new Control Center, which offers up profiles, the time and date, search, a Now Playing widget, AirPlay controls, and a sleep option.

tvOS 13 gets the ‌Apple TV‌ ready for Apple Arcade, Apple's new gaming service that's coming to the ‌Apple TV‌, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later this year. ‌Apple Arcade‌ will offer unlimited access to more than 100 new and exclusive games, for one subscription fee.

As part of the ‌Apple Arcade‌ preparations, Apple has implemented support for the Xbox Wireless Bluetooth Controller and the PlayStation DualShock 4 Controller, both of which can be connected to an ‌Apple TV‌ over Bluetooth.

There are new under the sea themed screensavers created in partnership with the BBC Natural History Unit, which also created "Blue Planet."

tvOS 13 is available to registered developers at this time, but Apple plans to release a public beta in July. The software will see a public launch this fall.

What's new in tvOS 13 beta 2: The second beta of tvOS 13 introduces support for Picture-in-Picture. This feature lets you continue to watch TV shows or movies while using a different app, adjusting settings, or otherwise navigating through the tvOS 13 operating system.

Related Roundup: Apple TV

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

Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater

Popular Stories

Apple Expected to Announce These Two to Three Products 'This Week'

Sunday October 12, 2025 7:05 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple plans to announce new products "this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple's "Mac Your Calendars" teaser last October In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the products set to be updated this week include the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and "likely" the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, with all three likely to receive a spec bump with Apple's next-generation M5 chip. Gurman...

• 176 comments

Apple Preparing iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones

Saturday October 11, 2025 6:59 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple's software engineers are internally testing iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will likely be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released within the next few weeks. Last month, Apple released iOS...

• 77 comments

Apple TV Plus Feature 2 Magenta and Blue

Apple TV+ Being Rebranded as Apple TV

Monday October 13, 2025 8:25 am PDT by Eric Slivka

Buried in its announcement about "F1: The Movie" making its streaming debut on December 12, Apple has also announced that Apple TV+ is being rebranded as simply Apple TV. A single line near the end of the press release states "Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity," though Apple's website has yet to be updated with any changes, so we're unsure on the details of the...

• 252 comments

iPhone 18 Pro Already Rumored to Have These 6 New Features

Saturday October 11, 2025 10:10 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still nearly a year away, a handful of new features and changes have already been rumored for the devices. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. Smaller Dynamic Island The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with a slightly smaller Dynamic Island, but the devices will...

• 81 comments

Apple to Launch New Products Starting Next Week, Claims Dubious Leak [Updated]

Friday October 10, 2025 5:57 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Update: the Naver account appears to be referencing a speculative post on X by Vadim Yuryev, dated October 6. The original article follows. Apple will announce new products through a series of press releases beginning as soon as next week, according to a dubious claim posted on the Korean blog Naver. The Naver blog account yeux1122, which aggregates rather than originates Apple...

• 6 comments

Apple Reportedly Working on New AirPods Pro, AirPods 5, and H3 Chip

Sunday October 12, 2025 9:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

After releasing AirPods Pro 3 last month, Apple is already working on the next AirPods Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It is unclear if the new AirPods Pro would be branded as AirPods Pro 4, or if they would be considered an updated version of AirPods Pro 3. Gurman did not take a position, opting to describe them as a "new version" of the "high-end in-ear buds." AirPods Pro 2...

• 56 comments

Apple's Smart Glasses With In-Lens Display May Feature Two Modes

Sunday October 12, 2025 9:43 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple's second-generation smart glasses with an in-lens display may have two modes, depending on which device they are connected to. Meta Ray-Bans without an in-lens display In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he was told a future version of Apple's smart glasses may be able to run a full version of the visionOS operating system when they are paired with a Mac, and...

• 126 comments

Apple's Clips App Discontinued

Saturday October 11, 2025 9:06 am PDT by Eric Slivka

Apple has essentially discontinued Clips, its video-editing app designed to allow users to combine video clips, images, and photos with voice-based titles, music, filters, and graphics to create enhanced videos that can be shared on social media sites. The app has been removed from the App Store, and a support document on Apple's site says that the app is no longer being updated and would no ...

• 132 comments

Vision Pro Future Uncertain as All Headset Development Is Seemingly Paused

Saturday October 11, 2025 1:00 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

Recent reports suggest that there are now no redesigned Apple Vision headsets in active development, with the company's focus pivoting decisively to smart glasses. When Apple announced the Vision Pro in mid-2023, it described the device as the dawn of "spatial computing," a new paradigm that would eventually rival the iPhone in importance. With a $3,499 starting price, intricate design and...

• 315 comments

Top Rated Comments

Gizmotoy

83 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/17/apple-seeds-tvos-13-beta-2-to-developers/')
Apps are now able to play full-screen video previews right on the Home screen, similar to Netflix.

The rest sounds great, but I hope we can disable this. Not too excited to have Netflix’s most infuriating feature imposed on my Home screen.

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Focusx0131

83 months ago

Picture-in-Picture is a welcome long overdue feature! Can’t wait till September!

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

aesc80

82 months ago

How’s beta 2 for those who dared?? Is it usable??

It's usable but there are times where the box just doesn't respond to the iOS app controller. Other than that, it's a massive improvement from beta 1.

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)