Apple Seeds Sixth Beta of Upcoming tvOS 13 Update to Developers

Apple today seeded sixth beta of an upcoming tvOS 13 update to developers, a little over a week after seeding the fifth beta and two months after 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." There's also a new Picture-in-Picture feature. Picture-in-Picture 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.

tvos13pictureinpicture
tvOS 13 is available to registered developers and public beta testers at this time and will see an official public launch this fall alongside iOS 13, iPadOS, macOS Catalina, and watchOS 6.

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

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
imac video apple feature

Apple Makes Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever

Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
iphone 16 pro colors 1

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Models at Lower Prices

Wednesday February 4, 2026 7:44 am PST by
Apple today began selling certified refurbished iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max models on its online store in the U.S., with prices discounted by 12% to 22% compared to Apple's current or former pricing for the devices. Here were Apple's starting prices when the devices launched in September 2024: iPhone 16: $799 iPhone 16 Plus: $899 iPhone 16 Pro:...
Apple TV Color

Apple TV Announces 12 New Shows and Films Coming This Year

Wednesday February 4, 2026 12:29 pm PST by
Apple on Tuesday previewed 12 new shows and films that will be premiering on the Apple TV streaming service throughout 2026. The new series: Imperfect Women — March 18, 2026 Margo's Got Money Troubles — April 15, 2026 Widow's Bay — April 29, 2026 Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed — May 20, 2026 Cape Fear — June 5, 2026 Lucky — July 15, 2026 The new films: Eternity — ...

Top Rated Comments

JRobinsonJr Avatar
85 months ago
How do you want to use that?
Well.. how about Mom and Dad staying up late watching a movie while the kids sleep? Or maybe the kids watching a movie while Mom and Dad work? Or... any other conceivable scenario where more than one person wants to hears the sounds from an AppleTV while others do it. Seems a fairly unambiguous use case to me.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
85 months ago
Can somebody please tell me if tvOS 13 supports multiple Bluetooth pairing, at long last? It’s there for iOS 13, and there’s no imaginable reason why it shouldn’t be there for tvOS.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
85 months ago
That's nice to know, it should work then.
And what about the Apple TV generation before that?
Nope ('https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-hd/specs/'). And unfortunately I wouldn’t assume tvOS 13 will enable that function. Hopefully it will. iOS 13 will, so I’m hopeful.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GIZBUG Avatar
85 months ago
This beta fix the bricking of ATV's?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
85 months ago
How do you want to use that?
So two people can use BT headsets to watch TV. Imagine you have a kid with an early bedtime, and it becomes self-explanatory. :)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
originalmagneto Avatar
85 months ago
Nope ('https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-hd/specs/'). And unfortunately I wouldn’t assume tvOS 13 will enable that function. Hopefully it will. iOS 13 will, so I’m hopeful.
I will try connecting multiple airpods and report back here...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)