Apple Seeds Seventh Beta of Upcoming tvOS 13 Update to Developers [Update: Public Beta Available]

Apple today seeded seventh beta of an upcoming tvOS 13 update to developers, one week after seeding the sixth 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.

What's new in beta 7: In the new tvOS 13 beta, full screen trailers for movies and TV shows now play in the background of the ‌Apple TV‌ app. This was previously limited to Apple Music, but is a feature that was shown off at WWDC.

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

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...

Top Rated Comments

zantafio Avatar
84 months ago
Asphalt 8 finally works again! yay!
[doublepost=1565916567][/doublepost]They still have not fixed the problem of the audio going out of sync when you switch audio out to the homepods!!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JMAndiSmith Avatar
83 months ago
If it’s not the 4K model then you can DFU it and restore TVOS 12
I have both 4K and and none 4K ATVs and once you install Either developer or public bêtas you cannot revert back.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kardinal1911 Avatar
84 months ago
Care to explain? Haven’t had any issues on my Apple TV. A few stutters here and there in the first few betas but now it’s working great.
TVOS BETA has been a nightmare for my 4K this one seems to have smoothed things out a lot more
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Marshall73 Avatar
83 months ago
EDITED: I have the beta on my Apple TV, but I wish I didn't. I learned the hard way not to use Apple beta software ever again. I became spoiled with 1Password beta updates 'and prior macOS betas that were more stable'. They never hosed my system like Apple's newer beta program. Now, if I had a MacPro with real separate hard drive options, then by all means.
If it’s not the 4K model then you can DFU it and restore TVOS 12
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eorlas Avatar
84 months ago
Don't get me started that user switching isn’t stated available to 3rd party apps.
New features during betas are not available to 3rd party apps. They're not allowed to update with new features until the first non-beta public release.


I have the beta on my Apple TV, but I wish I didn't. I learned the hard way not to use Apple beta software ever again. I became spoiled with 1Passord beta updates that never hosed my system like Apple. Now, if I had a MacPro with real separate had drive options, then by all means.
1Password's beta updates are for a single software, not an operating system. It's not a comparison worth making.

You setup a beta in a use-case that it is specifically not intended for, and warned against. I've been using it since b1, and it is admittedly janky, sometimes more so than others. The major playback issues from b1 & b3 or so are mostly resolved. I've noticed UI lag as a thing that maybe is resolved today, but I haven't had a chance to update yet. There was one beta that required doing a wipe of the system because the update kept failing.

But it's beta of an operating system, not your favorite password management program or web browser. It is never intended to be run on someone's daily driver aTV.

That being said, I hopped on it regardless because I wanted to try out dualshock 4 with Steam Link, and that did not disappoint.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrZippyUK Avatar
84 months ago
Let’s hope they’ve actually made some improvements in this beta. User switching is just awful, regularly user images are initially missing when the user switcher is brought up, and switching account in music does nothing until you force quit and relaunch the app. Suspect TV could be the same but hate the TV app so much I can’t bring myself to launch it!

Don't get me started that user switching isn’t stated available to 3rd party apps. So I’m logged in as me on the ATV and Netflix shows play next for someone else as they’re not linked. Yes Netflix couldn’t offer this now as it’s a beta, but this isn’t a feature that will be available when released.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)