Apple Releases tvOS 13.3 for Fourth and Fifth-Generation Apple TV Models

Apple today released tvOS 13.3, the second major update to the tvOS 13 operating system that runs on the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 13.3 comes over a month after the launch of the tvOS 13.2 update.

‌tvOS 13.3‌, which is a free update, can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌ by going to System -> Software Update. ‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌ owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to ‌‌tvOS 13‌‌.3 automatically.

appletv4k2
tvOS 13.3 adds a useful new setting that's designed to let you change the main banner interface in the ‌Apple TV‌ app from What to Watch to Up Next, which displays content from shows that you're already watching rather than show suggestions.

The option can be accessed by going to the Settings app, choosing Apps, and selecting the TV app. From there, select Home Screen and choose "Up Next" in the "Top Shelf" section.

We didn't find any additional new features in tvOS 13.3 during the beta testing period, making it unclear what else might be included, but it likely focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements.

Details on the update will be provided through Apple's tvOS support document.

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

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Crease-Free iPhone Fold on Track for 2026 Launch as Development Advances

Monday November 24, 2025 10:25 am PST by
Apple is making progress on the development of the book-style foldable iPhone expected in 2026, according to a report from Chinese site UDN. The device has reportedly entered the engineering validation stage, and Apple is gearing up for mass production. Citing supply chain sources, UDN says that Apple has solved "the crease problem" that has plagued most foldable smartphones, and the...

Top Rated Comments

Truckondo Avatar
78 months ago
Here’s hoping they fixed the Dolby Vision bug with iTunes movie content.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HDFan Avatar
78 months ago

appletv app still can’t load large libraries.
So what happens? What is a "large" library?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
77 months ago

I was gifted an ATV for Christmas and am sitting on 12.4.1. Is it safe to update to 13.3 on ATV or should I stay put on 12.4.1 as I am with my iOS devices?
I'm running iOS 13.3, iPadOS 13.3, and tvOS 13.3 (and watchOS 6.1.1), and I'm reasonably happy with all of them (I had to go to iOS 13 to match up with the Apple Watch 5 when it came out). tvOS is not as tightly connected to iOS and iPadOS as they are with each other, and for quite a stretch of time, my Apple TV was several generations of OS ahead of my iPhone and iPad (when they were old hardware), without causing any particular problems.

I would recommend upgrading the ATV to tvOS 13 now (it won't cause trouble vs the other devices), and strongly consider upgrading the other devices now, or soon.

Also, congrats! The ATV is a great device. Aside from watching over-the-air broadcasts once in a long while, my TV pretty much serves as a "dumb" output device for the ATV4K. HDMI-CEC means the ATV's remote can turn everything on and off, and control volume, so I rarely touch any other remote.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jhulgan Avatar
78 months ago
That was the first thing I did after updating. I don't want to see adverts for AppleTV+ every time I turn on my television.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
78 months ago
appletv app still can’t load large libraries. I guess Apple doesn’t care about big customers who spend a lot of money with then.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)