Apple Releases tvOS 15 With Spatial Audio, Stereo Support Using Two HomePod Minis, Hey Siri Improvements and More

Apple today released tvOS 15, the newest version of the tvOS operating system designed for the Apple TV 4K and the ‌Apple TV‌ HD.

Apple TV tvOS 15 Feature
The tvOS 15 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 15 automatically.

Apple's tvOS updates are never as grand as its iOS updates, but tvOS 15 does introduce a few notable new features.

A new "Shared With You" section in tvOS will aggregate any content that people have recommended to you through the Messages app so you can check them out at your convenience.

When you use the ‌Apple TV‌ with your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, there's now support for spatial audio for a theater-like surround sound experience. There's also a new feature for automatically connecting your AirPods through Smart AirPods routing.

Using Hey Siri commands, you can launch ‌Apple TV‌+ shows in tvOS 15, and two HomePod mini speakers can now be paired with an ‌Apple TV‌ 4K for surround sound. Those with HomeKit cameras can view multiple cameras at the same time on the ‌Apple TV‌.

When the SharePlay FaceTime feature launches later this year, the option that allows multiple people to watch TV shows or movies together will integrate with tvOS. There's even a new "For All of You" recommendation engine that will suggest content everyone might enjoy.

For more on tvOS 15 and the ‌Apple TV‌, we have a dedicated roundup that outlines the new features. Apple has also released a 8.4.6 update for older ‌Apple TV‌ devices.

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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 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 two 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...
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...

Top Rated Comments

decypher44 Avatar
55 months ago

First time Apple TV owner here. Do I just wait for the update or do I need to hunt it down in the settings?
Settings>System>Software Updates. Easy-peasy-chicken-cheesy!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JoeShades Avatar
55 months ago

Lets hope it fixed my remotes dying so fast. A few updates ago the battery on all of my Appletvs has sucked. Like only lasting a week or two at most. It is just odd all of them would do it over and over. I have old 1080p, first 4k, and new model and all of them have done it. New has been charged twice since I got it a month ago.

Before they all lasted months before charges.
Very strange, I get around 3 months on 1 charge
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gator5000e Avatar
55 months ago
I am very curious to test the Spatial Audio with my Air Pod Pros to see if I can actually hear a difference.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gator5000e Avatar
55 months ago

First time Apple TV owner here. Do I just wait for the update or do I need to hunt it down in the settings?
Depends if you have automatic updates turned on in settings. If yes, I imagine it will update automatically. If not, you will have to initiate the update. I believe the ATV comes with auto updates turned on. You can still check in Settings -> System anyway.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
moabal Avatar
55 months ago
Can someone confirm if build number is the same as the GM/RC (19J346). For the iPhone / iPad there is a new update regardless if you were on the beta.

Edit: It is.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Powerbooky Avatar
55 months ago

So I use my Samsung SmartTV apps to stream most of my services. I have a Samsung sound bar with a sub as well. I am thinking to switching fully to my appleTV to take advantage of the stereo homepod minis but still have some questions. Can you get an Xbox to play through them somehow or will that still need to be hooked to the sound bar? Just trying to consolidate the devices and remove the Sound bar. I am not in love with the way this one sounds.

What would be the benefit of switching to using my Apple TV full time over the Smart TV apps? If any.
You'll find that the ATV is way more smooth and responsive in use than on any Samsung TV. IMHO almost all "smart systems" on current TV's is slow and sluggish. Samsung doesn't excel in this deparment. They can make good electronics, but software integration is just crap.

On the ATV 4K (2021) you can enable the Audio Return Channel option. According to the AppleTV Support page ('https://support.apple.com/HT207117'), that should make it possible to play audio from the TV (Xbox on another input) via the ATV 4K to the HomePod minis. Not sure if there's a significant delay in this use. It probably depends on what the TV itself supports on all of its HDMI connectors.

Our benefit of getting the AppleTV 4K, less cables, less devices and portability. It replaced a big cable box and a DVD player. It is so small that it can be mounted on the back of the screen too.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)