Apple Releases First Public Beta of tvOS 16

Apple today seeded the first beta of tvOS 16 to its public beta testing group, allowing members of the public to download and test the new update on Apple TV HD and ‌Apple TV‌ 4K models.

apple tv 4k design triad
Public beta testers can download the tvOS 16 beta update by opening up the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌, navigating to the Software Updates section under "System," and then toggling on "Get public Beta Updates" after signing up to beta test on Apple's public beta website.

tvOS 16 adds cross-device connectivity, which will let developers integrate ‌Apple TV‌ apps with iPhone and iPad apps to unlock new experiences on the ‌Apple TV‌. Multiple user profiles have also been improved through a shared keychain feature that cuts down on logins.

Game controller support has been expanded to the Nintendo Joy-Cons and Nintendo Pro Controller, and HDR10+ support is available in the ‌Apple TV‌ app. In the future, the ‌Apple TV‌ will support Matter, an upcoming smart home standard that will improve interoperability between accessories from different companies.

tvOS 16 is set to come out this fall, and it will go through several rounds of beta testing before launch.

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

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...

Top Rated Comments

QuarterSwede Avatar
47 months ago

I’m thinking this apple tv updates will be less and less attractive every new year that passes by
I’m ok with that. I love how it works. It gets out of my way without introducing ads into the UI and is quick.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
47 months ago

Just installed, I don’t see any difference
Perhaps we will get away somewhat of this requirement to log in again to streaming apps every 30 days authenticated to TV provider. (I wish)

recent beta 3 changes
[HEADING=2]Networking[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]New Features in tvOS 16 beta 3[/HEADING]

* Added NSURLSession support for client-certificate based authentication. (24523955)
* Added URLSession support for Private Access Tokens. (82937526)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
47 months ago

tvOS 16 adds cross-device connectivity, which will let developers integrate Apple TV apps with iPhone and iPad apps to unlock new experiences on the Apple TV
This sounds interesting. Hopefully developers take advantage of it.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
47 months ago
I think I'm gonna grab this just to use my Switch Pro Controller.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)