Apple Seeds Third Beta of tvOS 16.1 to Developers

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 16.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming one week after the launch of the second beta.

apple tv 4k design blue
tvOS updates are typically minor, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than outward-facing changes. No new features were found in the first beta of tvOS 16.1.

Apple shares some information on tvOS releases in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each tvOS launch. tvOS 16 brought enhanced multiuser support, Personalized Spatial Audio when using AirPods, and Accessibility improvements.

Though we don't often know what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.

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

Popular Stories

Apple Announces Special Event in New York Feature

Apple Announces Special Event in New York, London, and Shanghai on March 4

Monday February 16, 2026 6:05 am PST by
Apple today announced a "special Apple Experience" in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET. Apple invited select members of the media to the event in three major cities around the world. It is simply described as a "special Apple Experience," and there is no further information about what it may entail. The invitation features a 3D Apple logo design...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Aiming to Release 'Breakthrough' New iPhone Accessory

Wednesday February 18, 2026 12:43 pm PST by
Apple is looking for a "breakthrough" with its push into wearable AI devices, including an "AirTag-sized pendant," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the pendant is reminiscent of the failed Humane AI Pin, but it would be an iPhone accessory rather than a standalone product. The pendant would feature an "always-on" camera and a microphone for Siri voice...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

iOS 26.4's New CarPlay Video Feature Shown in Action

Wednesday February 18, 2026 9:29 am PST by
Back at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that it was planning to allow CarPlay users to watch video via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving, and the first beta of iOS 26.4 suggests the feature may be nearing availability. There are several new references to CarPlay video streaming functionality within the iOS 26.4 beta's source code. The feature is not yet visible to users, but...
iphone 17 pro green

iPhone 17 Pro Max Curiously Becomes Most Traded-In Smartphone

Wednesday February 18, 2026 9:13 am PST by
New trade-in data indicates that Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max has rapidly become the single most traded-in smartphone. According to a new report from SellCell, Apple's latest flagship iPhone has quickly risen to the top of the independent trade-in market, accounting for 11.5% of all devices appearing in the top-20 trade-in rankings just months after release. The analysis is based on SellCell...
Multicolored Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature

Low-Cost MacBook Expected on March 4 in These Colors

Wednesday February 18, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple will announce its rumored low-cost MacBook at its event on March 4, with the device coming in a selection of bold color options, according to a known leaker. Earlier this week, Apple announced a "special Apple Experience" for the media in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET. Posting on Weibo, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" said that the...

Top Rated Comments

George Dawes Avatar
44 months ago
Just update the apple arcade graphics beyond nintendo switch f*s

The ATV 4k has so much untapped potential it's soul destroying
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
44 months ago

TVos 16 broke HBO Max for me.
There was a sept 25 2022 update available of this HBO tvOS app.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
44 months ago

TVos 16 broke HBO Max for me.
This update is tvOS 16.1, and you likely need to check if your HBO Max app had a an update.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zapmymac Avatar
44 months ago

TVos 16 broke HBO Max for me.
Working for me. tvOS 16 official (no beta)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
44 months ago
[SPOILER="tvOS 16.1 Beta 3 Release Notes"]
[HEADING=2]GameKit[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Known Issues[/HEADING]

* Projects that import the GameKit framework or add Game Controller capability (for example, add the GCSupportsControllerUserInteraction property) may fail to build in this beta. (99878945)

[HEADING=2]Memory Allocation[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Known Issues[/HEADING]

* The system memory allocator free operation zeroes out all deallocated blocks in tvOS 16.1 beta or later. Invalid accesses to free memory might result in new crashes or corruption, including NULL-pointer dereferences and non-zero memory being returned from calloc. (97449075)

[HEADING=2]TV Services[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Resolved in tvOS 16.1 beta 3[/HEADING]

* Fixed an issue where TVUserManager.shouldStorePreferencesForCurrentUser would erroneously always return false. (99846466)

[/SPOILER]
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bpeeps Avatar
44 months ago

This update is tvOS 16.1, and you likely need to check if your HBO Max app had a an update.
I'm aware. I deleted and reinstalled. Still broken. Works everywhere else though, iPad, smart TV, etc.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)