Apple TV to Support VPN Apps on tvOS 17

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Apple announced tvOS 17 earlier this week with a handful of new features for the Apple TV, including FaceTime and a redesigned Control Center. Another new feature is support for VPN apps, although it remains to be seen if there will be any limitations.

tvOS 17 Control Center
VPN apps could allow for Apple TV users to watch geo-restricted content from any location, such as the U.S. version of Netflix in another country. In its tvOS 17 press release, however, Apple focused on how the VPN apps can benefit enterprise and education users, so it is possible that Apple could restrict usage of the apps.

Apple:

Third-party VPN support, which enables developers to create VPN apps for Apple TV. This can benefit enterprise and education users wanting to access content on their private networks, allowing Apple TV to be a great office and conference room solution in even more places.

tvOS 17 will be released later this year, and is available in beta now for anyone with an Apple developer account. The software update is compatible with all Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models released in 2015 and later. The first VPN apps should begin to appear on the Apple TV's App Store over the coming months.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater

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Top Rated Comments

mystery hill Avatar
mystery hill
32 months ago

Apple focused on how the VPN apps can benefit enterprise and education users
They aren’t going to have a press release focusing on how VPN apps can help users get around geo-blocked streaming services.

You can also set up Apple TVs in other locations to all connect over VPN to a single household to circumvent Netflix’s password sharing restrictions.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maflynn Avatar
maflynn
32 months ago
Long over due, as I prefer to guard my privacy, VPN is an important option for me.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrr Avatar
mrr
32 months ago
Why can’t Apple TV run Safari?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mystery hill Avatar
mystery hill
32 months ago

Why can’t Apple TV run Safari?
It can. Apple doesn’t want it to.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
code-m Avatar
code-m
32 months ago
Hopefully it’s the full fledged version and not some crippled Apple implementation plus hope the iOS VPN connection “bug” issue is resolved where open app prior to a VPN connection bypass it instead of re-establishing a new connection along with a “kill switch”.

Was hoping web browsers would also be allowed. Oh well.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
code-m Avatar
code-m
32 months ago

Google one is awesome! Best deal on the Internet.
Along with Facebook/Meta VPN service it’s free just have to cough up private data. ?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments