Apple Seeds Third Beta of tvOS 17.1 to Developers

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 17.1 to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the launch of the second tvOS 17.1 beta.

Apple TV 2022 Feature Blue
Registered developers can download the tvOS 17.1 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS updates are often minor in scale compared to other operating system updates, focusing primarily on bug fixes and smaller improvements rather than notable outward-facing changes. tvOS 17.1 adds a new favoriting option to the Music app on the ‌Apple TV‌, along with some other minor Music changes.

Apple shares some information on tvOS releases in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each tvOS launch, but Apple does not provide notes during beta testing.

Though we don't often know much about what's new in tvOS betas, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download new software upon release. Apple has also seeded a new beta of HomePod 17.1 software for developers.

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

Popular Stories

iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm 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 Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
Cyber Monday Deals 2025

Best Cyber Monday Apple Deals Include Big Discounts on AirPods, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 30, 2025 7:33 am PST by
Now that Black Friday is in the rearview mirror, Cyber Monday discounts have begun appearing online, and you can find popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more at all-time low prices. 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 you click a link and make a purchase, we may ...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Big Plans for iPad Mini 8

Friday November 28, 2025 8:39 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the latest rumors about Apple's upcoming iPad mini 8. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The next-generation version of the iPad mini is expected to feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple...

Top Rated Comments

Danilo - Italy Avatar
28 months ago

I was confused why the icons were smaller. I agree with you. Is this another case of Apple not doing adequate user testing, and making assumptions based on their own well-financed setups?
The new six mode works well only if you have a big screen, from 55 inch and up. I my opinion the clock is really small too. Maybe at Apple they have only 65/85 inch screens.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GaryMumford Avatar
28 months ago

The new six mode works well only if you have a big screen, from 55 inch and up. I my opinion the clock is really to small. Maybe at Apple have 65/85 inch screens.
Maybe it's just me, But I only have a 49" TV and think the 6 icons are so much better than the 5. I think 5 icons are way too big!!!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bobscape Avatar
28 months ago

tvOS 17.1 DB3 broke the ability to swipe using my iPhone (running 17.1 DB3) as the remote.

Restart hasn’t fixed it.
Works fine on both my iPad and iPhone, both running 17.1. Just to be clear, the remote app has benn deprecated. Functionality has been migrated to the control panel.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
28 months ago

Hopefully 17.1 adds a way to switch back to the 5 column grid .. (is there a setting that I'm missing?) the 6 column grid icons are too small on my parents TV..

Why isn't this a user-adjustable setting? Not everyone has a 75"+ TV FFS...
I was confused why the icons were smaller. I agree with you. Is this another case of Apple not doing adequate user testing, and making assumptions based on their own well-financed setups?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
melapple Avatar
28 months ago

Maybe it's just me, But I only have a 49" TV and think the 6 icons are so much better than the 5. I think 5 icons are way too big!!!
Agree, and I own a 43” TV. What do people need huge tvOS app icons for? With 6 apps per row there’s less scrolling needed.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RGPphotog Avatar
28 months ago
I'm just gonna drop a ProTip™ in here, that as a replacement to an actual remote App, a Shortcuts "app" button works quite well. I find that's easier/faster to get to than the control panel. I keep it in a "Favorites" folder on my dock.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)