Apple’s tvOS 27 brings a few new features, but it also will leave two Apple TV models behind. According to Apple’s developer website, the tvOS 27 beta is compatible with “Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later).”
That would mean the Apple TV HD and the Apple TV 4K (1st generation) won’t get the update. If you own either of those set-top boxes, you’re probably stuck on tvOS 26, with no new features coming.
Which Apple TVs are getting tvOS 27 and its new features?
From the get-go, the Apple TV has felt like the red-headed stepchild of the Apple family. Long downplayed as a mere hobby, Apple’s set-top box has now morphed into an undeniably polished living-room accessory.
And yet it never commands the attention of the iPhone, iPad or Mac. tvOS 27 barely rated a mention during Monday’s WWDC26 keynote. In fact, Apple didn’t even create a preview page for tvOS 27 like it did for its other operating system updates. But it did briefly reveal some upcoming features.
The biggest change is the redesigned Podcasts app. Apple says it brings “video podcast playback, a new sidebar navigation for easier browsing, and support for podcast creators and show artwork.”
The tvOS 27 update also brings smoother app-launch animations, faster AirPlay connections, and Smart Downloads (presumably for when you travel with the device). The Apple Music app is also getting better AutoMix and Hi-Res Lossless Audio. And the update also adds AppleCare details to the tvOS Settings.
For those who use an Apple TV as a home hub, a change will affect how the device handles HomeKit Secure Video.
“When Apple Intelligence in the Home app is enabled, your HomeKit Secure Video recordings are processed on-device and through Private Cloud Compute for video descriptions and search,” Apple says in the tvOS 27 beta release notes.
Larger font size, new subtitles and other accessibility features
As announced last month, Apple plans to give users the ability to crank up the size of on-screen text. That’s great news for people with vision problems. The larger text won’t come to all third-party apps, unfortunately.
Apple will add the feature in tvOS 27, though it will likely only work on the Apple TV’s home screen and menus, along with apps that use Apple’s developer frameworks. That will limit the reach of Larger Text support. (For instance, some popular apps like Netflix don’t follow Apple’s guidelines.)
Apple TV subtitles will get better, too.
“With new generated subtitles, videos can display transcriptions of spoken audio automatically when captions or subtitles are not already provided, including in clips recorded on iPhone, received from friends and family, or streamed online,” Apple said in a May press release announcing upcoming accessibility features. “With on-device speech recognition, subtitles are generated privately and appear automatically for uncaptioned videos on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro. The appearance of subtitles can be customized in the video playback menu or in Settings.”
Bigger features coming when the new Apple TV arrives?
Apple might be saving some bigger upgrades for a fourth-gen Apple TV 4K, widely expected to arrive later this fall.
The much-rumored new Apple TV device could bring the chip upgrade needed to support Apple Intelligence and the new Siri AI, making it actually worth buying in 2026.
Apple reportedly has been sitting on the new Apple TV hardware, waiting for the arrival of the new Siri. AI-powered search results could make it much easier to operate the set-top box.
Should you upgrade your Apple TV right now?
The Apple TV HD had a pretty long run, getting software updates for more than a decade after its 2015 launch. The first-generation Apple TV 4K launched in 2017, and now the clock may have finally run out for both models.
If you’re considering an upgrade so you can get tvOS 27 as quickly as possible, the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) from 2022 is the only model Apple sells right now. And the problem is, that model might not get some new Apple Intelligence features expected to come this fall.
So buying it just months before Apple drops a new model might not be a great idea. If your Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K (1st generation) is getting cut off, and you are itching to buy a new set-top streamer, holding off makes sense.
Lewis Wallace contributed to this report.
Anurag Chawake is a tech-focused writer specializing in smartphones, apps and consumer technology. His interest in computers began during the Windows 98 era, eventually leading him to explore everything from operating systems to mobile devices and PC hardware. Anurag previously contributed to The Indian Express, covering Apple, Android, gaming and the broader technology landscape.
