WWDC25: All the updates coming to tvOS 26

At WWDC 2025, Apple officially rebranded its software lineup, jumping from tvOS 18 straight to tvOS 26 to align with its broader naming reset across platforms.

But the number wasn’t the only thing that changed, the tvOS 26 update also introduces a kind of overhaul that the Apple TV experience hasn't seen in years, introducing a completely redesigned interface powered by the new Solarium UI.

The update brings a modern visual refresh, smarter personalisation, and deeper integration with Apple’s ecosystem, making it the most significant tvOS update in years and bringing it closer to a modern streaming hub that we have come to know and love

While the update is currently available through the Apple Developer Program, the public beta is expected to roll out next month.

Here are some of the new additions coming to tvOS 26:

A refreshed interface with Liquid Glass

The new Liquid Glass design language also comes to Apple TV, giving buttons and interface elements a translucent, reflective look that subtly refracts the content underneath. It makes navigation feel more fluid without adding visual clutter.

Redesigned Apple TV app

A redesigned Apple TV app features that incorporate the Liquid Glass effect for poster art and a fresh layout that displays more shows and movies at a glance.

A new sidebar makes browsing by genre or jumping into your watchlist faster and more intuitive.

Smarter personal profiles

Personal profiles now load automatically when Apple TV is turned on, allowing users to get straight into their own personalised space. Watch history, Up Next queues, app layout, music playlists, and parental controls are all tailored by profile to each household member. Switching between profiles is quick, so it’s easier to jump into your shows or playlists.

Upgraded Apple Music Sing experience

Apple Music’s karaoke feature gets a major upgrade. You can now connect your iPhone to Apple Music on TVOS as a wireless microphone, letting you sing along with on-screen lyrics accompanied by visual effects that light up the TV screen.

Friends can queue songs or react with emojis directly from their iPhones. Lyrics translation and pronunciation are also available if you don’t know the language.

FaceTime on tvOS 26

FaceTime on Apple TV now feels more personal, more flexible, bringing features that mirror the iOS experience while taking advantage of the big screen and shared living room setting.

Contact Posters now appear when a FaceTime call comes in, displaying the caller’s name and custom photo or Memoji.

Incoming FaceTime audio and call notifications now appear for the active profile.

Live Captions have expanded to support French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish—bringing accessibility to more users during video calls.

You can also answer calls on Apple TV using connected HomePod speakers or seamlessly transfer the call to your iPhone.

Other updates:

• New Aerial screen savers with themes like Earth, Cityscape, Landscape, and Underwater are now personalised by profile.
• A new developer API lets apps link login credentials to your Apple ID, making setup across devices faster.
• You can now assign certain AirPlay-enabled speakers as the permanent audio output for your Apple TV, so your setup stays consistent.
• Third-party streaming apps can now sync their user profiles with your Apple TV profile, so you don’t have to log in separately inside each app.

Conclusion

tvOS 26 doesn’t try to reinvent what Apple TV is; it focuses on making it better at what it’s already supposed to do: serve up content that looks good, responds fast, and feels personal. The new interface is cleaner. Profiles are smarter. FaceTime works like it should. And the Sing feature finally feels complete.

These aren’t headline-grabbing changes, but they’re the kind that make the experience smoother day to day. tvOS 26 shows that Apple is still thinking about the living room—but more importantly, it’s thinking about the people in it.