At one point, it felt like it would never arrive, but after a four-year gap and plenty of anticipation, Apple finally unveiled its new Apple TV 4K (4th-gen) earlier this month at its “Welcome home” event, where the company also announced its new HomeView smart display and HomePod mini 2.
For the most part, the new Apple TV 4K was exactly what everyone expected. It features a faster A19 chipset, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and three far-field microphones that let you use Siri hands-free. But the price is undoubtedly the most controversial part, with Apple charging a whopping $300 for its latest streaming box.
And if you see that price tag and already own an Apple TV 4K, there’s a very good chance you’ll want to hold onto your current model a little longer. And honestly, I don’t blame you one bit. The 2nd- and 3rd-gen Apple TV 4K, released in 2021 and 2022, respectively, still have plenty going for them, including continued support for free tvOS updates.
tvOS 27 arrived last month for the 2nd- and 3rd-gen Apple TV 4K, bringing improvements such as a redesigned Podcasts app, Hi-Res lossless audio support in Apple Music, and faster app launches. Now, the next major update, tvOS 27.2, is just around the corner and brings even more free upgrades to your Apple TV 4K. Here’s what to expect when the update starts rolling out next week.
tvOS 27.2 brings more personalization to Apple TV
Screensavers are getting an upgrade, and hello, Siri AI
To kick things off, the first two features Apple is adding with tvOS 27.2 focus on screensaver customization (via 9to5Mac).
The first is a new “Shuffle” option that lets you cycle through all the screensaver categories tvOS offers throughout the day. Apple offers several categories, including Aerial, Memories & Slideshows, Portraits, and Snoopy. Before tvOS 27.2, you could select only one category to display as your screensaver, but Shuffle now lets you cycle through all of them.
The second new screensaver feature in tvOS 27.2 lets you manually choose which photos appear when using the Memories & Slideshows or Portraits categories. So, instead of having your Apple TV pull from every photo in a specific album in Photos for your screensaver, you can now choose exactly which photos from an album appear.
Next up, beyond screensaver customization, Apple is also updating its Apple TV app with tvOS 27.2 to support sign language options, specifically ASL (American Sign Language) and BSL (British Sign Language), which is a huge win for accessibility. This means the Apple TV app will now let you select sign language options in the player controls when you’re watching a show or movie that supports it.
Another major feature Apple is adding with tvOS 27.2 is support for Siri AI. When Apple announced that its new Apple TV 4K (4th-gen) would support Siri AI, the company also surprisingly revealed that the 2nd- and 3rd-gen Apple TV 4K would get the feature as well, meaning it won’t be exclusive to the newest model.
With Siri AI, you can interact with Siri more conversationally and ask more complex questions, such as asking for Emmy-nominated show recommendations or what’s trending. Apple is leveraging both on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute to power Siri AI on the Apple TV 4K, with older models likely relying more heavily on Private Cloud Compute due to their aging hardware. It’s unclear whether Apple will launch Siri AI on Apple TV at the same time as tvOS 27.2 in October or at the launch of the new Apple TV 4K on November 13.
And finally, the last major feature Apple is introducing with tvOS 27.2 is exclusive to the new Apple TV 4K (4th-gen) and is the four-speaker HomePod surround sound setup it supports.
Quiz
Apple TV
Trivia Challenge
Think you know your Apple TV history inside out — put your knowledge to the ultimate test!
HistoryHardwareSoftwareFeaturesStreaming
In what year did Apple first introduce the original Apple TV?
Correct! The original Apple TV was unveiled by Steve Jobs in January 2007 and began shipping in March of that year. It was initially codenamed ‘iTV’ before Apple settled on its final name.
Not quite. The first Apple TV was announced in January 2007 and started shipping in March 2007. Steve Jobs introduced it at Macworld, describing it as a way to bring your iTunes library to your television.
What was the storage capacity of the original first-generation Apple TV at launch?
Correct! The original Apple TV launched with either a 40GB or 160GB hard drive, as it was designed to store synced media locally from your iTunes library. This was before streaming became the dominant model.
Not quite. The first Apple TV came with either a 40GB or 160GB internal hard drive. Because it was designed to sync content from iTunes rather than purely stream it, local storage was a key part of the original design.
What major redesign did Apple TV receive in 2010 that dramatically changed its form factor?
Correct! The second-generation Apple TV launched in 2010 was a dramatic departure — it shrunk to a tiny black puck and completely removed the internal hard drive, shifting fully to streaming. It also dropped the price to just $99.
Not quite. The 2010 Apple TV (2nd generation) was reimagined as a tiny black puck-shaped device that removed local storage entirely, relying on streaming instead. Steve Jobs famously called the original a ‘hobby’ before this pivotal redesign.
What is the name of the operating system that runs on Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K?
Correct! tvOS is Apple’s dedicated operating system for the Apple TV platform, first introduced alongside the fourth-generation Apple TV in 2015. It’s based on iOS but optimised for the living room experience.
Not quite. Apple TV runs tvOS, a purpose-built operating system Apple introduced with the fourth-generation Apple TV in 2015. While it shares a foundation with iOS, tvOS is specifically tailored for big-screen, remote-controlled navigation.
Which fourth-generation Apple TV feature allowed users to install third-party apps for the first time?
Correct! The fourth-generation Apple TV in 2015 introduced the App Store to the platform, finally allowing developers to build and distribute apps directly to the TV. This was a landmark moment that transformed Apple TV from a streaming box into a proper platform.
Not quite. The App Store was the defining new feature of the fourth-generation Apple TV launched in 2015. For the first time, users could download games, streaming apps, and utilities directly onto their Apple TV, opening it up as a true app platform.
Which chip powers the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) released in 2022?
Correct! The third-generation Apple TV 4K, released in November 2022, is powered by the A15 Bionic chip, the same processor found in the iPhone 13 series. This gave it a significant performance boost and enabled smooth 4K HDR playback.
Not quite. The 2022 Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) uses the A15 Bionic chip. Apple often reuses chips from its iPhone lineup in Apple TV, and the A15 offered a meaningful performance improvement over the A12 found in the previous model.
Apple TV+ launched as a streaming service in November 2019. What was notable about its launch pricing in many markets?
Correct! Apple TV+ launched on 1 November 2019 at just $4.99 per month, making it one of the most affordable streaming services at launch. Crucially, Apple also offered a free one-year subscription to anyone who purchased a new Apple device.
Not quite. Apple TV+ launched at $4.99 per month and sweetened the deal by offering a free year of the service to anyone buying a new Apple device. The aggressive pricing was seen as Apple’s strategy to rapidly build a subscriber base for its fledgling original content library.
What is the name of Apple’s feature that allows iPhone users to use their phone as a camera source through Apple TV?
Correct! Continuity Camera, introduced with tvOS 17, allows users to use their iPhone as a webcam for FaceTime calls on their Apple TV. It takes advantage of the iPhone’s superior camera hardware for a much better video calling experience on the big screen.
Not quite. The feature is called Continuity Camera, and it was introduced with tvOS 17. By wirelessly connecting an iPhone to Apple TV, users can enjoy high-quality FaceTime video calls on their television using their iPhone’s powerful camera system.
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How to install tvOS 27.2 on your Apple TV 4K
The update is rolling out soon
Apple is expected to start rolling out tvOS 27.2 before the end of October, possibly on Monday, October 26, meaning you should be able to install the update on your Apple TV 4K as early as next week.
However, keep in mind that tvOS 27 is only available on the 2nd-gen Apple TV 4K and newer. So, if you have the original Apple TV 4K or an Apple TV HD, you unfortunately won’t be able to download the update.
That said, if you have a compatible Apple TV 4K, here’s how to install tvOS 27.2 once it arrives:
1. On the Apple TV home screen, select Settings (the gear icon).
2. Navigate to System > Software updates.
3. Select Update Software.
Alternatively, if you have an iPhone with iOS 27, you can now update your Apple TV 4K directly through the Home app.
