Apple unveiled a unified operating system across all its devices, and that means tvOS is making the jump from 18 to 26. Don’t let the numbers fool you into thinking you missed eight major updates, because that’s not the case. In the upcoming update, there are plenty of things worth getting excited about, specifically the Liquid Glass display. It’s a nice improvement over the current UI, although I won’t be able to reap the benefits of it, considering I’m still on a first-generation Apple TV 4K.

All in all, there’s a lot to like about what Apple has in store for the future of tvOS, but there’s room for improvement. A major thing still missing is parental controls. You can have multiple profiles on your Apple TV 4K, but it’s pretty much in name only. If you want to prevent kids from logging in and using your profile to make purchases, you can do that, but it’s not much more than that. With this many years into the ecosystem now, it feels like a huge oversight, and it’s time for Apple to fix it.

Brand

Apple

Bluetooth codecs

5.0

Wi-Fi

6

Ethernet

Gigabit (128GB model only)

Storage and RAM

64GB, 128GB

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Apple needs more parental settings

Any at all will do

Apple / Vecislavas Popa / Pexels / Pocket-lint

Almost any piece of technology you come across today has some type of parental control, so to see the Apple TV 4K lack heavily in this department is a bit odd. The problem with Apple’s device is that it is far more limited than you’d expect, even compared to other streamers. You can set up a passcode that needs to be entered for purchases, so arguably the biggest issue is solved, but there’s still a lot of depth missing.

There aren’t passcodes for different profiles, and there’s no way to prevent adult shows from being shown to children. You can set restrictions, but it affects all the profiles, so that’s not exactly a good fix. Your best bet is using the individual streaming services to set up settings, but that can be a long process if you subscribe to a bunch of things at once.

The biggest thing for me is the lack of Screen Time. There’s no way to limit how long someone is on the Apple TV 4K before it restricts the device. It should work the same way as iPhone and iPad, where if you reach the time limit, you’re cut off. It’d be nice if it could share the same restrictions as those devices, but that’s not how things have played out. If you ask me, Screen Time feels like it’s the bare minimum, and it’s surprising that it hasn’t made its way over yet. I don’t think Apple is waiting for another hardware refresh because I don’t see how the current Apple TV 4K isn’t good enough to get this functioning. On the other hand, it’s been so long without the functionality that I don’t even know if Apple plans to ever add it in. I know it’d be very appreciated, but other things might be on their plate.

To be clear, I don’t have any children myself nor do I have any reason for increased privacy settings like this, but it’s very easy to understand why other people might want them. It’s actually shocking to see Apple is so lax in this area, especially with the Screen Time aspect. I don’t see a reason that can’t come over to Apple TV since it’s included with watchOS of all things. Perhaps the move to tvOS 26 that gets everything on the same update and naming cycle could be what finally makes it happen. I know Apple wanted to change the name so it cuts any confusion, and I’d think having each of the operating systems share as many features as possible is important too. Only time will tell what Apple has in store, and perhaps the wait for a hardware refresh could be what it takes.

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The clock continues to tick

No telling what the future holds

Apple

Many rumors have pointed toward 2025 being the year that finally introduces the fourth generation of Apple TV 4K devices. We’re now halfway through the year, and there’s no announcement in sight. This Fall might be what Apple is waiting for, and that could still leave some time for a new product to drop before the end of the year. The clock is definitely ticking, and considering it’s been three years since the release of the last Apple TV 4K, it’s now been the longest wait between generations.

Aside from the parental settings and Screen Time not being in the picture, there’s still quite a bit missing from the Apple TV 4K platform that I’d like to see. A big one is Apple Intelligence, and it’s something Apple talked about quite a bit during the most recent WWDC. Since it’s not on the Apple TV 4K in any form, I wonder if the device just isn’t powerful enough to run it. Then again, I don’t think the current models would have any issues utilizing Screen Time or adding more parental controls, so my theories might be way off base.

As somebody still hanging onto my first-gen Apple TV 4K, I’m beyond ready for an upgrade, but I was hoping for the release of a new model before pulling the trigger. I’m left now with a lot of uncertainty because I felt like this past event was as good of a time as any. However, Apple felt pushing new software was more important. Thankfully, I liked a lot of what Apple showed off with the upcoming tvOS, but it’s something my aging Apple TV won’t even have access to.

Even if Screen Time or Apple Intelligence don’t show up in a future iteration, it seems like Apple has finally listened to the outcry of fans calling for: audio passthrough. This is something I’m very excited to see, and I’m surprised Apple didn’t draw much attention to it. With it taking years to add things like that, things that are default on devices like the Roku Ultra, then maybe I shouldn’t be so hasty writing off more parental features coming in the future.

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