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Apple released tvOS 26 beta with a complete system redesign. Learn how these features affect Apple TV app development, updates, compatibility, and business impact.
Recently Apple released tvOS 26 beta version at Worldwide Developers’ Conference 2025. Unlike news about the new iOS version, this might have gotten buried in the mix, but it was a total overhaul of the old system. Features like liquid glass design will bring a new era to Apple TV apps and it will make them a household name soon.
Businesses that want to develop an Apple TV app can integrate new features which will improve the user experience and set the bar for the next generation of tvOS app development. This is not just limited to businesses that are planning to build a tvOS app, but those who already have built the app. Apple will provide the support for older apps, but they won’t work well with newer Apple TVs.
In this post, we will provide a detail look at what’s new features are added to tvOS 26, how it can help business and why you need to update your old tvOS app. As a leading Apple TV App development company in India & USA, we are already implementing this to newer app. Let’s see what this update means for your app’s compatibility, usability, and growth.
What’s New in tvOS 26?
tvOS 26 brings system-level changes that go beyond visuals. From faster user login to enhanced content discovery, every update influences how your Apple TV app will look, feel, and function.
Liquid Glass Interface Adds Premium Depth
tvOS 26 introduces a redesigned user interface called Liquid Glass, which adds translucent effects, dynamic color diffusion, and depth-aware motion. These visual refinements allow the UI to reflect and respond to on-screen content, creating a smoother, layered experience.
For businesses creating Apple TV apps, aligning with this updated design improves user perception and makes your app feel like a natural part of the Apple ecosystem. It also reduces visual clutter during playback, ensuring that navigation overlays or sleep timers don’t distract from content. Apps that don’t adapt to this system-level styling risk looking outdated or disconnected from the Apple TV platform.
Cinematic Poster View Enhances Content Browsing
Apple has restructured the Apple TV app interface with a stronger focus on poster-first browsing. Instead of small thumbnails or nested menus, users now scroll through rich poster art that brings each title forward visually.
For businesses delivering streaming content, fitness videos, learning modules, or digital courses, this change is significant. It boosts discoverability by giving each piece of content more visual space and intuitive access. If your app has a deep content library, adopting this approach based on apple’s human interface guideline can increase engagement time, reduce user bounce, and improve internal navigation flow.
New Login API for Faster User Setup
tvOS 26 introduces a new Apple Account-based login API, allowing apps to authenticate users using the Apple ID already logged into the Apple TV device. This completely removes the need for remote logins, QR scanning, or email verification during onboarding.
For subscription-based apps, this is a major win; it reduces the steps between app installation and conversion. Households sharing Apple TV devices can benefit too, as the system remembers which account belongs to which user, simplifying re-authentication. Failing to adopt this login approach could lead to longer setup times and user drop-offs, especially in apps with gated content or user-specific progress tracking.
Thread 1.4 Integration Improves Smart Home Connectivity
tvOS 26 now supports Thread 1.4, a low-latency, IP-based mesh networking protocol that powers modern IoT devices across Apple’s Home ecosystem. For Apple TV apps that interact with smart lights, appliances, thermostats, or other connected tools, this update improves real-time control and connection reliability.
Thread 1.4 enables devices to communicate more quickly and securely even if Wi-Fi fails, making Apple TV a stronger hub in a smart home setup. Businesses developing automation apps, security interfaces, or home control dashboards can now deliver more stable performance and tighter synchronization with other Apple devices in the environment.
Some of the other notable features of tvOS 26,
- Auto-Selected Profiles Improve Personalization
- Apple Music Sing Gets iPhone Mic & Group Interaction
- Real-Time Emoji Reactions During Sing
- FaceTime Upgrades Add Accessibility and Reach
- Audio Passthrough Unlocks High-Fidelity Streaming
Why Businesses Should Take Advantage of tvOS 26?
With these upgrades, Apple is pushing Apple TV as a serious content and utility platform. Businesses can now build apps that meet modern standards and take full advantage of user personalization and content visibility.
At Vrinsoft, our tvOS app developers understand how these changes can impact the Apple tv app development and how it will help business drive revenue, that’s why we always stay updated with tech stack.
Improved User Experience Drives Retention
New visuals, faster login, and profile memory mean users stay engaged longer. For fitness, wellness, and content streaming apps, better UX directly increases lifetime value.
New API Access Boosts App Store Ranking
By integrating features like account-linked login and content sharing, apps meet Apple’s latest SDK standards, something that helps with App Store visibility and ranking in Apple TV’s category pages.
Smarter Design Attracts Modern Viewers
The updated interface gives your app a fresh, future-ready look. Businesses targeting premium audiences can now match the feel of Apple-native experiences without extra custom UI frameworks.
Why Existing Apple TV Apps Should Be Updated for tvOS 26?
Apple TV apps built for earlier versions like tvOS 15 or 16 remain compatible with tvOS 26, including on older hardware such as Apple TV HD (2015) and all Apple TV 4K models. However, updating your app is essential to take advantage of new features and ensure your app feels modern and engaging to users.
Modernize Your App with the Liquid Glass UI
tvOS 26 introduces a visually striking “Liquid Glass” design, bringing a fresh, immersive look to Apple TV. This new interface is available on Apple TV 4K (2nd and 3rd generation) and delivers a more engaging user experience.
While older apps will continue to function, they will not benefit from this updated visual style and may appear dated compared to updated competitors. There is no evidence that Apple penalizes rankings for not adopting the new UI, but apps that do not update will miss out on the latest design enhancements.
Enhance User Experience with Streamlined Login and Profiles
tvOS 26 offers improvements like automatic profile selection and a streamlined login process, making it easier for users to access personalized content. Apps that do not implement these features will require manual logins, which can increase friction and reduce user convenience.
While there are no published statistics on user drop-off rates, providing a seamless onboarding experience is increasingly expected by users.
Benefit from Improved Audio and Smart Home Integration
The latest update brings enhancements such as expanded AirPlay speaker support and improved smart home capabilities, including Thread 1.4 for better compatibility with Matter devices4.
Apps that do not update will miss out on these audio and smart home improvements, potentially offering a less robust experience for users with advanced setups.
However, spatial audio and lossless audio support are not new to tvOS 26 and have been available for supported hardware in previous versions.
ROI of tvOS 26 Features by Industry
Most businesses neglect the fact that updating your app to a newer version or building it using the newer version can impact the user experience and revenue. One of the main reasons is that they might worry about the cost to develop Apple TV apps, but it has a major effect on the business. Here is an overview of the industry-based impact of tvOS 26.
| Industry | Feature to Prioritize | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Fitness | Auto-Selected Profiles | Users instantly see personalized recommendations and watchlists when Apple TV wakes, reducing time-to-content. |
| Streaming | Cinematic Posters (Liquid Glass UI) | Redesigned Apple TV app with Liquid Glass and cinematic poster art increases visual engagement and content discovery. |
| eLearning | FaceTime Group Reactions | FaceTime now supports Contact Posters and Live Captions in more languages, making group calls more accessible. |
| Smart Home | Thread 1.4 & Streamlined Login | Improved device connectivity and reliability for Matter-enabled homes; new API enables seamless app logins via Apple ID. |
Build Future-Ready Apple TV Apps with Vrinsoft
Whether you’re planning a new product or need to upgrade your existing app, Vrinsoft delivers end-to-end Apple TV app development services aligned with the latest tvOS SDK. Our team tracks Apple’s roadmap closely, builds compliance, and tests for performance, so your app is not only compatible, but it is also competitive. If you’re ready to launch or modernize for tvOS 26, we’re ready to build it with you.
Conclusion: tvOS 26 Is a Shift, Not Just an Update
Apple did something out of the box to outpace the competition with tvOS 26, and its high time business should prepare for it as well. With new design and features like liquid glass interface, specifically designed for newer hardware, it will increase user base soon. Thats why businesses which are planning on investing in an Apple TV App development company should think about tvOS 26 too.
In this post, we have explained some of the new features of tvOS 26, how business can benefit from it and why businesses with existing tvOS app should update it. We recently developed a tvOS app for a sports live streaming platform, helping the client improve viewer retention and reduce playback issues during peak hours. The app delivers stable, high-quality streaming and seamless navigation across Apple TV devices.
sales@vrinsofts.com