How to Install tvOS 16 Public Beta on Apple TV

How to Install tvOS 16 Public Beta on Apple TV

The Apple TV, Apple's excellent streaming box slash HomeKit smart home hub, has some updates coming with tvOS 16. The update is due to launch this fall, but if you want to get a jump on the new features you can download the public beta today.

What are the new features in tvOS 16?

As my colleague Chris Welch noted after its announcement at Apple's WWDC conference in June, tvOS16 updates are relatively minor. Although this is not to say that some people will not find them useful. While better cross-device connectivity between your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch could be a boon for Apple Fitness users, more game controller support — including Nintendo Joy-Cons — would make for some fun family game nights in my house. There are some improvements coming to AppleTV with multi-user support as well as a few other tweaks and updates.

For users of Apple's HomeKit smart home platform, tvOS 16 will bring support for mater, though it won't go live until the standard is officially released later this year. Matter is a new smart home connectivity protocol that will allow more devices in the HomeKit platform to work and be controlled by voice via Siri. You'll need an Apple TV or HomePod as a HomeKit hub to take advantage of Matter in HomeKit. (Currently, it doesn't look like it will work with an iPad as your home hub.)

Before You Install the Beta

Be careful not to go back after installing the beta. If you have problems, which is always possible with beta software, you will have to unregister from the program and live with those problems until the official release with your device. If you have an Apple TV HD, you can restore it to its factory settings, but that's not an option with the Apple TV 4K model.

Which devices support tvOS 16?

Apple TV 4K (2021)

Apple TV 4K (2017)

apple tv hd

How to Download tvOS 16 Public Beta?

Sign up for Apple's beta program, or sign in if you're an existing member

After signing in click on tvOS tab

If you haven't participated in the beta yet, you'll need to enroll your Apple TV

Now go to your Apple TV and go to the Settings menu. Go to Accounts, and sign in with the same Apple ID you used to register for the beta program.

Next, go to Settings > System > Software Update and toggle on Get public beta updates

Update your Apple TV to the latest beta, and turn on Automatic Updates (found on the same screen) to roll out the latest beta software.