For the first time in four years, tvOS cuts off some older Apple TV hardware – AppleInsider

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Tue Jun 09 2026, 02:59 PM EDT · 1 minute read
Apple TV 4K
Apple’s new tvOS 27 delivers Apple’s first major Apple TV hardware cutoff in years, ending support for streaming boxes introduced in 2015 and 2017.
The compatibility change appeared in Apple’s tvOS 27 documentation following WWDC 2026 on June 8. Apple TV HD, introduced in 2015, and the first-generation Apple TV 4K, introduced in 2017, are no longer eligible for the update.
Compatibility is limited to the second-generation Apple TV 4K released in 2021 and third-generation Apple TV 4K models released in 2022.
Apple TV HD remained eligible for major tvOS updates for nearly a decade before losing support with tvOS 27. The first-generation Apple TV 4K received major operating system updates for about eight years before reaching the end of the compatibility list.
The last cutoff of support was for the last thin Apple TV, the third-generation model. That was cut off a full decade after release in 2022 with version 7.9.
The following Apple TV models will not run tvOS 27.
These Apple TV models will run tvOS 27.
Users can determine whether their Apple TV supports tvOS 27 by checking the model number. Open Settings, select General, then select About. The model number appears near the top of the screen.
Model numbers aren’t the only way to identify an Apple TV. Apple TV HD includes a USB-C port on the back and shipped with the black Siri Remote that uses a glass touch surface.
The first-generation Apple TV 4K also shipped with the same black Siri Remote. Second- and third-generation Apple TV 4K models shipped with the redesigned Siri Remote that features a circular clickpad.
Andrew has been writing in the online technology community since 2015, specializing in Apple-related topics as well as privacy and cybersecurity. He has written for a variety of websites, including The Mac Observer, L…

citpeks said:

The ATV HD (nee ATV 4) had a good run.  I still use mine every day.

HT enthusiasts who want to keep up in the format wars may feel otherwise, but I’m hard pressed to recall any OS update that brought any significant enough change to create any sense of FOMO.

Same, running the HD and the 1st 4k, the updates over the years didn’t seem to be making life much different in the app or movies, lets hope Apple held off on this update as it’s an eye opener (sic)
Same here, heavily used daily A1842. Hard to believe it’s almost 10 years old.
So instead of making insanely great product updates to Apple TV they decided to kill them by software. People are finally forced to buy a new one to replace an otherwise perfectly functioning device. So much for that while ‘good for the environment’ bullshit we get from Apple.

humbug1873 said:

So instead of making insanely great product updates to Apple TV they decided to kill them by software. People are finally forced to buy a new one to replace an otherwise perfectly functioning device. So much for that while ‘good for the environment’ bullshit we get from Apple.

Not only did they announce they would instantly brick these older devices, but they announced that within a few hours of releasing TvOS 27 these older devices would spontaneously combust.
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