tvOS 27 was barely mentioned when Apple unveiled iOS 27, likely because its best features are waiting on new Apple TV 4K hardware. But there are a handful of tvOS 27 additions we do know about already—here’s what’s coming.
Following Apple Podcasts’ recent launch of new video features on iPhone and iPad, the app is getting fresh upgrades on Apple TV too via tvOS 27.
Per Apple’s press release:
Apple Podcasts in tvOS also features a complete redesign with video podcast playback, a new sidebar navigation for easier browsing, and support for podcast creators’ episode and show artwork. The update makes it simple to discover and enjoy video content on the big screen.
tvOS 27 also adds new Apple Music features that were previously available on iPhone and iPad, but missing from Apple TV.
For the first time, AutoMix will be available in tvOS 27 for music transitions. If you’re hosting a party or just want to blast your favorite music on the home’s biggest speakers, you’ll now get to use AutoMix’s DJ-style transitions—which Apple further improved this year.
Hi-Res Lossless Audio is another new tvOS 27 feature. Per Apple:
Apple Music is also bringing Hi-Res Lossless Audio to tvOS, in addition to standard Lossless Audio. Subscribers with compatible external speaker outputs will be able to enjoy their favorite songs in the highest audio quality and experience studio-quality sound directly through their Apple TV 4K.
The iPhone’s Home app has long been the place you update HomePod software. But with iOS 27 and tvOS 27, you’ll be able to update your Apple TV’s software there too.
Right in the same Software Update menu in Home Settings, Apple TV devices now appear, letting you download and install the latest tvOS updates.
Thanks to this addition, you can install the latest software when your Apple TV isn’t already in use, ensuring you won’t have to wait for an update to install later, right when you’re eager to watch.
TV size, distance from screen, and eyesight quality all vary among Apple TV users. And in tvOS 27, Apple adds a welcome accessibility feature to help ensure the UI is legible for all.
tvOS 27 adds support for larger text sizes via the systemwide Dynamic Type feature.
You’ll be able to choose, on a slider, how big you want the text size to be for app content. Then tvOS 27 will automatically adjust it for you in all supported apps.
This tvOS 27 feature admittedly comes with no details right now, which is why I list it as a ‘bonus.’
When Apple introduced its new software platforms at WWDC, it put up a slide listing hundreds of new features and changes. That slide mentioned: “Smart downloads on Apple TV.”
What does it mean? We don’t yet know. It’s unclear if Apple is introducing a video download system to tvOS 27, or if the feature is strictly related to App Store downloads. Here’s hoping it’s the former.
Which new Apple TV features in tvOS 27 do you hope will still be announced later? Let us know in the comments.
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Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.
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