tvOS 26, the latest operating system update for Apple TV hardware, has been unveiled in the roster of announcements made by Apple at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

We’re currently on tvOS 18, so the new tvOS 26 name may confuse some users who were watching out for tvOS 19 announcements. As with the iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, tvOS has also been renumbered to “26” to reflect the release cycles for Apple’s device operating systems, in this case being September 2025 to September 2026.

The most noticeable change is that tvOS 26 has a new look. UI elements have been visually refreshed with a glossy “Liquid Glass” design language that aligns with visionOS as part of Apple’s goal of unifying the user experience across all of its operating systems.

The update also includes a karaoke mode, called Sing with Apple Music, that will let you use your iPhone as a mic as song lyrics appear on the TV, including translation and pronunciation cues. You’ll also be able to queue up songs from your iPhone.

Apple says that Apple TV users will have the choice to automatically display profiles when the device wakes up to quickly jump back into their personal recommendations, watchlists, and Apple Music playlists. A new API will let developers link app logins to an Apple Account, making it easier to sign into streaming services when setting up a new device.

The tvOS 18 update introduced real time onscreen insights about live-action Apple TV Plus movies and shows, AI-enhanced subtitles, and new screensavers for Apple TV 4K when it rolled out in September last year. Given that it was announced during WWDC 2024, we can probably expect a similar release timeline for the new tvOS 26 update, with Apple typically launching developer and public beta releases for all of its operating system updates around the same time.

Developing…you can follow our WWDC 2025 live blog for all the latest news.