WWDC 2025: tvOS 26 Brings Liquid Glass Design, Karaoke with iPhone, and Smarter Profiles to Apple TV

At WWDC 2025, Apple introduced tvOS 26, a major software update for Apple TV that brings a refreshed interface, enhanced personalization, and deeper integration with iPhone and Apple Music. The update focuses on making the home entertainment experience more fluid and interactive, from the way users navigate menus to how they sing along to their favorite tracks.

Here’s a breakdown of the most notable features coming to your TV screen later this year.

A Visual Redesign Built Around Liquid Glass

tvOS 26 adopts Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language, already seen across other platforms like watchOS and macOS. The design brings a translucent, ambient look to Apple TV, creating a more immersive viewing experience without pulling focus from the content.

UI elements like fast-forward, audio controls, and sleep timers now blend more seamlessly into the background while remaining accessible.

Menus, toolbars, and the Control Center feel more fluid, and interactions such as setting a “Movie Night” scene or adjusting audio settings are more visually connected to what’s playing on-screen.

The Apple TV App Gets Smarter and More Personalized

The Apple TV app has also been updated to reflect this design shift. Poster artwork for movies and shows now features Liquid Glass styling, and more content is displayed up front, making discovery quicker and more visually engaging.

Profile-switching has been improved. Users can now configure Apple TV to show profiles as soon as the device wakes, making it easier to jump into the right watchlist or Apple Music playlist without digging through menus.

Developers also get a new login API that links app authentication to users' Apple IDs. This means setting up new devices or signing in to streaming apps can be done with minimal friction.

Apple Music Sing Gets an iPhone Upgrade

One of the more social additions in tvOS 26 is the expansion of Apple Music Sing. Users can now turn their iPhone into a handheld mic for Apple TV, enabling vocal amplification and letting multiple people queue songs, trigger effects, or react with onscreen emoji during karaoke sessions.

Real-time lyrics, colorful visual effects, and interactive features make the experience more engaging for group settings. Apple has also added Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation tools to help users sing songs in languages they may not speak, supporting scripts like Romanized Hindi, Katakana, and Pinyin.

FaceTime Becomes More Visual and Language-Aware

Apple continues to bring communication features to Apple TV, with FaceTime receiving a more personalized look. Contact Posters now appear onscreen when receiving FaceTime calls, matching the visual style used in iOS 18.

Live Captions are now available in more languages, including French, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, making video calls more accessible. Incoming FaceTime audio and phone call notifications are now tied to the active Apple TV profile, and calls can be answered via a HomePod or iPhone without disrupting your content.

Screen Savers and Audio Upgrades

tvOS 26 introduces new Aerial screen savers filmed across India, including scenic footage from Goa and Kerala. Users can now choose specific screen saver categories—like Cityscape, Earth, or Underwater—or disable certain types altogether for a more curated idle screen.

Another welcome change is the ability to set any AirPlay-enabled speaker as the permanent audio output for Apple TV, eliminating the need to reconnect manually each time.

Availability

tvOS 26 is available for developers to test now, with a public beta launching next month. The final version will roll out this fall as a free software update for Apple TV 4K (2nd generation and later).

Some features, such as using iPhone as a mic or advanced translation tools, may require additional hardware or specific iOS versions.