Apple Seeds First Beta of tvOS 17 to Developers

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 17 beta to developers for testing purposes.

apple tv 4k yellow bg feature
Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 17 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS updates don't receive as much attention as updates to iOS and macOS, and are never as feature rich, but tvOS 17 adds brings FaceTime to the TV for the first time. The ‌Apple TV‌ 4K can connect to an iPhone or iPad that serves as the camera, with the ‌FaceTime‌ interface showing up on the TV's screen.

All of the ‌FaceTime‌ features are available, including Center Stage to keep you front and center, plus there are new gesture-based reactions that let you use your hands to generate on-screen effects. For example, if you make a heart with your hands, the screen will display hearts.

Split View for ‌Apple TV‌ lets users watch television with friends and family using SharePlay, and there are controls for transferring calls between the TV and an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ as needed. Third-party apps like Zoom will also be able to take advantage of this functionality, so those apps will also work on the TV screen.

Control Center on ‌Apple TV‌ has been revamped and it is easier for users to access key settings and information, plus there is a new feature that allows the ‌iPhone‌ to locate a Siri Remote that's been misplaced.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Apple Intelligence Now Available in New iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia Developer Betas

Monday July 29, 2024 10:07 am PDT by
Apple is today providing developers with the first betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, with the new software introducing an early version of the Apple Intelligence features. These new betas will be in testing alongside the current iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15 betas. Developers can choose whether to opt into the new betas with Apple Intelligence, or stay on the ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Report: Apple Intelligence Delayed to iOS 18.1 in October

Sunday July 28, 2024 11:52 am PDT by
Apple Intelligence will miss its initial expected launch date to give Apple more time to fix bugs, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. According to individuals with knowledge about Apple's plans, the company now plans to start rolling out Apple Intelligence in software updates by October, arriving several weeks after the launch of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. This means that Apple...
T Mobile Generic Feature Pink 1

T-Mobile Sued for Breaking Lifetime Price Guarantees

Friday July 26, 2024 2:44 pm PDT by
T-Mobile customers have filed a lawsuit [PDF] against the carrier, alleging that it failed to honor a guarantee not to raise the prices of select cellular plans. The lawsuit, first spotted by Wired, claims that back in 2017, T-Mobile advertised several of its plans with a price lock, but then went on to increase prices starting in May 2024. "T-Mobile ONE customers keep their price until...

Top Rated Comments

trusso Avatar
15 months ago
I don’t ask much from tvOS. Just refrain from pushing any ads on me. And yes, that includes tv+ content anywhere outside the tv+ app.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ApostolisApo Avatar
15 months ago

I got the same problem. My older 4k (1Gen) Apple TV manage to do the update but my main 4K fails in the same way as you describe. It goes through step 1 and 2 but end up at 16.6.
I've tried Apple Seed and tvOS17 beta with the same result.
Same here
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oldwatery Avatar
15 months ago
Still not as reliable as a Roku…so hope this fixes some of the issues I keep having.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
15 months ago
Really looking forward to this update. Still wish we could update through the Home app like we can with HomePods. And that tvOS would get the Home app.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dantracht Avatar
15 months ago

I got the same problem. My older 4k (1Gen) Apple TV manage to do the update but my main 4K fails in the same way as you describe. It goes through step 1 and 2 but end up at 16.6.
I've tried Apple Seed and tvOS17 beta with the same result.
I ended up giving up. The watch os 10 beta almost killed my AW as well, that’s the chance you take on first betas I guess. Ended up having to restore my watch. Will hold off for a few betas I guess. I’m glad the 2015 HD is still supported!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ricketysquire Avatar
15 months ago
Did they drop support for any Apple TVs yet? I upgraded from an Apple TV 4/HD to a first gen Apple TV 4K earlier this year. I know not much of an update, but it was a cheap and I got an Apple TV that supported 4K resolutions.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)