Apple Launches Public Beta for tvOS 26 Featuring Liquid Glass Design

Cupertino, CA – Apple has unveiled tvOS 26 as a public beta, available now for early adopters. This new update includes several enhancements, particularly a fresh design language known as Liquid Glass.

The Liquid Glass aesthetic gives a more premium feel to the Apple TV interface with transparent elements and frosted effects. The new design is especially prominent in the Control Center, where users can see the visual effects of the content behind the buttons.

tvOS 26 also introduces a redesigned TV app that features portrait-oriented poster artwork for movies and shows, enhancing user experience. This layout not only appears more cinematic but also allows for more items to be displayed in a single row.

Another highlight of this update is the improved karaoke experience in the Music app. Users can connect their nearby iPhones as wireless microphones while singing, allowing for additional song queue modifications and vocal effects.

In an effort to make user experience smoother, Apple has added a profile picker screen that automatically appears when the Apple TV is turned on. This feature simplifies switching between different user accounts.

However, it’s worth noting that many third-party apps do not yet support the new user account profiles, limiting their effectiveness.

tvOS 26 is compatible with all Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models. However, the full suite of features is limited to newer models, primarily the second-generation Apple TV 4K.

To install the beta, users can navigate to Settings -> System -> Software Updates and select Get Beta Updates. The official release of tvOS 26 is expected later this fall.