Apple has released tvOS 16.1 for Apple TV HD and 4K models with improvements to Siri.
tvOS 16 was previously released with support for HDR10+, Matter, rich video previews for Apple TV+, automatic credits skipping for movies and shows, Fitness+ improvements, and more.
tvOS 16.1
October 24 – Apple has released tvOS 16.1 to all users with improvements to Siri.
October 18 – Apple has released tvOS 16.1 release candidate to developers.
October 11 – Apple has released tvOS 16.1 beta 5 to developers.
October 4 – Apple has released tvOS 16.1 beta 4 to developers.
September 27 – Apple has released tvOS 16.1 beta 3 to developers.
September 20 – Apple has released tvOS 16.1 beta 2 to developers.
September 14 – Apple has released tvOS 16.1 beta 1 to developers.
Final version
September 12 – Apple has released the final version of tvOS 16 for Apple TV HD and 4K models. Here is everything new in this update:
- Nintendo Switch joy-cons and pro-controller support.
- Matter support.
- HDR10+ support.
- Fitness+ workouts now show Intensity Metrics on the screen to show progress.
- Family members are now suggested as users in Control Center.
- Post-show credits in Apple TV+ are automatically minimized.
- You can now switch between 12-hour and 24-hour time formats.
Even though Apple did not officially announce tvOS 16 during WWDC 2022 keynote, there are features that can be found through the release notes, Reddit, and other eagle-eyed Twitter users who have installed the developer beta.
Apple has also released HomePod Software Version 16. The changelog only mentions the following:
Software version 16 includes general performance and stability improvements.
Release Candidate
September 8 – Apple has released the first release candidate for tvOS 16.
Developer beta 7
August 23 – Apple has released tvOS 16 beta 7 to developers.
Public Beta 4
August 15 – Apple has released the fourth public beta for tvOS 16.
Developer beta 6
August 15 – Apple has released tvOS 16 beta 6 to developers.
Public Beta 3
August 9 – Apple has released the third public beta tvOS 16.
Developer beta 5
August 8 – Apple has released tvOS 16 beta 5 to developers.
Public Beta 2
July 29 – Apple has released the second public beta for tvOS 16.
Developer beta 4
July 27 – Apple has released tvOS 16 developer beta 4. The update features a number of bug fixes but no new features as per Apple’s release notes. We will update this post if we find anything new.
Public Beta 1
July 11 – Apple has released tvOS 16 public beta 1 to testers.
Developer Beta 3
July 6 – Apple has released tvOS 16 beta 3 to developers.
Developer Beta 2
June 23 – Apple has released tvOS 16 beta 2 to developers.
Developer Beta 1
June 6 – Here is what we have gathered so far from different sources, with regards to the features and changes in beta 1:
- Nintendo Switch joy-cons and pro-controller are now supported by tvOS 16. Users can use the joy-cons individually and even as one controller. This feature is listed as the following in release notes: Many additional Bluetooth and USB game controllers are supported by the Game Controller framework on macOS 13, iOS 16, and tvOS 16 and later.
- Matter support is coming to tvOS 16. This is the standard framework being backed by Apple and Google and will allow smart accessories to be compatible with different platforms. This standard could also bring Chromecast support to iOS and AirPlay support to Android.
- HDR10+ support will be coming to the Apple TV app in tvOS 16. Compared to HDR10, which is already supported by Apple TV, HDR10+ brings support for dynamic metadata and adjusts brightness and tone mapping per scene. A compatible TV/display is also required for this to work.
- HomePod Software Version 16 will be available as a public beta, as part of tvOS 16 public beta. Normally, Apple does not even release HomePod software updates as developer betas so this would be new for users.
- Fitness+ workouts will now show Intensity Metrics on the screen to show progress.
- Family members are now suggested as users in Control Center
Family members are now suggested as users in prompts within Control Centre pic.twitter.com/Ts3AzHKLil
— Sigmund Judge (@sigjudge) June 6, 2022
- Post-show credits in Apple TV+ are automatically minimized, and there is no way of disabling this feature yet. However, clicking on the minimized thumbnail re-opens the video in full view again.
TV app update – post-show credits in tvOS 16 are now being minimised. As a purist I hope there’s a way of switching this off so that the talent involved continue to get their just-dues. The previous Up Next queue pop-up left it to user choice. pic.twitter.com/n47CpudjDa
— Sigmund Judge (@sigjudge) June 7, 2022
- You can now switch between 12-hour and 24-hour time formats.
Compatible Apple TV models
tvOS 16 is compatible with the following Apple TV models:
- Apple TV HD
- Apple TV 4K
The first developer beta for tvOS 16 is now available, while the public beta will be available next month. The final version of tvOS 16 will be available to all users later this fall.
