We’ll soon learn what Apple has in store for the software that powers its popular streaming device, the Apple TV, with its WWDC 2025 keynote presentation set to reveal all.
The next major version will be tvOS 19 / tvOS 26 and it’s expected to get new features, a possible new design, and will push integration with Apple’s other products deeper than before.
Will tvOS 19 actually be called tvOS 26?
According to prominent Apple tipster Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing a major shake-up to the nomenclature of its operating systems.
Gurman reports that Apple will bring all of its operating systems in line with the same numeric handle, relating not to the version number of the software, but the year.
Much like the auto industry and major sporting game franchises, such as Madden and EA Sports FC, Apple will opt for the upcoming full year rather than the year the software is announced.
The result? We could be introduced to tvOS 26, rather than tvOS 19.
When will tvOS 19 / tvOS 26 be revealed?
Apple’s WWDC 2025 is set to take place starting June 9. The first day of the event begins with the keynote address (usually at 10 a.m. PT), which lays out the overall vision for the future of Apple’s software (with the occasional hardware announcement thrown in) including iOS 19, watchOS 12, macOS 16, iPadOS 19, and visionOS 3.
That’s also when we can expect the official announcement of tvOS 19 /tvOS 26.
You can follow our WWDC 2025 live blog for all the latest on the from the keynote presentation, and if you want to keep a closer eye on proceedings, here’s how to watch the WWDC 2025 keynote.
What the rumors say about tvOS 19 / tvOS 26
There has been very little speculation around tvOS 19 itself, however we may be able to take some clues from what folks are predicting will happen with iOS 19 and iPadOS 19. tvOS may be centered around the Apple TV, but it shares much of its DNA with the code that runs Apple’s phones and tablets.
Apple makes every effort to apply its newest software features and designs to all of its products to keep thing as seamless and consistent as possible for its users. Bloomberg says that iOS 19 will feature some of the biggest changes to the OS since iOS7, including a redesigned interface with updated icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons.
These redesigned elements are said to take their inspiration from the software that runs Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which uses translucency to help people track deeper levels in the interface.
That may not be as applicable to a lean-back, 10-foot experience like tvOS 19, but it’s likely we’ll still get hints of the effect on interface elements like progress bars or slide-out panels like the Control Center.
Apple is betting heavily on its Apple Intelligence platform for its main computing products. It failed to announce support for the new AI system in tvOS 18, but perhaps that will change on the next version. If it does, the influence of Apple Intelligence will most likely be felt in improvements to Siri. Apple’s voice assistant is said to become more conversational, with greater integration with third-party apps.
Siri is already capable of helping you find something to watch on an Apple TV and can be used for handy tasks like repeating a line of dialogue with captions enabled (“What did they say?”). An enhanced Siri could allow for more nuanced inquiries around the cast and crew of a given movie. It may also be able to respond to context-specific requests like “find that song on Apple Music.”
As one of the main hubs in Apple’s home automation strategy, Siri within tvOS 19 could become a more powerful tool for controlling lights, cameras, and appliance within your home.
When will tvOS 19 / tvOS 26 be available?
If history is any indication, tvOS 19 / tvOS 26 will be released at the same time as iOS 19 / iOS 26 and iPadOS 19 / iPadOS 26 — likely in September 2025 to coincide with Apple’s next iPhone.
Which devices will support tvOS 19 / tvOS 26?
Currently, the most recent four versions of the Apple TV (HD, first-gen 4K, second-gen 4K, and third-gen 4K) all run tvOS 18. While it’s likely that the second- and third-gen 4K models will get tvOS 19 / tvOS 26, the Apple TV HD and first-gen Apple TV 4K may not.
These devices were released in 2015 and 2017 respectively — quite old by today’s standards — and neither possess Apple’s Neural Engine, which was introduced on the second-gen 4K TV model. This could prove to be a problem, especially if Apple loads tvOS 19 / tvOS 26 with Apple Intelligence.
The bigger question, however, is whether or not Apple will reveal a rumored new Apple HomePod with a built-in display. If it does, this as-yet-unannounced device will almost certainly be powered by tvOS 19 / tvOS 26.
