Apple tvOS 19: All You Should Know

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With Apple’s highly anticipated WWDC event approaching, excitement builds for the latest updates to the software running on the Apple TV. The forthcoming release, tvOS 19, promises to introduce exciting new features, a potential redesign, and a deeper integration with Apple’s ecosystem.

When will tvOS 19 be presented?

The WWDC 2025 is slated to kick off on June 9, with the opening keynote typically scheduled for 10 a.m. PT. This event will outline Apple’s software vision for the upcoming year, which will include announcements for iOS 19, watchOS 12, macOS 16, iPadOS 19, and visionOS 3, as well as the debut of tvOS 19.

What are the current rumors?

While detailed rumors regarding tvOS 19 are scarce, insights can be drawn from speculations surrounding iOS 19 and iPadOS 19. Even though tvOS is primarily designed for the Apple TV, it shares common underlying code with Apple's phone and tablet operating systems.

Apple consistently strives to incorporate its latest software innovations across its product line, ensuring a cohesive experience for users. Reports indicate that iOS 19 will boast significant enhancements, featuring a completely overhauled interface with modernized icons, menus, apps, and system buttons.

These visual changes are expected to be inspired by the software employed in Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which utilizes semi-transparency to assist users in navigating layers of the interface.

While not all of these changes may translate directly to tvOS 19's interface, we can anticipate that aspects like progress indicators or pop-out panels—similar to the Control Center—will reflect this new design philosophy.

Apple is placing significant emphasis on its Apple Intelligence platform across its major products. After not including support for this new AI system in tvOS 18, it may debut with the upcoming version. If it does, we could see enhancements in Siri's functionality, allowing for a more conversational interaction style and improved connectivity with third-party applications.

Siri currently assists users in discovering content on Apple TV and can even replay a scene with captions activated. Future improvements might enable richer queries regarding the cast and crew of films, alongside context-specific commands like “find that song on Apple Music.”

As a central player in Apple’s home automation strategy, Siri in tvOS 19 could evolve into a more robust assistant for managing lighting, cameras, and smart appliances throughout your home.

Availability of tvOS 19

Based on historical trends, tvOS 19 is expected to launch simultaneously with iOS 19 and iPadOS 19, likely around September 2025, aligning with the release of Apple’s next-generation iPhone.

Supported Devices for tvOS 19

At present, the four latest Apple TV variants (the HD model, first-gen 4K, second-gen 4K, and third-gen 4K) all operate on tvOS 18. It is anticipated that the second- and third-gen 4K models will support tvOS 19, but the Apple TV HD and first-gen 4K may be left out. These models were released in 2015 and 2017, respectively, which could pose compatibility issues, especially if tvOS 19 leverages Apple’s Neural Engine introduced in the second-gen 4K.

A key point of interest is the potential introduction of a new Apple HomePod featuring a built-in display. If such a device is unveiled, it's very likely that it would run on tvOS 19.