• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

Apple TV Software Gets A Big Upgrade

By
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 13, 2016, 2:08 PM ET

The Apple TV’s operating system will be getting a makeover, Apple announced on Monday.

The upcoming tvOS will include major improvements to Siri, Apple’s voice activated digital assistant, Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services said at the company’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference, or WWDC. The service will now be able to search YouTube, dramatically expanding the amount of content that it can search beyond the 650,000 movies and television shows it can currently search.

Siri will also be able to search videos by topics like sports or drama.

In addition, Apple said it would make it easier to sign into individual apps. Users will be able to be automatically authenticated by their cable or satellite providers to get access to apps rather than needing to sign into app individually.

The updates announced Monday mark a major upgrade to Apple TV (AAPL). Just a few years ago, the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs called Apple TV a “hobby” and the company’s focus on it seemed questionable.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Last year, however, all that changed when Apple announcing that the Apple TV would become a core part of its hardware strategy. The company changed it focus on merely streaming videos and added built-in video storage. Most importantly, it added an app store, where developers could make a wide range of third-party apps available.

In the year since Apple unveiled tvOS, the Apple TV’s has added 6,000 apps to its store. It’s also received some minor tweaks, like the ability to control the device by voice, to make it a bit easier to use.

Key Speakers At The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC)
Cue speaks during the Apple World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Monday, June 13, 2016.David Paul Morris — Bloomberg via Getty Images

The updates unveiled at this year’s WWDC take that a bit farther by adding a new app for the remote control that makes it easier for users to control their set-top box. In addition, Apple said that it has added several new apps, including streaming video app Sling, which lets users watch live video. Apple’s Cue also says that the operating system will automatically download apps to the Apple TV after they’ve already been downloaded on its owner’s other iOS device.

The new version of tvOS comes amid a several other software announcements by Apple at WWDC, including a new version of Apple’s watchOS.

For more on Apple, watch:

Although Apple’s keynote is the main attraction at WWDC, it is actually just a small part of the broader conference. Over five days, Apple holds workshops and tutorials for developers. The company also showcases its new operating systems to attendees so they can try out its latest software before they make their way to consumers.

Apple’s tvOS will be available sometime in the fall as a free update on latest Apple TV devices.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Retail
Trump just declared Christmas Eve a national holiday. Here’s what’s open and closed
By Dave SmithDecember 24, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Trump turns government into giant debt collector with threat to garnish wages on millions of Americans in default on student loans
By Annie Ma and The Associated PressDecember 24, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Financial experts warn future winner of the $1.7 billion Powerball: Don't make these common money mistakes
By Ashley LutzDecember 23, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Obama's former top economic advisor says he feels 'a tiny bit bad' for Trump because gas prices are low, but consumer confidence is still plummeting 
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 24, 2025
16 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Law
Disgraced millennial Frank founder Charlie Javice hits JPMorgan with $74 million legal bill, including $530 in gummy bears and $347 'afternoon snack'
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 23, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Billionaire philanthropy's growing divide: Mark Zuckerberg stops funding immigration reform as MacKenzie Scott doubles down on DEI
By Ashley LutzDecember 22, 2025
3 days ago

Latest in Tech

AIBrainstorm AI
Cursor CEO warns vibe coding builds ‘shaky foundations’ and eventually ‘things start to crumble’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 25, 2025
19 minutes ago
Big TechTesla
Tesla faces NHTSA probe over Model 3 emergency door handles
By Dana Hull and BloombergDecember 24, 2025
14 hours ago
Arkeem and Ashley with their 6 children.
SuccessGen Z
Meet the millennial father of six who rebuilt his life through the trades—and questions America’s obsession with college
By Eva RoytburgDecember 24, 2025
17 hours ago
Vanguard CIO Nitin Tandon.
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How investment giant Vanguard’s CIO is placing big tech bets today to create the AI digital advisor of tomorrow
By John KellDecember 24, 2025
18 hours ago
Calvin Butler, President and CEO, Exelon
EnergyUtilities
Utility CEO on the data center crunch: America’s ‘check engine light’ is on and ‘no one’s going to pay attention until it breaks down’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 24, 2025
19 hours ago
Ali Ghodsi
AIVenture Capital
CEO of a $134 billion software giant blasts companies with billions in funding but zero revenue: ‘That’s clearly a bubble, right… it’s, like, insane’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 24, 2025
19 hours ago