Apple Previews tvOS 26 With 'Liquid Glass' Redesign, FaceTime Updates, and More

Apple has officially announced tvOS 26, the next major software update for Apple TV. The update focuses on a significant user interface redesign, alongside functional enhancements to Apple Music, FaceTime, and overall system navigation.



The most prominent feature in tvOS 26 is a new design element Apple has named 'Liquid Glass.' This new material uses real-time rendering to create a vibrant visual effect that appears to reflect and refract its surroundings, bringing a fresh look to the interface. The effect is also integrated into system controls, such as when fast-forwarding, rewinding, or accessing Control Center, to keep the content you're watching as the central focus.






The Apple TV app has been redesigned to incorporate the Liquid Glass effect into new cinematic poster art, aiming to improve content discovery. To streamline access for multiple users, tvOS 26 now offers the option to automatically display profiles when the Apple TV wakes, allowing each person to quickly get to their personalized recommendations and Watchlist. Additionally, a new developer API will allow apps to link logins to a user's Apple Account, simplifying the sign-in process.






Apple Music Sing receives a notable update, now allowing an iPhone to be used as a handheld microphone for Apple TV, amplifying a user's voice for sing-alongs. Friends can join in with their own iPhones to queue songs or react with onscreen emoji. The feature is bolstered by new Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation for a wider variety of songs. This feature requires an iPhone 11 or later and an Apple TV 4K (3rd generation).



FaceTime on Apple TV now supports Contact Posters, displaying a contact's customized photo and name when a call is initiated. Live Captions for FaceTime conversations have been expanded to include French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish. Notifications for incoming FaceTime audio and phone calls will now appear on screen for the active profile.

Other updates include new Aerial screen savers captured in India, the ability for users to customize which screen saver categories are shown, and the option to designate any AirPlay-enabled speaker as the permanent audio output for the Apple TV.

tvOS 26 is available to developers starting today, with a public beta set to launch next month. The final software will be released to the public this fall as a free update for the Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and later.