tvOS 18 beta 4 is now available to download for the Apple TV over the air. Install it now for bug fixes and improvements.
Apple Releases Beta 4 of tvOS 18 for the Apple TV with Further Bug Fixes and Improvements
Apple’s latest update for the Apple TV isn’t a big one. It mainly focuses on under-the-hood changes. If you are hoping to see brand new icons or features, you won’t find any of it here. However, if you have a HomeKit setup, then this is an extremely important update, as it allows you to set which Apple TV or HomePod to use as a Home Hub from your iPhone and iPad running iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.
These features, including InSight for TV+, are coming at the end of the year. But today, we get beta 4 for the Apple TV. In order to download and install tvOS 18 beta 4, go to Settings > System > Software Update. Install the update, let the Apple TV restart and enjoy your movie and TV show.
You can find the tutorial on how to download tvOS 18 developer beta here and public beta here. I will recommend staying away from the beta if you use your Apple TV a lot. You can run into some issues if you rely on your Apple TV as a hub for your HomeKit setup.
The only thing I’m truly excited about when it comes to tvOS 18 is the ability to select which Apple TV or HomePod acts as a Home Hub. You don’t have to deal with poor connectivity issues as you can select the device that is in the center of home and has the best-possible access to Wi-Fi or ethernet. I know exactly which device I’ll be using and funny enough, Apple has chosen the worst possible Apple TV as a hub in my current HomeKit setup. It puzzles me to this day why setting the hub manually wasn’t an option all these years.
