tvOS 10

tvOS is the operating system that runs on the Apple TV, taking iOS-style design elements and translating them to an Apple TV interface. tvOS is designed to put content front and center, with a familiar app-based design that's easy to navigate through the touch-based remote and Siri voice commands.

tvOS, like iOS, features a full App Store that allows users to choose apps to install on the device. The App Store features content-based apps like Netflix and Hulu, but it also features games, weather, educational options, photo viewing apps, music apps, and tons more.

Since the Apple TV launched in October, Apple has been steadily updating tvOS with new features like Bluetooth keyboard support, dictation support, and more, and on June 13, 2016, Apple unveiled the latest version of the tvOS operating system -- tvOS 10.

tvOS 10 builds on the initial tvOS features, introducing improved search, expanded Siri capabilities, single sign-on authentication, and a dedicated Apple TV Remote app for iOS devices.

Siri is able to search for movies by topic, bringing up content around a theme like "high school comedies from the 80s" or "movies about baseball" or "movies about dinosaurs." Through a Live Tune-In feature introduced earlier this year but promoted as part of tvOS 10, Siri can also go directly to a live channel in a supported app with commands like "Watch CBS News" or "Watch ESPN."

Also new is Siri support for searching YouTube and managing HomeKit accessories.

Single Sign-On for pay TV apps will be available in a future version of tvOS, allowing users to sign in once on the Apple TV with their cable credentials to access live cable content included in a cable subscription.

Third-party apps can do more with new developer APIs for recording and live broadcasting, accessing iCloud Photo Library photos, using HomeKit within third-party apps, and developing apps with more complicated controls that necessitate a controller.

A new Apple TV Remote app for iOS devices mirrors the capabilities of the physical Siri Remote with touch navigation, Siri integration, and gameplay support, and tvOS is also gaining features from iOS 10. The new Apple TV Remote app was released ahead of tvOS 10 on August 1.

The Apple Music app has been redesigned and there's a new "Memories" feature in the Photos app for surfacing collections of photos.

Other new Apple TV features include a dark mode to darken the interface, a Continuity option that connects to the iPhone for easier text input, and an option for automatically downloading universal apps.

tvOS 10 was released to the public on September 13, 2016 after several months of beta testing. Single sign-on, one of the key tvOS 10 features, will be coming in a future update.

Shortly after tvOS 10 launched, Apple seeded the first beta of tvOS 10.0.1 to developers. It appears to focus on bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements.

Siri is smarter in tvOS, able to search through movies based on topics. With topic search, you can now ask Siri to bring up movies with commands like "Show me movies from the 80s," or "Show me movies that feature dinosaurs," or "Find documentaries about architecture."

Siri can also understand when multiple topics are included in a single command, such as "Show me spy movies from the 1960s" or "Show me high school comedies from the 90s."

One of the best new tvOS 10 features is an option to search YouTube via Siri. Siri can now search YouTube for videos, and a command like "find me YouTube videos with kittens" will launch the YouTube app and show the relevant search results.

Apple is making it easier to use Siri to access live channels through a feature introduced in April but promoted with iOS 10. When trying to watch live TV, you need to locate the app where the channel can be found, open the app, and then find the relevant channel. Live Tune-In allows Siri to take you straight to the channel that you're looking for with a command like "Watch ESPN" or "Watch CBS."

Apple has already signed on several partners to enable Live Tune-In for multiple channels and will add more in the future.

With tvOS 10, Apple is simplifying the process of accessing apps that require authentication with a cable provider through a new single sign-on feature. Single sign-on was planned as a feature for tvOS 10, but it will instead come as an update to the operating system. Apple's tvOS 10 page lists single sign-on as "coming soon."

Authentication is a process that makes using subscription apps a pain, as it requires finding a browser, authenticating with a code, and then authenticating to the TV provider, a process that has to be repeated for each and every app.

With single sign-on, that all goes away. Apple TV owners with a cable subscription only need to sign in once and will be able to access all Apple TV apps that have cable content automatically like HBO GO and FXNOW.

Apple has also designed a page on the App Store that shows users with a cable subscription all of the apps they have access to.

Since the launch of the Apple TV, Apple has been working on a new Apple TV Remote app for iOS devices, and it was announced at WWDC alongside tvOS 10. The Apple TV Remote for the iPhone includes an interface that mirrors the physical Siri remote with touch navigation and Siri support.

The digital buttons are located in the same general places as on the Siri Remote, and it features a now playing screen with built-in quick-access playback controls. All of the features of the Siri Remote are supported, and the app uses the gyroscope and the accelerometer in the iPhone to play games.

Apple's Apple TV Remote app, which connects to an Apple TV using Bluetooth, is also designed to make it easier to enter text with a dedicated keyboard that can be used whenever text entry is required.

The new Apple TV Remote app, though introduced at WWDC, does not require tvOS 10 and was released to the public on August 1, 2016.

Prior to tvOS 10, developers have been required to design games with support for both third-party Bluetooth controllers and the much more simple Apple TV Remote, limiting what games can do and preventing them from being on par with console games.

In tvOS 10, that restriction has been lifted. Game developers are now free to create games that require a third-party controller, so gaming controls don't need to be as barebones and simple.

On Apple's developer site, the guidelines now state: "When designing a tvOS game, you may require the use of an MFi game controller, but where possible you should also support the Siri Remote."

With more complex controls possible, Apple TV games will now be able to more closely mirror traditional console games.

Developers have access to new APIs in tvOS 10, enabling new kinds of apps. With ReplayKit, games are able to offer tools for broadcasting gameplay or saving gameplay video to share later.

With PhotoKit, developers can build apps that access a user's iCloud Photo Library, and with HomeKit, developers can build HomeKit apps that can run on the Apple TV to control connected home devices like lights and thermostats.

Dark Mode - tvOS 10 includes a new dark mode option that changes the background of tvOS from white to black to make it easier on the eyes when watching in a dark room or a home theater.

Apple Music - Apple Music is seeing a redesign with bright, simple aesthetic featuring bold headlines and a focus on white space. The navigation has also been improved, with tabs for "Library," "For You," "Browse," and "Radio," to enable better content discovery.

Photos - In the Photos app, users can access the new "Memories" feature that takes photos stored in iCloud Photo Library and intelligently arranges them based on content and location to surface memories of birthday parties, vacations, special occasions, and more.

Continuity Keyboard - When prompted to enter text on the Apple TV, a connected iPhone will now display a prompt that will allow the necessary text to be entered using the iPhone.

Automatic Downloads - There's an option to enable automatic downloads on the Apple TV, so apps that are on iOS devices and the Apple TV will now be automatically added to the TV when downloaded via an iPhone or iPad.

App Badges - tvOS apps now support app badges.

Aerial Updates - The latest tvOS update brings new aerial screen savers.

The newest version of tvOS, tvOS 10, launched to the public on September 13, 2016 after an extended testing period for developers including seven betas plus the golden master version.