No major changes here, but the new features of tvOS 27.2 are welcome additions all the same.
Screen saver with more variety and FaceTime upgrades
Apple TV probably has some of the best screensavers of any streaming box, and while they’re not its biggest selling point, they’re definitely a treat to watch. Until now, you had to choose a single category, but tvOS 27.2 changes that.
The update adds a new “Shuffle” option that cycles through antennas, memories, portraits and Snoopy. Now, every time your TV enters screen saver mode, it will show you something different. You can now use your iPhone to select specific photos for your screensaver without sharing your entire photo library with your Apple TV. This helps a lot if you share your home with others and don’t want all your personal photos to appear on the big screen at once.
Apple has also updated the FaceTime experience, starting with FaceTime Links. These make it easier to join a call directly from your Apple TV, although the call will still use your iPhone as a webcam via the Continuity Camera feature. FaceTime now also allows you to add third-party sign language interpreters and live captioning services to your calls. This feature is also available for iPhone, iPad and Mac with their respective updates.
Find Meng for the Siri Remote and sign language in the player
The new Apple TV 4K comes with a new Siri Remote that improves Find My Support and even includes a speaker so you can locate it easily. Although you’ll need a new device — or at least a new remote — to get this feature, tvOS 27.2 still brings a small improvement to previous Apple TV models. The remote now appears in the Find My app, so you no longer have to open the TV remote from your iPhone’s Control Center to locate it. It’s a small change, but it makes the experience more consistent.
Select movies and shows on the Apple TV app now support ASL and BSL, and you can turn them on or off with the player controls. Settings. Speaking of the TV app, it finally got profile support on iPhone and iPad with iOS 27.2, and it now syncs with your Apple TV. Apple even added new characters to the profile selection screen. If you share your Apple TV with others or have kids at home, the profile feature is definitely worth a try. Another small detail in tvOS 27.2 is the new black and white Apple Music icon, which corresponds to that of iOS 27.2 as part of the new identity of the platform.
If you haven’t updated your Apple TV yet, you can do so by using the Settings app, goes System and select Software update. The update is free and available for the second generation Apple TV 4K (released in 2021) and later models. Note that some new features, such as setting up a surround sound system with two pairs of the new HomePod mini 2 (or HomePod 2nd generation), are exclusive to the new Apple TV 4K with the A19 chip, which was introduced earlier this month.