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Apple Releases tvOS 26.5

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Apple today released tvOS 26.5, the fifth update to the tvOS operating system that came out last fall. tvOS 26.5 is available for the Apple TV 4K, and it comes over a month after Apple released tvOS 26.4.

tvOS-26-Feature.jpg

tvOS 26.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌‌Apple TV‌‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to tvOS 26.5 automatically.

No new features were found in tvOS 26.5 during the beta testing period, so it likely focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements. Apple shares tvOS release notes on its website.

Article Link: Apple Releases tvOS 26.5
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/11/apple-releases-tvos-26-5/
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Dire Straits:
“I want my…
I want my…
I want my ATV”

Pearl Jam:
“Oh, where, oh, where’s my ATV?
The Lord took her away from me
She's gone to heaven, so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world”
 
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I've just updated one of my Apple TVs to 26.5 and the remote is not working anymore. The remote on my iPhone doesn't work either. It's the latest 4K with ethernet. Any ideas how to fix it?

LATER EDIT:
It started working after a second restart.
 
Last edited:
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Tchobi said:
I've just updated one of my Apple TVs to 26.5 and the remote is not working anymore. The remote on my iPhone doesn't work either. It's the latest 4K with ethernet. Any ideas how to fix it?
Click to expand...
Try unplugging the power for a minute, then plug it back in.
 
After updating to tvOS 26.5, I can no longer navigate YouTube by swiping on the remote. The buttons around the touch area work, but this is a really frustrating way of using YouTube.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I’ve tried force quitting YouTube multiple times and restarting my Apple TV to no avail. It might not be related to 26.5, but it worked fine on 26.4 just a couple of hours earlier.
 
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I really hope they finally fix the HDMI CEC issues!

I have a 4K 2. Gen AppleTV, a Sonos soundbar and an LG OLED, havent changed a thing except tvOS and sonos updates, and suddenly the CEC is super flaky, sometimes it works, then suddenly you can no longer control the volume or switch everything off together.
Used to work fine for years.
 
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michaelrdk said:
After updating to tvOS 26.5, I can no longer navigate YouTube by swiping on the remote. The buttons around the touch area work, but this is a really frustrating way of using YouTube.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I’ve tried force quitting YouTube multiple times and restarting my Apple TV to no avail. It might not be related to 26.5, but it worked fine on 26.4 just a couple of hours earlier.
Click to expand...
Same is happening on all my ATV 4K boxes after the 26.5 update.
 
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I noticed the update before even knowing for sure what OS I was on. I verified, it auto updated to 26.5.

The Home Screen movie cards (above the dock), now is pulling your most updated continue watching from streaming services you have synced with Apple TV. You aren't highlighting the leftmost app in your dock when you power up. Instead, different shows are presented from across apps above the dock. Cards now have an indicator on which app it'll launch: a small app icon in the upper right corner of the card corresponding to that service.

Pressing down will select the apps on your dock. Press back to get to this new "Home Screen."

How nobody has noticed or said anything on MacRumors I do not know. Pretty neat, this is a first for me!! 😛
 
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With my orig 4k ATV it's gotten rather sluggish on many things with the dreaded 26 update. The worst is that Apple content likes to do mini stutters when playing shows (no issues with any other streaming service). So many other infuriating little bugs. I'm now scared to do this latest upgrade.

Guess I'll just wait for the new ATV that will get released... At some point. Hopefully in 2026.
 
Bkxmnr said:
How about releasing a new Apple TV...
Click to expand...

F4C4 said:
Dire Straits:
“I want my…
I want my…
I want my ATV”

Pearl Jam:
“Oh, where, oh, where’s my ATV?
The Lord took her away from me
She's gone to heaven, so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world”
Click to expand...

Genuine question.....

To all those feverishly awaiting a new model - what exactly are we expecting it to bring to the table here?

I mean, if you have the current AppleTV is it slow? can it not do what it needs to do? what other functions will be afforded by a hardware upgrade?

As a user of the current AppleTV and several previous generations too.... I never think 'this is slow' or 'it could do this or that'.

So, what are we expecting from this magical new model exactly?

I suspect that the answer is 'better AI Siri gubbins' and fine - but the new Siri isnt out yet so what the point just yet?
 
DocMultimedia said:
With my orig 4k ATV it's gotten rather sluggish on many things with the dreaded 26 update. The worst is that Apple content likes to do mini stutters when playing shows (no issues with any other streaming service). So many other infuriating little bugs. I'm now scared to do this latest upgrade.

Guess I'll just wait for the new ATV that will get released... At some point. Hopefully in 2026.
Click to expand...

26.5 is quite smooth on my first gen. Pleasantly surprised after the dreadful performance of the previous 26 updates.
 
My Apple TV HD seems to be unable to update to this release - it displays Preparing for a while and then just gives up and quietly returns to the Software Update status screen (I tried twice.)
 
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Robort said:
My Apple TV HD seems to be unable to update to this release - it displays Preparing for a while and then just gives up and quietly returns to the Software Update status screen (I tried twice.)
Click to expand...
Same here on 3 AppleTV's. Observation: the 4th ATV I have connected with Ethernet did the update. The 3 on wi-fi I'm experiencing the same issue as you.
 
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