Apple TV to Support VPN Apps on tvOS 17

[MacRumors]

Apple announced tvOS 17 earlier this week with a handful of new features for the Apple TV, including FaceTime and a redesigned Control Center. Another new feature is support for VPN apps, although it remains to be seen if there will be any limitations.

VPN apps could allow for Apple TV users to watch geo-restricted content from any location, such as the U.S. version of Netflix in another country. In its tvOS 17 press release, however, Apple focused on how the VPN apps can benefit enterprise and education users, so it is possible that Apple could restrict usage of the apps.

Apple:

Third-party VPN support, which enables developers to create VPN apps for Apple TV. This can benefit enterprise and education users wanting to access content on their private networks, allowing Apple TV to be a great office and conference room solution in even more places.

tvOS 17 will be released later this year, and is available in beta now for anyone with an Apple developer account. The software update is compatible with all Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models released in 2015 and later. The first VPN apps should begin to appear on the Apple TV's App Store over the coming months.

Article Link: Apple TV to Support VPN Apps on tvOS 17

 

[maflynn]

Long over due, as I prefer to guard my privacy, VPN is an important option for me.

 

[mystery hill]

Apple focused on how the VPN apps can benefit enterprise and education users

They aren’t going to have a press release focusing on how VPN apps can help users get around geo-blocked streaming services.

You can also set up Apple TVs in other locations to all connect over VPN to a single household to circumvent Netflix’s password sharing restrictions.

 

[dannyyankou]

Finally! I can finally watch the Yankees

 

[johnmarki]

This is great news. I currently use a PiHole+OpenVPN for my entire network, but it can be frustrating as sometimes I need to refresh or change the location, and its somewhat tedious. Hopefully this is a "full-on" feature and can be controlled via iPhone/iPad. 🤞

 

[mrr]

Why can’t Apple TV run Safari?

 

[jedimasterkyle]

I hope ExpressVPN is all over this! I have to switch to the AndroidTV interface to use their VPN when I want to watch Mariner games so hopefully, this eliminates that all together!

 

[bobenhaus]

Google one is awesome! Best deal on the Internet.

 

[mystery hill]

Why can’t Apple TV run Safari?

It can. Apple doesn’t want it to.

 

[code-m]

Hopefully it’s the full fledged version and not some crippled Apple implementation plus hope the iOS VPN connection “bug” issue is resolved where open app prior to a VPN connection bypass it instead of re-establishing a new connection along with a “kill switch”.

Was hoping web browsers would also be allowed. Oh well.

 

[Putzi360]

Finally this hopefully lets me access my Vudu library directly via AppleTV.
Or watch Moana's Tahitian soundtrack without starting it on iPad first.
Maybe even iPlayer, this is still the end boss of streaming in 4K.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Awesome. Will be very interesting to see how well this works.

Interesting they essentially position this as for corporate use. One would think a Files app would be more useful and encourage more use of iCloud.

Now allow apps with local network scanning permission access to read MAC addresses.

 

[code-m]

Google one is awesome! Best deal on the Internet.

Along with Facebook/Meta VPN service it’s free just have to cough up private data. 😝

 

[JCCL]

Very cool and unexpected. I have to stream from my PC when attempting to watch something from another region. Glad this will no longer be needed

 

[ignatius345]

Remember, this is still Apple. My hunch is that they'll carve out some kind of exception that doesn't let you steam geographically-limited things, or spoof your location for account sharing purposes.

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

Hopefully Ubiquiti will release an app for DMP-hosted VPN servers.

 

[Anaxarxes]

That's a big "showing the finger" to streaming services.

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

Why can’t Apple TV run Safari?

I feel it's more about the user interface / interaction. A touchpad cursor could work, but because it's so small I can see it becoming tedious.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

They aren’t going to have a press release focusing on how VPN apps can help users get around geo-blocked streaming services.

You can also set up Apple TVs in other locations to all connect over VPN to a single household to circumvent Netflix’s password sharing restrictions.

This is what I did using express VPN

 

[WiiDSmoker]

I hope ExpressVPN is all over this! I have to switch to the AndroidTV interface to use their VPN when I want to watch Mariner games so hopefully, this eliminates that all together!

You can already utilizing their DNS

 

[txscott]

Safari on Apple TV would be awesome. They could give us a new hardware version with a stripped down version of the M1 (its gotta be cheap to make by now) to go with it.

Agree they should let us access our iCloud storage from Apple TV.

 

[aforty]

Maybe now I can finally utilize my MLB.tv subscription.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Router VPN is the future. Nothing in my house ever gets access to the web without going through a VPN. Nothing. Apple TV included. This is welcome, though, and obviously the only option if your router doesn’t support VPN profiles.

 

[jedimasterkyle]

Router VPN is the future. Nothing in my house ever gets access to the web without going through a VPN. Nothing. Apple TV included. This is welcome, though, and obviously the only option if your router doesn’t support VPN profiles.

I've really considered getting the ExpressVPN Router with the software built in. It's really tempting even with this announcement.

 

[Serge88]

Too late Apple, I already bought a Nvidia Shield Pro. Apple Tv was great but I prefer freedom, VPN, a browser and no ads on Youtube.