Anyone who has ever used an Apple TV will tell you it’s the best streaming device you can buy. From the interface and speed to the ease of setup and overall quality, no other device comes close, and I honestly didn’t think there was much room for improvement. The new TV app proved me wrong.
The TV app in tvOS 17.2 completely reinvents the Apple TV experience with a simple structure and more dynamic options. Instead of the top menu, there’s a new sidebar that gives you quick access to your movie library, Apple TV+, and other subscriptions, and lets you see any channels and apps you’ve installed. There’s also a Home tab that brings you to the main screen with Up Next, Channels, and, of course, Apple TV+ content, and a complete store that combines movies and TV shows into a one-stop shop.
You can also easily switch between users to see personalized recommendations and libraries without jumping through menus and login screens. Apple TV already allows multiple users for iTunes and the App Store, but this new TV app menu makes it incredibly fast to switch. And since the Movies and TV apps are going away, people will be able to switch between libraries right in the app now.
Nothing about the new interface is particularly novel, but it’s a tremendous upgrade over the previous version, which used a standard tab bar. Even though the options are similar—TV+, Store, Sports, Library, Search—it’s a much simpler, more intuitive presentation. And the new “Channels & Apps” option lets you browse content from those services without bouncing from app to app.
Previous reports claimed that Apple was making the changes to steer more people to the app, and it’s so good that Apple should just make it the main interface for Apple TV. The current app grid could be integrated into an “All Apps” tab (which would solve the issue of any holdouts, most notably Netflix), and the TV app could simply become TV+ for all Apple TV+ related content. The new interface would solve the only two issues with Apple TV: a lack of discovery and a crowded home screen.
Until then, I’ll be spending a lot of time in the new Apple TV app.