Just as iOS and macOS receive regular free updates, patching bugs, tweaking the interface and unlocking new features, tvOS has a major update on the way: tvOS 11. tvOS is the operating system software platform that runs on the fourth-gen Apple TV.

It’s the Apple TV’s equivalent of iOS on the iPhone or macOS on the Mac; it manages the apps you can install on the device and offers various features of its own. Read on for all we know so far about tvOS 11, and a wishlist of our most highly desired features.

tvOS 11 release date rumours

tvOS 10 was released on 13 September 2016 alongside iOS 10 and watchOS 3, after releasing the tvOS golden master on 7 September following the iPhone 7 event. That means, if you have a compatible Apple TV (more on that below) you can update to tvOS 10 now. But what about 2017’s tvOS 11?

We expected to see tvOS 11 make its first appearance at Apple’s annual developer conference (WWDC) in June 2017, but Apple surprised us by giving tvOS only a brief mention, to announce that an Amazon Prime Video app is coming to the service some time later in 2017.

Instead, it quietly released a developer beta of the software immediately following the keynote without much fanfare, while also announcing that tvOS 11 would be getting a public beta – the first time it’s released a public beta for a tvOS update.

Following the announcement, the public beta of tvOS is now available to download. Simply head over to the Apple Beta Software Program website, log in with your Apple ID and follow the instructions on how to install it on your fourth-generation Apple TV.

tvOS 11 features

Now that Apple has launched a tvOS 11 beta, here are the features we know are on the way.

Better AirPod support

Here’s one we know is coming as part of the update: soon AirPods will automatically pair with the Apple TV through iCloud, just as they already do with iPads and iPhones. That’s a small update, but it’s a nice quality of life improvement for users who’ve had to manually pair the headphones so far.

Amazon Prime support

This is another one Apple actually announced at WWDC: Apple TV is finally getting support for Amazon Prime Video, after lagging behind the competition for years. The app should be made available for tvOS users along with second- and third-generation Apple TV users later this year.

Home Screen Sync

This new feature will let you sync your apps and home screen across any Apple TV device connected to the same iCloud account – though both will need to be running tvOS 11 for it to work.

Automatic appearance switching

This optional feature sees Apple TV automatically switch between light and dark user interfaces depending on the time of day, to give you the most comfortable UI based on local light levels – even taking into account changing sunrise and sunset times during the year.

tvOS feature wishlist

We now know what new features are coming to tvOS later this year, but we can think of a few that are missing that we’d still like to see in the next update.

Online App Store

It’s a small thing, but there’s currently no easy way to check whether an app is available on the Apple TV, other than by looking on the App Store on the Apple TV itself.

The Apple TV is odd in this respect. You can search for iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch apps in iTunes on any Mac or PC, or through a browser – you don’t need to search for them on the device itself (although, with the obvious exception of the watch, you can do so if you prefer). And while Mac apps are normally viewed through the Mac App Store app, it’s also possible to browse the Mac App Store through a browser if you happen to be stranded temporarily on a Windows PC.

Admittedly most people now download apps directly to the device they’ll be running on – the days of downloading an app to a Mac and then syncing it to an iPhone are gone, essentially – so a lot of app browsing will take place there too.

But what if you want to check through the latest Apple TV games in a break from work, or on your commute? What if you want to send a friend a direct link to a recommended app’s page on the store? What if you’re a hard-working games journalist who wants to offer readers a direct link?

There are unofficial options at the moment (such as App Sliced or 148Apps) but we’d like Apple to put the tvOS App Store online officially.