Apple's "By innovation only" event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with Apple expected to show off new iPhone and Apple Watch models.
We should also be hearing about final details and release dates for Apple's upcoming software updates, including iOS and iPadOS 13, macOS Catalina, watchOS 6, and tvOS 13. Apple's services such as Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ are another likely topic for discussion, and we could see additional hardware announcements such as a 10.2-inch iPad, Apple's rumored Tile-like item tracker and an updated Apple TV.
Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, via the Apple Events app on Apple TV, on Twitter, and for the first time, on YouTube.
In addition to Apple's video stream, we will be updating this article with live blog coverage—no need to refresh—and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the keynote unfolds.
Highlights from the event and separate news stories regarding today's announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.
Apple's suppliers are gearing up to assemble next-generation AirPods as early as October, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes, suggesting an updated version of the earphones could arrive in time for the holiday shopping season.
An excerpt from the report:
Apple's supply chain makers reportedly have kicked off volume production of related components for next-generation AirPods that will enable ODM production partners to begin mass assembly of the gadgets as early as October to meet year-end shopping season demand, according to supply chain sources.
Given the supply of current AirPods model still remains tight, it will remain an issue whether Apple could maintain sufficient supply of the next-generation AirPods, whose structural changes might affect yield rates at production lines, according to market watchers.
In April, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said two new AirPods models would likely go into mass production between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, with Luxshare, Goertek, and Amkor serving as primary suppliers.
Kuo believes one of the new AirPods models will feature an "all-new form factor design" and a "higher price" than the second-generation AirPods, which cost $159 with a standard charging case and $199 with a wireless charging case. The other model is expected to be a more iterative update with the same pricing.
If new AirPods do launch later this year, they will likely be the more iterative pair that Kuo referred to, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the higher-priced AirPods with water resistance and noise cancelation to launch as early as 2020. It's unclear what features would be part of the iterative update.
In March, Apple released second-generation AirPods powered by an Apple-designed H1 chip, enabling hands-free "Hey Siri" functionality and up to 50 percent more talk time compared to the original AirPods. The second-generation AirPods feature the same outward design as the original.
Apple's "By innovation only" media event will be kicking off at 10:00 am Pacific Time today, and as is tradition, some MacRumors readers who can't follow the event live are interested in avoiding all of the announcements and waiting until Apple posts the recorded video of the event so as to experience it without already knowing the outcome.
For those individuals, we've posted this news story, which will be updated with a direct link to the presentation once it becomes available from Apple. No other news stories or announcements will be displayed alongside this story.
Notably, Apple is streaming today's event live on YouTube for the first time, which means a replay should be available almost immediately after the event ends, and in fact, users should be able to watch the video from the beginning even while the event is still going on, at the risk of getting a brief glimpse of the in-progress feed upon first loading the video.
Apple has also generally become quicker about making event videos available for replay on its own site over the past several years, and Apple-hosted videos are now frequently available within an hour of an event's conclusion.
Users waiting for the video to be posted are welcome to gather in the thread associated with this news story, and we ask that those who follow the events refrain from making any posts about Apple's announcements in this thread.
Update: The full keynote video is available on Apple's website as a direct link to the video file with no spoilers.
Just hours ahead of today's Apple Event at Steve Jobs Theater, where the company is slated to unveil new iPhone and Apple Watch models, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has shared several last-minute expectations.
First, Gurman has revised his prediction for the names of the 2019 iPhones. He now expects the next iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max to be called the iPhone 11, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Pro Max respectively. He previously expected the lineup to include the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro in two sizes.
Second, he expects Apple to unveil a new 10.2-inch iPad today, with previous rumors suggesting it will be a replacement for the $329 lower-end 9.7-inch iPad. Pricing and other details remain to be seen.
Didn’t say this would be called a “One more thing.” It’s a one more thing is in the sense that this is the “other thing” coming.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 10, 2019
Third, Gurman has backed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's report that the widely rumored device-to-device charging feature on 2019 iPhones has been canceled. In a research note seen by MacRumors, Kuo said the feature has possibly been abandoned because "the charging efficiency may not meet Apple's requirements."
2019 iPhones were rumored to feature a Qi-based device-to-device charging feature allowing for an Apple Watch, AirPods, and other accessories to charge on the back of the iPhones, similar to Wireless PowerShare on the Galaxy S10.
PayPal's Digital Gifts eBay storefront is back with a 15 percent discount on Apple's App Store and iTunes gift cards today, offering the $100 iTunes gift card at a price of $85 for a limited time. This matches the 15 percent discount we've been tracking for most iTunes gift card sales and is the best currently available online this week.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with eBay. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Like previous discounts, you'll need to have a PayPal account to see the savings and the gift card will be valid only on purchases made in the United States. The card is electronic, so once you place your order you'll get an email within a few hours with a code that you can use to fill up your Apple ID with the credit.
iTunes gift cards are good for buying movies, TV shows, and books on Apple's digital storefronts, as well as paying for subscriptions like Apple Music, Netflix, and Hulu. These discounts on iTunes gift cards come around once every few weeks (and sometimes take longer to reemerge), so if you've been waiting for a sale you should head to eBay soon before the bargain ends.
Our full Deals Roundup has all of the latest and greatest Apple-related discounts in one place.
Could Apple be about to announce that it's making Disney movies available in 4K format on Apple TV? Earlier this morning, MacRumors forum member Eminemdrdre00 spotted a 4K badge on the Aladdin banner in the carousel of the iTunes Movies app on his Apple set-top box. But when he selected it, the reference disappeared.
When Apple said in 2017 that it had inked deals with all the major Hollywood studios to sell 4K movies on Apple TV 4K, Disney was the one notable holdout.
Perhaps an agreement has now been reached, although this would be all the more surprising given that both Apple and Disney are about to go head to head with their own rival streaming services.
Disney+ is set to launch on November 12 and will be available to watch on Apple TV (tvOS-supported models), iPad, and iPhone, with offline downloads supported on mobile. Rumors suggest Apple is also aiming to launch Apple TV+ this November.
Disney+ will cost $6.99 a month and give subscribers the ability stream up to four devices at the same time, with high-definition 4K content included at no extra cost.
Apple TV+ will offer all of Apple's original TV shows and movies that are in development, and Apple is reportedly spending upwards of $6 billion for content. Little is known about Apple TV+, but it will be available on all devices where the TV app is available when it launches.
Apple is widely expected to announce new iPhone and Apple Watch models at its event later today, and last-minute rumors suggest there could be a new Apple TV with an A12 chip as well, although the timing is unclear.
The event kicks off at 10:00 a.m Pacific Time. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of the event both here on MacRumors.com and on the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Apple has taken its online store down ahead of its "By Innovation Only" event today at Steve Jobs Theater, where the company is widely expected to unveil new iPhone and Apple Watch models.
Beyond that, wild cards include a 10.2-inch iPad, a new Apple TV, an iPad Pro refresh, a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Apple's rumored Tile-like item tracking tags, but some of these products may be reserved for an October event, which Apple has held in two out of the last three years.
Alongside hardware announcements, Apple should provide release dates for iOS 13, macOS Catalina, watchOS 6, and tvOS 13 by the end of tomorrow, either during its keynote or on its website. Apple may also detail pricing and availability for its upcoming Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade services.
Apple often takes its online store down ahead of its media events as a way of generating hype ahead of new products and accessories. It should come back online moments after Apple's keynote ends.
MacRumors readers can follow along in our forums, which are a great place to discuss the announcements before, during, and after the event. Be sure to keep tabs on the iPhone and Apple Watch sections in particular.
Facebook has attempted to pre-empt awkward questions about privacy ahead of the launch of iOS 13, with a blog post explaining what Apple's new location data alerts mean for users of its mobile app.
As we've covered elsewhere, Apple has doubled down on its privacy features in iOS 13, giving iPhone and iPad users a more granular view of how third-party apps access their location information – something that's obviously of concern to Facebook.
In a blog post titled "Understanding Updates to Your Device's Location Settings," the social network company highlights the fact that pop-up notifications now let users know when an app is using their location in the background, and even show a map of the location data that the app has tracked. The alerts also make users aware of how often apps are tracking them and their motivation for doing so.
Facebook points out that while iOS 12 gives users the option to allow apps access to precise location information "Always," "While Using the App" or "Never," iOS 13 adds an additional "Allow Once" option for permitting restricted one-time access. The social media giant clearly wants users to know that regardless of these changes, "Facebook is better with location..."
It powers features like check-ins and makes planning events easier. It helps improve ads and keep you and the Facebook community safe. Features like Find Wi-Fi and Nearby Friends use precise location even when you're not using the app to make sure that alerts and tools are accurate and personalized for you.
It's no secret that Facebook harvests huge amounts of data on all of its users, but the company is clearly trying to allay concerns when the alerts start rolling in on Facebook users' devices once they've updated to iOS 13.
Apple usually releases new versions of iOS one or two weeks after it unveils new iPhones. Apple's iPhone event takes place today at 10:00 a.m Pacific Time, so we should see iOS 13 drop relatively soon. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of today's event both here on MacRumors.com and on the MacRumorsLive Twitter account. Stay tuned.
Microsoft has unveiled its new-look To Do app. First launched in 2017, the productivity app came along two years after the company acquired Wunderlist, but only now does it resemble a like-for-like replacement offering feature parity with the long-running cloud-based task management service. Announcing To Do v2.0, Microsoft had this to say:
When Wunderlist became part of the Microsoft family, our mission was to bring the delightful, simple, and elegant daily task experience and build it into Microsoft's intelligent, interconnected, and security-centric ecosystem to create a new app—Microsoft To Do. Today, we're unveiling the new version of To Do, which includes a fresh new design, access from wherever you are, and more integration with Microsoft apps and services.
The most obvious visual similarity is that To Do now supports background images – and even includes the Berlin TV tower image that longtime Wunderlist users will be familiar with. Every list can be given its own background image, and Microsoft says it has reduced the list header size and added new color theme customization options, with a dark mode for iOS and Mac coming soon.
Otherwise, it looks like business as usual for Wunderlist fans. The app features subtasks, recurring tasks, prioritized tasks, reminders and due dates, file attachments, and notes. Lists can also be grouped, shared with other people, and assigned.
There's a personalized daily planner feature called My Day that refreshes daily and features smart suggestions for tasks. And of course, all lists sync across devices, allowing users to stay organized at work, home, or on the go. Finally, there's deeper integration with Microsoft 365 apps and services like Microsoft Planner, linking to Microsoft-hosted email accounts like Outlook, Hotmail, and Live, and Cortana and Amazon Echo support.
Users without a Microsoft account can register with their existing email address. Once they sign in, the option to import tasks from Wunderlist is displayed, and it can also be found in Settings. Microsoft To Do is a free download for iPhone and iPad available from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this afternoon sent out a note to investors recapping his expectations for Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup, which is set to be unveiled during tomorrow's September 10 event.
Much of what's included in the note, which was seen by MacRumors, covers predictions that we've previously heard many times, though Kuo offers up details on some rumors that were previously not confirmed, along with some new information on the potential bilateral wireless charging feature and the USB-C chargers we've heard about.
Here's a roundup of the information shared in the report:
New iPhones will feature a Lightning connector, not a USB-C port.
5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED models will ship with an 18W adapter with a USB-C connector.
The 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will continue to ship with a 5W power adapter with a USB-A connector.
The new iPhones may not support two-way wireless charging after all "because the charging efficiency may not meet Apple’s requirements."
Design and notch of new iPhones to be unchanged. New colors expected (likely referring to the new colors for the XR).
Triple-lens cameras for the 5.8 and 6.5-inch iPhones.
All three iPhones will offer ultra-wideband support for improved indoor navigation and object tracking purposes.
Ultra-wideband support is perhaps one of the most interesting changes that's gotten limited coverage. It's a short-range, low-power radio technology that offers more precise indoor positioning than Bluetooth LE and WiFi, which suggests that Apple's rumored Tile-like Apple Tags for keeping track of lost objects will be more accurate than products from competitors.
On the other details included in the note, we've heard reports of Apple's plans to introduce 18W chargers for fast charging out of the box, but previous rumors didn't indicate that the chargers would be limited to the iPhone XS and XS Max successors.
Bilateral wireless charging, which would allow the iPhone to charge devices like the AirPods and the Apple Watch, has long been rumored. In fact, a recent report from Bloomberg suggested Apple is moving the Apple logo on the new iPhones from the top to the middle of the devices specifically for this feature, so it may have been a late stage decision to nix it.
Kuo says that he expects shipments of the new iPhone models will decline by 5 to 10 percent year over year to 65 to 70 million units because of a "lack of innovative selling points." iPhone shipments in 2019 still might reach 180 million units, though, thanks to "demand boosted by price-cut legacy iPhone models."
We don't have long to wait to see what's in store for the 2019 iPhone lineup. Apple's iPhone event will kick off at 10:00 a.m Pacific Time. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of the event both here on MacRumors.com and on the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Update:Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has backed Kuo's claim that the widely rumored two-way charging feature for 2019 iPhones has been canceled.
GameClub, the upcoming subscription service that is bringing back your favorite classic iOS games, is set to launch this fall with more than 50 all-you-can-play titles that will be available for one monthly fee.
Since it was announced back in March, GameClub has been beta testing its service, offering up access to original iOS games for free, but the service will soon be ready to debut.
There's no specific word on pricing for GameClub at this time, but today's press release says that there will be a "small monthly fee" for access to all of the games, which will be free of intrusive ads and in-app purchases.
At launch, GameClub will offer access to more than 50 games that were some of the original games on the App Store but that stopped being updated over time. GameClub's business model is revitalizing and updating older titles, many of which were incredibly popular years ago.
Content is curated by Eli Hodapp, the former editor-in-chief of MacRumors sister site TouchArcade, and for the last several months, Hodapp has been communicating with the iOS gaming community and getting developers on board.
Super Crate Box, Legendary Wars, Minigore, Space Miner, Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor and subsequent titles, Mage Gauntlet, Plunderland, Incoboto, Hook Champ, and Super QuickHook are just some of the games that will be available.
Prior to when GameClub launches, these games are available to play for free through GameClub's ongoing beta testing process. Anyone can get access to the beta titles by signing up for the GameClub Early Access program on the GameClub website.
As mentioned above, GameClub will have more than 50 games at launch, and additional titles will be added on a weekly basis. In addition to classic titles, after launch, GameClub plans to expand into new and original premium games.
GameClub games will be available cross platform, so you can play on either iOS or Android, and all games will be downloadable and playable offline. For people who purchased the original titles that GameClub is reviving, you'll be able to play them for free.
Apple is set to launch its own Apple Arcade App Store gaming service in the near future, which will provide access to iOS games for a monthly fee with no in-app purchases or ads. GameClub differs from Apple Arcade in that it brings back classic, much-loved titles while Apple Arcade focuses solely on new games.
Ahead of the upcoming iPhone event that's set to kick off tomorrow, some Apple Store locations will have their windows blocked off with black curtains in order to make changes to the front window displays.
Twitter user Brian Roemmele yesterday tweeted a teaser about the upcoming change, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurmanexplained in another tweet that Apple is planning to bring back "the old-school 3D front windows" at some store locations.
An Apple retail employee contacted MacRumors and confirmed Gurman's report. Apple Store workers recently practiced putting up the black curtains and were also instructed to clean out and fix floor mechanisms that haven't been used in years. This likely includes wires and other equipment used for anchoring the front displays.
Apple previously used intricate, eye-catching window displays with cutouts and designs showing off new products and features, but the practice was discontinued with the launch of the updated Apple Store designs.
Former Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts and Jony Ive worked on the updated Apple Stores, but Ahrendts has since departed and Ive is set to leave the company at the end of the year, which is perhaps why Apple is now prepared to make some changes. Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's head of people, has taken over the company's retail initiatives.
Apple frequently changed its window display setups back when it used window displays, and many of the designs are still well known, such as the colored balls used for the iPhone 5c launch.
In some stores that have seen redesigns, it's not clear how the new window displays will work, but it looks like many retail store displays will soon get more interesting to look at.
Apple is planning to add a new coprocessor, codenamed both "Rose" and "R1," to the A13 series chips in its upcoming iPhones set to debut on Tuesday. It is not clear if Apple will use the internal Rose and R1 codenames for marketing purposes or if it will match the A-series chip numbering scheme and release the first Rose coprocessor as R13.
Based on evidence from an internal build of iOS 13, the first iteration of the Rose coprocessor, the R1 (t2006), is similar to Apple's M-series motion coprocessor in that it helps inform iOS about where the iPhone is located in space and where it is headed by offloading the processing of that sensor data from the main system processor.
Where the R1 differs is that it integrates many more sensors than the motion coprocessor in order to produce a much more accurate picture of where the device is. The motion coprocessor currently integrates data from the compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, and microphones.
The Rose coprocessor will add support for an inertial measurement unit (IMU), Bluetooth 5.1 features, ultra-wideband (UWB) and camera (including motion capture and optical tracking) sensor data to not only tell where the device is but also fuse this sensor data together to find lost Apple Tags and aid in the processing of People Occlusion from ARKit. Given the overlap in sensor data collection and processing the Rose coprocessor may replace the M-series motion coprocessor.
The Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Angle of Departure (AoD) features of Bluetooth 5.1 enable Bluetooth direction-finding, and combining these with other sensor data by the R1 will aid in finding Apple Tags with high resolution. The 2018 iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR all have Bluetooth 5.0.
Apple has begun selling certified refurbished 2018 iPad Pro models in several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland, in addition to Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, China, Japan, and Hong Kong.
In most of the countries, only 11-inch models are available, but there are some 12.9-inch models available in the likes of Singapore and Hong Kong. We recommend using the website Refurb Tracker to monitor Apple's inventory.
Prices are discounted by approximately 15 percent compared to the equivalent brand new 2018 iPad Pro models from Apple.
Apple says certified refurbished iPad models are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged in a new white box, with all accessories and documentation included. Every refurbished iPad receives a new battery and a new outer shell, making it virtually indistinguishable from a brand new iPad.
Every refurbished iPad is covered by Apple's standard one-year warranty effective on the date the tablet is delivered. The coverage can be extended to two years from the refurbished purchase date with AppleCare+ for iPad Pro, which costs $129 or $5.99 per month for up to 24 months in the United States.
Apple has yet to add the refurbished 2018 iPad Pro models to its online store in the United States or Canada, but it likely will within the next few days. We'll update this article and send out a tweet when that happens.
While certified refurbished products provide a decent opportunity for savings directly from Apple, better deals are often available through authorized resellers like Amazon, which just this week is offering some of the lowest-ever prices on brand new 2018 iPad Pro models in the United States.
Update: The certified refurbished 2018 iPad Pro models are now available in the United States and Canada too.
Deals on the iPad Pro have appeared on Amazon this week, offering shoppers a chance to save as much as $400 on the 2018 models of Apple's tablet. There are a few lowest-ever prices during this sale, with prices starting at $674 for the 64GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro and rising from there.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Low prices for the 12.9-inch models include the 64GB cellular tablet at $899.99 ($250 off), and the 1TB Wi-Fi model at $1,349.99 ($400 off). We've listed all of these sales below, and each discount can be found on Amazon.
2018 iPad Pro Sale
11-inch
Wi-Fi, 64GB - $674.00, down from $799.00 ($125 off)
Wi-Fi, 256GB - $799.99, down from $949.00 ($150 off)
Wi-Fi, 1TB - $1,149.99, down from $1,549.00 ($400 off, lowest ever)
Apple's vice president of product marketing Greg Joswiak recently spoke with the UK's Daily Express about the future of its biometric authentication systems, noting that while Face ID will be expanded to more devices over time, Touch ID will "continue to have a role" for the foreseeable future.
"Certainly, we'll continue to put it on more devices but also Touch ID will continue to have a role - it's a great technology on our iPad lineup and we don't see it going away anytime soon," said Joswiak.
While the latest iPad Pro models are equipped with the more-expensive Face ID system, lower-end iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini models still have Touch ID home buttons to keep costs down, and that will likely remain the case for years. Touch ID is also built into recent MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models.
As for the iPhone, Apple continues to sell older iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models with Touch ID, but it has not introduced a new iPhone with fingerprint authentication since 2017. The upcoming iPhone 11 models are expected to stick with Face ID, which Apple says has been made 30 percent faster in iOS 13.
Apple recently adjusted its App Store search algorithm so that fewer of its own apps appear at the top of search results, senior executives Phil Schiller and Eddy Cue confirmed in an interview with The New York Times.
Specifically, the executives said Apple has tweaked a feature that sometimes grouped apps by maker so Apple apps would no longer look as if they were receiving preferential treatment. The New York Times claims that many Apple apps have dropped in the search results since the change was implemented in July.
Schiller and Cue both denied any wrongdoing on Apple's part, however, describing the change as an improvement rather than a fix:
On July 12, many Apple apps dropped sharply in the rankings of popular searches. The top results for "TV" went from four Apple apps to two. "Video" and "maps" changed from three top Apple apps to one. And Apple Wallet dropped from the No. 1 spot for "money" and "credit."
Mr. Schiller and Mr. Cue said the algorithm had been working properly. They simply decided to handicap themselves to help other developers.
"We make mistakes all the time," Mr. Cue said.
"We're happy to admit when we do," Mr. Schiller said. "This wasn't a mistake."
Even after the change, analytics firm Sensor Tower found Apple apps ranked first in the App Store for over 700 search terms, even when the Apple apps were less relevant and less popular than ones from its competitors:
On Aug. 21, Apple apps ranked first in 735 of roughly 60,000 search terms tracked by Sensor Tower. Most of the tracked searches were obscure, but Apple’s apps ranked first for many of the popular queries. For instance, for most of June and July, Apple apps were the top result for these search terms: books, music, news, magazines, podcasts, video, TV, movies, sports, card, gift, money, credit, debit, fitness, people, friends, time, notes, docs, files, cloud, storage, message, home, store, mail, maps, traffic, stocks and weather.
A spokesperson for Apple said the company could not verify the data because it did not keep a record of historical search results, according to The New York Times. Apple's algorithm is said to examine 42 different signals, including an app's relevance to a given search, its ratings, and its popularity based on downloads and views.
The New York Times shared a particularly compelling example related to Apple's Wallet app following the Apple Card's introduction, but Schiller and Cue denied any intentional manipulation of the App Store search results:
On March 25, the company unveiled an Apple-branded credit card that can be used via the Apple Wallet app. The next day, Apple Wallet was the No. 1 result in searches for "money," "credit" and "debit." The app had not ranked for those search terms before then.
Mr. Cue and other Apple executives speculated that the team marketing the Apple Wallet app had added "money," "credit" and "debit" to the underlying description of the app, causing it to appear for those search results.
Then people searched those terms, found the Apple Wallet app and clicked on it, telling the algorithm that it should be the first result.
"We can just tell you that we've not done anything to drive that — that is, other than launching a great wallet, an Apple Card and marketing the heck out of it," Mr. Schiller said.
Apple recently defended its practices, noting that the App Store "welcomes competition" and was created to be "a safe and trusted place for customers to discover and download apps" and "a great business opportunity for all developers."
An official Twitch app for Apple TV is on the way. The live game-streaming service has offered iOS and Mac apps for some time, but a version for Apple's set-top box has been conspicuous by its absence (making third-party apps like Twitchy all the more popular). That's soon set to change though, with a beta Twitch app for tvOS now available on TestFlight.
The Twitch app for Apple TV offers the same features found on the iOS and Mac apps, so users will be able to watch live streams, clips, and video on demand, as well as get involved in on-screen chat. Twitch also hosts a slew of additional broadcasts, including live Thursday Night NFL Games, so this news isn't necessarily just for videogame fans.
If you want to gain access to the beta, you'll need to install Apple's TestFlight app on an iOS device and an Apple TV logged in using the same Apple ID. On your iOS device, tap the public link, then tap Accept for the Twitch: Live Game Streaming beta. Next, launch TestFlight on Apple TV, install the beta app there, and you should be good to go.
"We don't want to be too prescriptive so explore the app, watch streams, and try out different features," Twitch says on its site. "If you find a bug, the app crashes on you, or you encounter other issues send us your feedback."
There's no word on when Twitch will be ready for official release on the tvOS App Store, but presumably the more users that get involved in the beta, the sooner any bugs will be ironed out and it'll be ready for launch. Twitch is also available on Windows PCs, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, NVIDIA Shield, and Chromecast.
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Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
