Apple Releases tvOS 15.4 With Support for Captive WiFi Networks

Apple today released tvOS 15.4, the fourth major update to the tvOS operating system that first launched in September 2021. tvOS 15.4 comes less than two months after the launch of tvOS 15.3.

Apple TV tvOS 15 Feature
tvOS 15.4 can be downloaded over the air on the Apple TV through the Settings app by going to System > Software Update. ‌‌‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌‌‌ owners who have automatic software updates enabled will be upgraded to tvOS 15.4 automatically.

Apple's tvOS updates are typically more minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes, performance updates, and small tweaks rather than major outward-facing changes, but there are a couple changes in tvOS 15.4.

The update adds support for captive Wi-Fi networks, which means that an iPhone or iPad can be used to connect your ‌Apple TV‌ to networks that require additional sign-in steps, such as in hotel rooms.

tvOS 15.4 introduces an "Up Next" queue directly to the video player to make it easier to get from show to show when you're watching television, plus it includes a new volume button that's accessible from the video player, plus "Tap to Navigate" has returned as an accessibility option and spatial audio controls have also been redesigned.

tvOS 15.4 also allows you to complete a purchase on the ‌Apple TV‌ using an Apple Watch, and adds the ability to display HomeKit cameras in Picture in Picture mode while watching TV.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
mail categories macos

Apple's Redesigned Mail App is Expanding to the Mac — Here's When

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:02 am PST by
Apple plans to expand the iPhone's redesigned Mail app to the Mac starting with macOS 15.4, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The first macOS 15.4 beta should be made available in the coming weeks, and Apple has previously suggested that the iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4 series of software updates will be released to the public in April. The revamped Mail app debuted on all...
apple power beats pro 2

Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...

Top Rated Comments

yabeweb Avatar
37 months ago

I wondered the same. People bring their AppleTV to hotels or pubic spots? It’s not that portable, plus you need to carry a TV/monitor. Odd, it seems
Most hotels have a tv...you do not need to bring your own.. and Apple Tv is quite portable...am I missing something?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
doolittle27 Avatar
37 months ago
Library tab for large collection remains broken on the Apple TV app.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
37 months ago

Pro tip: After this update my Apple TV would not load the settings app and the long press to reveal the right lateral menu also didn't work. Not even after a reboot.

The fix is to pull out the power cord and wait a few seconds. Quality job from Apple!
Quality job on assuming that everybody will have this problem and that it's a quality-control problem! ?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
37 months ago
The thought of taking my AppleTV to my hotel room never even occurred to me ?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
37 months ago

Ive done this many times. Particularly works well for Airbnb/VRBO, too.
Same here. In fact, dealing with captive portals was the last hurdle to making the ATV a perfect travel companion for watching media. Nothing beats having your own device with your own streaming logins/etc. when you're at a hotel. Not to mention most hotel TV systems SUCK or aren't subscribed to stuff you want to watch.

Of course I'll have to see how it works next time I travel. I can't find information anywhere and it's not like I have a captive portal wifi available at home to test with.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fenryx Avatar
37 months ago
Anyone know if this fixes the issue with Audio cutting out when playing Atmos content on a receiver?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)