Apple Seeds Fourth tvOS 18.1 Beta to Developers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 18.1 beta to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming a week after Apple seeded the third tvOS 18.1 beta.

apple tv 4k new orange
Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 18.1 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS software releases are usually minor in scale compared to other operating system updates, focusing primarily on smaller improvements rather than outward-facing changes. We don't know what's included in tvOS 18.1.

Apple shares some information on tvOS releases in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each tvOS launch, but Apple does not provide notes during beta testing.

Though we don't always know what's new in tvOS betas, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download new software upon release.

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

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Two of Apple's Oldest Products Are Finally Getting Updated This Year

Friday February 14, 2025 6:03 am PST by
Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, followed by the AirTag in May 2021, and both still remain first-generation products. Fortunately, rumors suggest that both the HomePod mini and the AirTag will finally be updated at some point this year. Below, we recap rumors about the HomePod mini 2 and AirTag 2. HomePod mini 2 In January 2025, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is ...
macbook air blue

Gurman: M4 MacBook Air Models to Launch by March 'At the Latest'

Monday February 17, 2025 2:30 am PST by
Apple will begin selling new MacBook Air models featuring its latest M4 chip by March "at the latest," mirroring the time frame of the M3 MacBook Air launch last year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple last updated the MacBook Air line in March 2024. Gurman's comments appeared in his latest Power On newsletter, suggesting the reporter is no further forward on learning the exact...
iPhone 17 Air Front Page Tech 2

'iPhone 17 Air' With Ultra-Thin Design Allegedly Revealed in New Video

Monday February 17, 2025 6:53 pm PST by
YouTube channel Front Page Tech today revealed the alleged design of Apple's widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" model, set to launch later this year. "iPhone 17 Air" render created by @zellzoi for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech shared renders depicting what it believes is likely the final design of the "iPhone 17 Air." The device is expected to feature an ultra-thin...

Top Rated Comments

djjuice80 Avatar
19 weeks ago
No Snoopy, that's all you need to know...
(that's all anyone really cared about anyways)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djjuice80 Avatar
19 weeks ago

Just because Support & Feedback might miss it:

TVOS18.0 is also a nightmare...

Some bugs I discovered:

* Dialogue Boost is broken and deactivated is also much worse than it was before updating. Now you cannot watch movies without constantly adjusting the volume. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR !
* When leaving an app you get the Apple TV app as a result and not the Home Screen, WTF?
* Subtitles are there even if you don't want them, changing settings is ignored by the device, ARE YOU SERIOUS ?

Whenever Apple loudly advertises a new Version of its OS, FROM NOW ON I WILL WAIT AT LEAST FOR 6 MONTHS in order to let them fix their brand new bugs (LMFAO)

Updates are meant to make things better.
The world is laughing at Apple for this deployment quality.

Where is QA's Head at?
well it is still a beta so issues are still expected, the A builds are bug fixes so expect more fixes to come
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jhwalker Avatar
19 weeks ago

In English it is a choice from the Language select menu, but all the other naguages are not covered.

Sorry you're having these problems, but I have 18.1 on THREE Apple TVs and have not had anything like this on ANY of them.

Just pointing out it's actually not a universal thing - if anything, anecdotal evidence suggests it may be limited, as TallGuyGT is also not having issues.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5097842 Avatar
19 weeks ago
I was really hoping that we'd be able to delete the two iTunes Store icons by now. They've been redirecting to the AppleTV app since 17.something. I understand why they leave them there on first start, but at least give us the ability to hide or delete. Otherwise I haven't seen much new in tvOS 18.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MisterBlueSky Avatar
19 weeks ago
Just because Support & Feedback might miss it:

TVOS18.0 is also a nightmare...

Some bugs I discovered:

* Dialogue Boost is broken and deactivated is also much worse than it was before updating. Now you cannot watch movies without constantly adjusting the volume. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR !
* When leaving an app you get the Apple TV app as a result and not the Home Screen, WTF?
* Subtitles are there even if you don't want them, changing settings is ignored by the device, ARE YOU SERIOUS ?

Whenever Apple loudly advertises a new Version of its OS, FROM NOW ON I WILL WAIT AT LEAST FOR 6 MONTHS in order to let them fix their brand new bugs (LMFAO)

Updates are meant to make things better.
The world is laughing at Apple for this deployment quality.

Where is QA's Head at?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5097842 Avatar
19 weeks ago

Just because Support & Feedback might miss it:

TVOS18.0 is also a nightmare...

Some bugs I discovered:

* Dialogue Boost is broken and deactivated is also much worse than it was before updating. Now you cannot watch movies without constantly adjusting the volume. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR !
* When leaving an app you get the Apple TV app as a result and not the Home Screen, WTF?
* Subtitles are there even if you don't want them, changing settings is ignored by the device, ARE YOU SERIOUS ?

Whenever Apple loudly advertises a new Version of its OS, FROM NOW ON I WILL WAIT AT LEAST FOR 6 MONTHS in order to let them fix their brand new bugs (LMFAO)

Updates are meant to make things better.
The world is laughing at Apple for this deployment quality.

Where is QA's Head at?
Not to discount your issues, but I have not have any of them on the 18 betas. Have you tried resetting the device? Why model are you using?

For example, I was shocked at how well Dialog Boost worked. Exiting goes to home, and no surprise subtitles. Not sure what a reset would do with an AppleTV, but may be worth a try.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)