Apple's tvOS 26 announced at WWDC requires second-generation Apple TV 4K devices and later, which means the company is excluding older

Apple revealed an update to its Apple TV operating system, tvOS 26, during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2025) on Monday, featuring a “Liquid Glass” aesthetic for Apple TV that offers a sleek and “unobtrusive” design, the company said.

Apple’s new Liquid Glass design will show up in tvOS 26 as transparent playback control icons that let you see the action onscreen rather than obscuring it. The same level of transparency will extend to Control Center, which will have a transparent quality when making adjustments to audio, sleep timer, or other options.