Apple tvOS 17.2 Beta Test Includes New Search Bar for Navigating Redesigned TV App
News first broke that Apple was giving its Apple TV app a major face lift earlier this week. Now, users are getting their first glimpse of how the new app will operate.
The Apple TV app could soon be unrecognizable. A report from earlier this week was the first indication that Apple was preparing a major redesign of the Apple TV app that could be ready by the end of the year.
- Apple’s tvOS 17.2 developer beta features the new search function that will be included in the redesigned Apple TV app.
- The new Apple TV will incorporate video from Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass, and show users their third-party options as well.
- The tvOS 17 update first rolled out in September with FaceTime capability added, a Siri Remote finder and other features.
What Will Apple TV’s New Search Function Look Like?
As reported earlier this week, when the new Apple TV app launches it will include a search bar that pops up on the left side of the screen, similar to Netflix. That panel allows users to scroll through content from Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass, and will incorporate third-party streaming apps the user subscribes to like Disney+ and Max as well.
Now, the company is preparing to release its tvOS 17.2 update. First, that update must go to beta testers, and developers who first got their hands on it noticed the new Apple TV search function is now available. Sigmund Judge was able to get a video of the new search panel for the Apple TV app, and was kind enough to post it on social media.
tvOS 17.2 developer beta is out, and with it comes our first look at the new @AppleTV app navigation… pic.twitter.com/GQ44ABtFLd
— Sigmund Judge (@sigjudge) October 26, 2023
The tvOS 17.2 update has not removed the iTunes Movies and iTunes TV Shows apps yet, but this week’s report indicates that those digital stores will be folded into the all-inclusive Apple TV when it launches later this year.
As it appears now, the new Apple TV search panel gives users more aggregation, which is a problem the entire streaming industry is trying to solve. It shows them all of their subscriptions and content in a single app, rather than forcing them to bounce between apps to browse all of their TV and movie options. One survey from 2022 found that more than 80% of streaming users wanted a universal platform for viewing all of their available content; the new Apple TV will bring them one step closer.
What Features Became Available with tvOS 17?
Although it’s already preparing to update tvOS 17, that version of Apple’s operating software just came out in September. Its biggest new feature was the inclusion of FaceTime support for Apple TV streaming players, allowing users to turn the biggest screen in their house into a video calling device.
tvOS 17 also incorporates a Siri remote finder, which allows users to grab their phones and hunt up their remotes if they slide between couch cushions. Soon, users will be able to use their Apple TV app for even more, such as scrolling through their various streaming subscriptions to find the perfect new show or movie.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is a subscription video streaming service for $9.99 a month that includes high-quality original shows and movies including Best Picture winner “CODA,” popular sitcom “Ted Lasso,” and dramas like “The Morning Show” and “Severance.” Apple TV+ is also home to MLB baseball games on Friday nights and MLS Season Pass.