With the public release of iOS 26.4, Apple has also pushed out tvOS 26.4, a quiet yet meaningful upgrade for Apple TV users. The update brings smarter content discovery, cleaner audio, and most importantly, it gets rid of iTunes.
What’s actually new in tvOS 26.4?
The headline addition in tvOS 26.4 is Genius Browse, a new section in the Apple TV app that recommends shows and movies across personalised categories. Recommendations are updated regularly based on your viewing preferences. In other words, the recommendation systems keep getting smarter the more you binge.
With that, audio gets a serious upgrade as well. There’s a new Continuous Audio Connection setting in Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Format > HDMI output. It fixes a long-standing annoyance: the audio glitching when playback switches between formats like Dolby Atmos and stereo.
Apple TV now maintains a Dolby MAT connection perpetually, ensuring a glitch-free transition. Older receivers may mistakenly flag this as an Atmos connection. And don’t worry, your original audio mixes stay untouched.
Is iTunes really gone for good?
Yes. Apple’s latest tvOS 26.4 update officially removes the pre-installed iTunes TV Shows and iTunes Movies apps. Everything is now consolidated into the Apple TV app. It’s a change that was long overdue.
Rounding things out, subtitle styling gets a glow-up: you can now adjust caption size, appearance, and background transparency directly from the video player. No more wasting time diving into the Settings section.
The update is available for all Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models from 2015 onwards. You can install it in Settings > System > Software Updates. Along with tvOS 26.4, Apple has also released macOS 26.4, which comes with a charging feature that Windows laptops have had for years.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
