Apple Seeds Third Beta of tvOS 17.1 to Developers

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 17.1 to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the launch of the second tvOS 17.1 beta.

Apple TV 2022 Feature Blue
Registered developers can download the tvOS 17.1 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS updates are often minor in scale compared to other operating system updates, focusing primarily on bug fixes and smaller improvements rather than notable outward-facing changes. tvOS 17.1 adds a new favoriting option to the Music app on the ‌Apple TV‌, along with some other minor Music changes.

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 often know much about 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. Apple has also seeded a new beta of HomePod 17.1 software for developers.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

Danilo - Italy Avatar
3 weeks ago

I was confused why the icons were smaller. I agree with you. Is this another case of Apple not doing adequate user testing, and making assumptions based on their own well-financed setups?
The new six mode works well only if you have a big screen, from 55 inch and up. I my opinion the clock is really small too. Maybe at Apple they have only 65/85 inch screens.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GaryMumford Avatar
3 weeks ago

The new six mode works well only if you have a big screen, from 55 inch and up. I my opinion the clock is really to small. Maybe at Apple have 65/85 inch screens.
Maybe it's just me, But I only have a 49" TV and think the 6 icons are so much better than the 5. I think 5 icons are way too big!!!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bobscape Avatar
3 weeks ago

tvOS 17.1 DB3 broke the ability to swipe using my iPhone (running 17.1 DB3) as the remote.

Restart hasn’t fixed it.
Works fine on both my iPad and iPhone, both running 17.1. Just to be clear, the remote app has benn deprecated. Functionality has been migrated to the control panel.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
3 weeks ago

Hopefully 17.1 adds a way to switch back to the 5 column grid .. (is there a setting that I'm missing?) the 6 column grid icons are too small on my parents TV..

Why isn't this a user-adjustable setting? Not everyone has a 75"+ TV FFS...
I was confused why the icons were smaller. I agree with you. Is this another case of Apple not doing adequate user testing, and making assumptions based on their own well-financed setups?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
melapple Avatar
3 weeks ago

Maybe it's just me, But I only have a 49" TV and think the 6 icons are so much better than the 5. I think 5 icons are way too big!!!
Agree, and I own a 43” TV. What do people need huge tvOS app icons for? With 6 apps per row there’s less scrolling needed.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RGPphotog Avatar
3 weeks ago
I'm just gonna drop a ProTip™ in here, that as a replacement to an actual remote App, a Shortcuts "app" button works quite well. I find that's easier/faster to get to than the control panel. I keep it in a "Favorites" folder on my dock.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

M3 Chip Apple Event Slide

First Benchmark Results Surface for M3 Chip in New Macs

Wednesday November 1, 2023 7:53 am PDT by
The first benchmark results for the standard M3 chip surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database today, providing a closer look at the chip's CPU performance improvements. Based on the results so far, the M3 chip has single-core and multi-core scores of around 3,000 and 11,700, respectively. The standard M2 chip has single-core and multi-core scores of around 2,600 and 9,700, respectively, so the...
iOS 17

Apple Preparing to Release iOS 17.1.1 Update for iPhone

Thursday November 2, 2023 1:22 pm PDT by
Apple appears to be internally testing an iOS 17.1.1 update for the iPhone, based on evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs this week. iOS 17.1.1 will almost certainly be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues the update will address. The update could include the same fix for Wi-Fi connectivity issues that Apple rolled out in the first iOS 17.2 beta,...
m3 pro chip

Apple M3 Pro Chip Has 25% Less Memory Bandwidth Than M1/M2 Pro

Tuesday October 31, 2023 3:11 am PDT by
Apple's latest M3 Pro chip in the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro has 25% less memory bandwidth than the M1 Pro and M2 Pro chips used in equivalent models from the two previous generations. Based on the latest 3-nanometer technology and featuring all-new GPU architecture, the M3 series of chips is said to represent the fastest and most power-efficient evolution of Apple silicon thus far. ...
AitTag New Firmware

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirTags

Tuesday October 31, 2023 11:26 am PDT by
Apple today released a new firmware update designed for the AirTag item trackers. The firmware features a build number of 2A61, up from the 2A36 firmware that came out last December. It has been nearly a year since Apple updated the firmware on the AirTags, and there is no word yet on what might be included in the update. Today's firmware release will be rolling out on a staggered basis....
M3 Max Chip

M3 Max Chip Around as Fast as M2 Ultra in Early Benchmark Results

Wednesday November 1, 2023 7:27 pm PDT by
The first benchmark results for Apple's M3 Max chip surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database today, providing a look at CPU performance. Based on the "Mac15,9" model identifier shown, the results appear to be for the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. The highest multi-core score for the M3 Max with a 16-core CPU is currently 21,084 as of writing. If this early result is accurate, this means the M3 Max is ...
10 New Features With iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Coming Later This Year With These 10 New Features for iPhone

Friday November 3, 2023 1:23 pm PDT by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers and public beta testers last week, and the software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we have highlighted 10 of these new features and changes. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in December. Once available, the update can be installed in the Settings app under General → Software...
Pro Display XDR Red

Macs With M3 Chip Still Officially Support Only a Single External Display

Thursday November 2, 2023 7:41 am PDT by
Macs equipped with the standard M3 chip still support only one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz, according to Apple's tech specs. So far, the chip is available in the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 24-inch iMac. This limitation has existed since the first Apple silicon Macs with the M1 chip were released in 2020, but users can connect multiple external displays to...
apple music voice plan feature blue green

Apple Music's Lower-Priced Voice Plan Being Discontinued

Wednesday November 1, 2023 11:51 am PDT by
The lower-cost Apple Music Voice Plan is being discontinued this month in the U.S. and all other countries where it was available, according to an Apple support document. Brazilian website MacMagazine was first to alert us to this news. "Beginning in November, Apple will discontinue the Apple Music Voice plan," said Apple. "We are focused on delivering the best, most robust music experience...