tvOS 9

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tvOS 9

( Predecessor: tvOS 8 (iOS 8) | tvOS 9 | Successor tvOS 10

( Click/tap here to view the history of tvOS from versions 4 to 8 | Click/tap here to view the history of tvOS from version 9 to 15 | Click/tap here to view the complete history of tvOS from version 4 to 15 )

tvOS 9 is an operating system that is 95% based on iOS 9, with adaptations made for a television interface. It was announced on September 9, 2015, alongside the new iPad Pro and iPhone 6S. Tim Cook took the stage and introduced tvOS saying that it was time for the Apple TV to gain a modern OS with support for apps as they are "the future of TV". It will only be available on the Apple TV (4th generation), released in October 2015. It adds a native SDK to develop apps, and an App Store to distribute them, and support for Siri and universal search across multiple apps.

Table of versions: tvOS 9.x – Apple TV (4th generation)

tvOS version iOS version based on Build Release date Features

9.0 9.0 13T396 October 29, 2015; 5 years ago

Initial release on Apple TV (4th generation).

User Interface

Introduces a new user interface that uses lighter colors and transparency, adds support for control via an all new remote. This remote can be used to navigate the user interface by using multi-touch gestures on the trackpad on the remote rather than physical buttons.

App Store/SDK

Adds support for an all new SDK for developers to build apps for the TV including all of the APIs included in iOS 9 such as Metal.

Adds an App Store which allows users to browse, download, and install a wide variety of applications from things such as games, video applications, etc.

Developers can now use their own interface inside of their application rather than only being able to use Apple's interface.

Siri

Adds support for Siri which can be toggled by pressing the microphone button on the remote.

Siri, beyond all of its iOS abilities, can take many voice commands tailored for the TV, such as a cross-application search for a movie/TV show, rewind, fast forward, name and actor/director of the current movie, and even skip back 15 seconds.

Experience

It is now possible to switch between two applications by double-clicking the trackpad on the remote and scrolling to the desired application.

Users can now customize the home screen by placing any applications they wish on the top row, including third-party types.

New cinematic screen savers display time-lapse images of scenic cities when the Apple TV is asleep.

It is now possible to control the volume of the TV and turn it on/off using just the new Siri Remote and the built in support for HDMI CEC in TVOS.

Third-Party Controllers

Adds support for pairing third-party Bluetooth game controllers in order to play games.

Apple Music

Adds Apple Music support for Apple TV.

9.0.1 9.1 13T402 November 9, 2015; 5 years ago

General performance and stability improvements.

9.1 9.2 13U85 December 8, 2015; 5 years ago

Adds support for controlling Apple Music with Siri.

Adds support for controlling the Apple TV with the Remote app for iOS and Apple Watch.

Improvements to networking and scrolling.

9.1.1 9.2.1 13U717 January 25, 2016; 5 years ago

General performance and stability improvements

Adds the Podcasts app to the Apple TV

9.2 9.3 13Y234 March 21, 2016; 5 years ago

Adds support for folders on the Apple TV.

A folder can be made by selecting an app, clicking and holding on the touchpad, clicking the Play/Pause button, and then choosing "New Folder" from the popup menu.

Adds the ability to pair Bluetooth keyboards with the 4th Generation Apple TV

Adds a redesigned application switcher similar to the one found in iOS 9 rather than the one found in iOS 8 as TVOS 9.1 contained.

Adds support for iCloud Photo Library and Live Photos

Enables developers to add maps to their applications with the use of the MapKit API.

Siri/Voice Dictation

Adds support for Voice Dictation to enable users to enter text in text fields using their voice. Voice Dictation can be invoked by selecting the text field and pressing the Siri button on the Siri Remote.

Adds Support for searching the App Store on the Apple TV using Siri.

Adds support for new Siri languages which include Spanish(United States), French(Canada), and English(United Kingdom and Australia).

Remote operability improvements

In order to rewind/fast forward the video in tvOS 9.2, it is now necessary to click the touchpad before swiping left or right.

Updates the remote firmware which includes improved motion sensor performance and support for additional sound bar and receiver hardware.

Enhancements to speed and performance.

9.2.1 9.3.2 13Y772 May 16, 2016; 5 years ago

General performance and stability improvements.

9.2.2 9.3.3 13Y825 July 18, 2016; 5 years ago Final update for tvOS 9.

General performance and stability improvements.

Bug fixes.

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Sources

Wikipedia - tvOS

Other sources are needed, and this article needs LOTS of improvement and original work to prevent it from being half a copy and paste from Wikipedia.

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Article info

Written on: 2021 Wednesday September 29th at 4:08 pm

Last revised on: 2021 Wednesday September 29th at 4:08 pm

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Article version: 1 (2021 Wednesday September 29th at 4:08 pm)

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