For a variety of reasons, Apple’s TV app doesn’t offer the most user-friendly experience. Fortunately, that started changing recently in iOS 18.4, and now Apple has rolled out additional TV app updates that make navigation simpler, more streamlined, and better organized than before.
Apple TV app’s aggregator role can create UI clutter
Unlike most alternative streamers such as Netflix, Max, and Peacock, Apple TV+ doesn’t have its own dedicated app.
It lives inside the Apple TV app, but so too does content from other streaming apps and Apple’s digital store for movies and TV shows (formerly known as iTunes).
On one hand, this setup is an advantage for Apple’s TV app. It lets you enjoy a single, unified queue for content you’re watching across a variety of services.
But the TV app’s role as content aggregator is also a weakness, because it can lead to a cluttered UI and confusing user experience.
While Apple isn’t fundamentally changing its aggregator model at all, recently the company has rolled out TV app updates that simplify and streamline the UI. It started with iOS 18.4 and tvOS 18.4 last month.
Recently, some new enhancements launched via a backend update too. That means you’ll see them no matter which software version you’re running.
Here’s what’s those new changes bring.
Refreshed TV app streamlines and reorganizes the Home screen
Open the TV app on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV 4K and you’ll find that the Home screen now has fewer sections, and what’s there is better organized than before.
Just below your Continue Watching queue, you’ll see:
- 3 Apple TV+ sections
- 3 ‘Your Channels and Apps’ sections
- followed by a mix of Sports, more Apple TV+ content, and personalized recommendations
The whole setup is cleaner and simpler to navigate, since similar sections are better grouped than before, and there’s less content overall.
For Apple TV+, top sections include the Top 10, then New Releases, followed by Must-See Hits.
Next, content from ‘Your Channels and Apps’ is broken into Popular Movies, Popular TV Shows, and New.
Then there’s a catch-all Sports section, and further down you’ll find specific Friday Night Baseball and MLS Season Pass sections.
Additionally, Apple shows you what’s ‘Coming to Apple TV+,’ and offers personalized recommendations such as ‘For You’ and “If You Like.’
Many of these sections aren’t new, but several of them are, and overall the presentation and organization is much more use-friendly than before.
Apple TV app updates: wrap-up
I continue to believe Apple TV+ deserves its own dedicated app, especially for the sake of new subscribers.
But Apple’s recent changes have made the existing TV app feel less like a mess of random content. I count them as positive steps in the right direction.
Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, and Shrinking.
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