Linear TV continues rapidly declining, something that Tim Cook saw coming when he declared that the future of TV is apps. But Apple TV apps have always struggled from one core issue: signing into streaming accounts is a major pain. Here’s how tvOS 26 plans to solve that for Apple TV 4K users moving forward.
tvOS 26 has a fix coming for the clunky experience of logging into apps
If you’re a linear TV user, switching to an Apple TV 4K with streaming apps can require a huge learning curve. Different accounts, different apps and credentials, and of course entering those credentials on your TV.
Even for the most tech-savvy, it’s a clunky experience entering streaming app credentials using a TV remote.
tvOS has gradually added more features over the years to mitigate this issue.
For example, you can now use a nearby iPhone’s keyboard instead of the tvOS keyboard, or authenticate purchases using another Apple product. The Apple TV app’s Channels initiative sought to make streaming easier than ever too, but struggled to get major partners on-board.
Apple’s latest attempt in tvOS 26 just might work.
Automatic Sign-In is a big win for apps and users alike
tvOS 26 introduces a new API that, once your favorite streaming app adopts it, could mean you never have to log into a streaming app on Apple TV again.
Here are the details:
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