tvOS 26 has added five new ways to customize your Apple TV 4K
We’re still waiting for a new Apple TV 4K to launch, but tvOS at least keeps improving, including with five new settings in tvOS 26 for customizing your Apple TV.
#1: Disable individual aerial screen savers
Apple TV’s aerial screen savers are one of my all-time favorite features. And in tvOS 26, Apple lets you customize them more than ever.
Inside the Settings app, navigate to the Screen Saver menu and open Aerials to find a new option: ‘Choose Aerials.’
Previously, you could opt out of certain categories of screen savers. But in tvOS 26, you can now individually enable or disable any aerial Apple offers.
So if you like some of the Underwater screen savers, but have nightmares about others, you can keep only your favorites enabled.
#2: Subtitle styles
tvOS has long offered the ability to customize the look of subtitles, but it was buried in Accessibility settings where most people never found it.
In tvOS 26.4, Apple added a new and much easier option. Subtitle styles can now be changed right from the video player.
When you click the subtitle icon from tvOS’s standard video player, you’ll see a menu option to select a new style. Styles include Classic, Large Text, Outline Text, and Transparent Background.
If those options aren’t enough, you can also click through to the Settings app for even more controls.
#3: Profiles on startup, or not
Apple has beefed up its Profiles feature in tvOS this year, with tvOS 26.2 offering welcome changes that make Profiles easier to create and more useful than ever.
tvOS 26 also lets you customize whether the Profiles screen appears at startup or not.
I appreciate seeing Profiles first thing when my Apple TV 4K turns on. But if you don’t use the feature and want to skip that step, you can disable it from the Settings app.
#4: Continuous Audio Connection
If you’re the kind of user who likes to fiddle with audio settings to dial in your setup, tvOS 26.4 added a new option: ‘Continuous Audio Connection.’
Here’s how Apple describes the toggle:
Apple TV uses a Dolby MAT connection for seamless transitions across formats. Older receivers might indicate Atmos, but the original audio will play as intended.
Users have indicated this feature works especially well with Sonos speakers, but it has broader applications too. To enable Continuous Audio Connection, go to Settings ⇾ Video and Audio ⇾ Audio Format ⇾ HDMI Output.
#5: Use AirPlay speaker as default audio output
Historically, tvOS has offered exclusive benefits for HomePod and HomePod mini owners. Those speakers have long been able to serve as the default outputs for Apple TV audio.
In tvOS 26 though, that capability has extended to any AirPlay-enabled speaker.
Whether you want to use a Sonos system, Bose, or any other third-party speaker, as long as it supports AirPlay you can select it as the default audio output. This should prevent the need to constantly manually reconnect via Control Center.
What new settings and features in tvOS 26 have been your favorites? Let us know in the comments.
Best Apple TV 4K accessories
- AirPods Pro 3 (now only $199, down from $249)
- Anti-slip silicone case for Siri Remote, AirTag compatible
- TotalMount for mounting Apple TV
- iPhone Continuity Camera mount for Apple TV
