Apple's new tvOS 27 delivers Apple's first major Apple TV hardware cutoff in years, ending support for streaming boxes introduced in 2015 and 2017.
The compatibility change appeared in Apple's tvOS 27 documentation following WWDC 2026 on June 8. Apple TV HD, introduced in 2015, and the first-generation Apple TV 4K, introduced in 2017, are no longer eligible for the update.
Compatibility is limited to the second-generation Apple TV 4K released in 2021 and third-generation Apple TV 4K models released in 2022.
Apple TV HD remained eligible for major tvOS updates for nearly a decade before losing support with tvOS 27. The first-generation Apple TV 4K received major operating system updates for about eight years before reaching the end of the compatibility list.
The last cutoff of support was for the last thin Apple TV, the third-generation model. That was cut off a full decade after release in 2022 with version 7.9.
How to identify whether your Apple TV supports tvOS 27
The following Apple TV models will not run tvOS 27.
- A1625 — Apple TV HD (2015, fourth-generation Apple TV)
- A1842 — First-generation Apple TV 4K (2017)
These Apple TV models will run tvOS 27.
- A2169 — Second-generation Apple TV 4K (2021)
- A2843 — Third-generation Apple TV 4K (2022)
- A2737 — Third-generation Apple TV 4K (2022)
Users can determine whether their Apple TV supports tvOS 27 by checking the model number. Open Settings, select General, then select About. The model number appears near the top of the screen.
Model numbers aren't the only way to identify an Apple TV. Apple TV HD includes a USB-C port on the back and shipped with the black Siri Remote that uses a glass touch surface.
The first-generation Apple TV 4K also shipped with the same black Siri Remote. Second- and third-generation Apple TV 4K models shipped with the redesigned Siri Remote that features a circular clickpad.
