tvOS 27.2.1 brings Siri AI to second- and third-gen Apple TV 4K

Apple released tvOS 27.2.1 on Nov. 13, bringing the Siri AI beta to the second- and third-generation Apple TV 4K. Owners in supported markets can use their existing streaming boxes to describe the kind of movie they want or ask a follow-up question about the show they are watching. Setting up the new assistant requires an iPhone or iPad that supports Apple Intelligence.

Apple’s developer site lists the public release as build 24K157. The company had already named both older generations in its Siri AI requirements. The new build makes the update available to those owners. Apple’s model guide identifies the 2021 second generation as A2169. The 2022 third generation comes in two variants, A2737 with Wi-Fi and A2843 with Wi-Fi and Ethernet. The former shipped with 64 GB of storage and the latter with 128 GB. Apple says the model number is shown in the device information screen and on the underside of the box. The original Apple TV 4K and the Apple TV HD fall outside the update’s supported range.

Full-screen search and answers during playback

The existing Siri already handled voice searches and playback controls. The update changes what viewers can ask and how results appear. Apple says viewers can give the assistant a description of what they want to watch and see suggestions across the screen in the Apple TV app. A request can include a genre or who is watching, and related suggestions allow the viewer to narrow the search. In Apple’s example, the app displays poster art alongside related titles. What viewers can play may depend on where they live and what they subscribe to.

A question during playback has a different presentation. Apple says Siri AI can use information about the title currently playing to answer a question such as when its next season is due. The answer appears over the picture in a compact panel. The company also lists general knowledge questions among the features introduced in the update.

The paired Apple device

Apple’s guide says the owner of the home in the Home app needs an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone or iPad on current software, with Siri AI enabled. The eligible devices include the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the iPhone 16 family and iPads with an M1 chip or later. Apple requires a supported account region and matching supported languages for the device and Siri.

Personal requests bring the paired device into the experience. A viewer can ask for a show that a friend recommended in a text message, for example. Apple lists a nearby paired device with Siri AI enabled among its requirements for the TV assistant. For a personal request, Siri AI draws on information available through the paired device and displays the answer at the bottom of the TV screen. Another example in the user guide asks for a relative’s birthday. Apple labels the feature a beta and says daily limits on certain server-based requests can vary with demand and request complexity. Apple’s Siri AI eligibility page also sets a minimum age of 13.

Apple names eight initial markets for Siri AI on Apple TV: the United States, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The release notes specify English for the TV version. Siri AI language support varies across Apple’s products. Apple’s Korean support site lists Korean for the existing TV voice assistant. The company has given no date for Korean-language Siri AI on Apple TV in the update notes.

Speaker and microphone support varies by generation

The same release also adds a home theater mode with four HomePod speakers. Apple lists that feature for the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, with matching models within both the front and rear pairs. The eligible speakers are the second-generation HomePod and the HomePod mini 2. Another mode spreads the audio evenly across the four speakers.

The fourth generation also has three built-in microphones for hands-free voice requests. Apple says it designed the microphones to separate the user’s voice from the sound of what is playing. On the second and third generations, the existing remote’s Siri button can now call up the conversational search.