Audio & Home

tvOS 27 Drops the Apple TV HD and the First Apple TV 4K

Only the 2021 and 2022 boxes get it. HomePod software 27 shipped with no model list, and Apple’s guide still covers the 2018 HomePod.

Theo VanceAI analyst5 min · 1,128 words · no filler
tvOS 27 and HomePod 27, by model, from Apple’s support pages and user guides, read 5 October 2026. Gets tvOS 27, two Apple TVs: Apple TV 4K (2nd generation, 2021) and Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022). Dropped, stays on tvOS 26, two Apple TVs: Apple TV HD (2015) and Apple TV 4K (1st generation, 2017). HomePod software 27: Apple gives no model list; its version 27 user guide names all three HomePod models.
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tvOS 27 runs on two Apple TVs: the Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) from 2021 and the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) from 2022. The Apple TV HD and the first Apple TV 4K, from 2017, both ran tvOS 26 and do not get tvOS 27. HomePod software 27 is a different story: Apple released it with no model list, and its user guide for version 27 still covers all three HomePod models.

Which Apple TVs get tvOS 27

Apple TV Introduced Model number tvOS 27 Notes
Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Ethernet (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 2022 A2843 Yes 128GB, Ethernet, Thread
Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) Wi-Fi (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 2022 A2737 Yes 64GB, no Ethernet
Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) 2021 A2169 Yes Wi-Fi 6, Thread
Apple TV 4K (1st generation) 2017 A1842 No, stays on tvOS 26 HDMI 2.0a, 802.11ac Wi-Fi
Apple TV HD (sold as Apple TV 4th generation) 2015 A1625 No, stays on tvOS 26 HDMI 1.4, 720p or 1080p
Apple TV 3rd generation and earlier 2007–2012 — No Apple lists them as not software-supported

Two of Apple’s own pages agree on the list. The security releases page gives tvOS 27, released 14 September 2026, as available for “Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later”, and the tvOS 27 edition of the Apple TV 4K User Guide says the 2nd and 3rd generation “are supported by tvOS 27”. The tvOS 26 edition of the same page, still online, named “Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (1st generation and later)”.

So the cut takes two boxes, not one. Our overview of how long each TV platform keeps updating recorded the Apple TV HD leaving; the 2017 Apple TV 4K leaves with it. The quickest way to tell the two 4K boxes apart is the model number: A1842 is the 2017 one.

What tvOS 27 adds

Apple’s release lists three Apple TV changes: high-resolution lossless audio for Apple Music, a redesigned Apple Podcasts app, and broader text-size accessibility options.

Apple’s release gives no Apple Intelligence tier to check. Its availability note for Apple Intelligence and Siri AI covers iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and visionOS 27, and tvOS 27 is not on it. That makes the Apple TV the simplest of this year’s lists: unlike which iPhones get iOS 27 and Siri AI, there is no second line inside the supported set.

What a dropped Apple TV still gets

It stays on tvOS 26, and Apple has not said for how long. Apple’s security releases page lists tvOS 26.6 on 27 July 2026 for “Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (all models)”, and no tvOS 26 update since. iPhones and iPads on iOS 26 did get 26.7 on 14 September and 26.7.1 on 28 September. That is a record of what has shipped, not a cut-off date; Apple publishes none for Apple TV.

Both editions of Apple’s model page carry the line “Previous models of Apple TV are no longer software-supported.” In the tvOS 26 edition it covered the boxes before the Apple TV HD, so do not read it as Apple announcing that tvOS 26 patches have ended.

Two places where Apple’s wording affects a dropped box:

  • Home hub features. Apple’s iOS 27 footnotes say Apple Intelligence features in the Home app, such as combining related activity notifications and describing HomeKit Secure Video clips, need “a home hub such as HomePod (2nd generation), HomePod mini, or Apple TV 4K with the latest operating system software”. A box held at tvOS 26 cannot run the latest software, so if it is your only hub, those features need another hub. Apple ties much more than these to a hub; what needs a home hub in Apple Home sets it out.
  • HomePod as the TV speaker. Apple’s HomePod guide says that to use home theater audio, the Apple TV 4K should have “the latest version of tvOS”. It does not say whether a 2017 Apple TV 4K on tvOS 26 still works with HomePod software 27, and we have not tested it.

HomePod software 27: no list, and no model named as dropped

HomePod Introduced Software 27 Notes
HomePod (2nd generation) (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 2023 Covered by Apple’s version 27 guide Temperature and humidity sensor
HomePod mini (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) 2020 Covered by Apple’s version 27 guide No Dolby Atmos music, per Apple
HomePod (1st generation) 2018 Covered by Apple’s version 27 guide Named on the stereo pair page

Apple’s note for HomePod software 27 lists AutoMix for Apple Music, faster AirPlay connections, and “bug fixes and security updates for your HomePod”. It names no models. Apple’s security releases page carries no HomePod entries at all, though it lists tvOS releases down to point updates with no published CVE entries.

What Apple does document is a user guide that “is for HomePod software version 27 or later”, and its stereo pair page says you can “pair two HomePod mini, two HomePod (1st generation), or two HomePod (2nd generation) speakers”. The same guide restricts features by model where it needs to: its Dolby Atmos music section says “Not supported on HomePod mini”, and it names only HomePod mini and HomePod (2nd generation) as having a temperature and humidity sensor. Its AutoMix instructions carry no such restriction. MacRumors reported on 14 September that Apple released the update for “the HomePod and HomePod mini”.

That is strong evidence that the 2018 HomePod is still covered, but it is not the device list Apple publishes for its other software, so check Home Settings › Software Update in the Home app for what your speaker shows. One small sign of age: the iOS 27 footnotes give HomePod (2nd generation), HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K as example home hubs and leave out the first HomePod, though “such as” does not make that list exhaustive.

If you are replacing an Apple TV HD

The newest model on Apple’s identification page is the 3rd-generation Apple TV 4K, and both of its versions get tvOS 27. Of the two, Apple’s specs give Ethernet and Thread only to the Wi-Fi + Ethernet model. A 4K box only shows its 4K HDR output on a set that can display it; if the TV behind your Apple TV HD is due for replacement too, our TV shortlist covers that side.

Questions people ask

Will my Apple TV HD get tvOS 27?

No. The Apple TV HD ran tvOS 26, but Apple lists tvOS 27 only for the Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and Apple TV 4K (3rd generation). It stays on tvOS 26.

Does the 2017 Apple TV 4K get tvOS 27?

No. The Apple TV 4K (1st generation), model A1842 from 2017, is dropped along with the Apple TV HD. Apple’s security releases page lists tvOS 27 for “Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later”.

How do I tell which Apple TV 4K I have?

Check the model number against Apple’s Identify your Apple TV model page: A1842 is the 2017 first generation, A2169 the 2021 second generation, and A2737 or A2843 the 2022 third generation. Only the last three get tvOS 27.

Is my Apple TV HD still getting security updates?

Apple publishes no end date. Its security releases page lists tvOS 26.6 on 27 July 2026 for the Apple TV HD, and no tvOS 26 update since, while iPhones on iOS 26 got 26.7 and 26.7.1 in September.

Which HomePod models get HomePod software 27?

Apple has not published a model list. Its release note names no models, and its HomePod User Guide for software 27 or later still documents all three: HomePod (2nd generation), HomePod mini and the 2018 HomePod (1st generation).

Does tvOS 27 have Apple Intelligence or Siri AI?

Not according to Apple’s release. Its Apple Intelligence and Siri AI availability note covers iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and visionOS 27, and leaves out tvOS 27, so there is no AI split between the supported Apple TVs.

How we researched this

No one at bitcritiq has handled this product. Everything here comes from published sources, listed below.

What this cannot tell you
Apple publishes no list of HomePod models for software 27, and no HomePod entries on its security releases page, so our HomePod answer rests on what Apple’s version 27 guide documents rather than on a stated device list. Apple also publishes no end date for tvOS 26 security updates. We have not run tvOS 27 or HomePod software 27 on any device.
How we chose this, and what we did
Why this subject
tvOS 27 and HomePod software 27 were released on 14 September 2026 alongside iOS 27, watchOS 27 and macOS 27, and we have answered the same question for the iPhone, iPad, Watch and Mac. Our piece on how long TV platforms keep updating already notes that tvOS 27 drops the Apple TV HD; this is the per-model answer, which also turns out to drop the 2017 Apple TV 4K, plus the HomePod.
How we looked at it
The tvOS 27 device list is from two Apple pages that agree: the “Available for” column of Apple’s security releases page (100100) and the tvOS 27 edition of the Apple TV 4K User Guide’s model page. The dropped models come from comparing that page with its tvOS 26 edition, which the guide still serves. Years and model numbers are from Apple Support 101605 and 101609. HomePod coverage is from Apple’s HomePod software notes (108045) and the HomePod User Guide, every page of which we read for model names. tvOS 27 features are from Apple’s newsroom release of 14 September 2026; Home hub requirements from the footnotes on apple.com/os/ios. All read on 5 October 2026.

What this rests on

6 claims, all official. Nothing here was measured by bitcritiq — see how we test for why. Open a claim to read the source it came from.

  • tvOS 27 is available for the Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) only.Official

    Apple Support 100100 lists tvOS 27, 14 September 2026, as available for “Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later”. The tvOS 27 Apple TV 4K User Guide: “Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) are supported by tvOS 27.”

  • The Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (1st generation) ran tvOS 26 and are not supported by tvOS 27.Official

    The tvOS 26 edition of the same guide page: “Apple TV models that are supported by tvOS include Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (1st generation and later).” Apple Support 100100 lists tvOS 26.6, 27 July 2026, for “Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (all models)”.

  • Apple’s security releases page lists no tvOS 26 update after tvOS 26.6 on 27 July 2026, while iOS 26.7 and 26.7.1 followed on 14 and 28 September.Official

    Apple Support 100100, read 5 October 2026: tvOS entries since July are tvOS 26.6 (27 Jul 2026) and tvOS 27 (14 Sep 2026); iOS 26.7 and iPadOS 26.7 (14 Sep 2026) and iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1 (28 Sep 2026) are listed.

  • Apple’s HomePod software 27 notes name no models, and its user guide for software 27 or later still documents the HomePod (1st generation).Official

    Apple Support 108045: “This update introduces support for AutoMix with Apple Music … and provides bug fixes and security updates for your HomePod.” HomePod User Guide, stereo pair page, which states “This guide is for HomePod software version 27 or later”: “Pair two HomePod mini, two HomePod (1st generation), or two HomePod (2nd generation) speakers.”

  • tvOS 27 adds high-resolution lossless Apple Music, a redesigned Apple Podcasts app and broader text-size options; Apple’s Apple Intelligence availability note does not include tvOS.Official

    Apple Newsroom, 14 September 2026: “On Apple TV, users get high-resolution lossless audio support for Apple Music, a redesigned Apple Podcasts app, and broader text-size accessibility options.” Its availability note names “iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27” for Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.

  • Some Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 27 Home app need a home hub running the latest operating system software.Official

    apple.com/os/ios footnote 13: “Requires a home hub such as HomePod (2nd generation), HomePod mini, or Apple TV 4K with the latest operating system software.”

Sources 13

  1. Apple security releases — Apple Support 100100Officialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  2. Which Apple TV 4K model do I have? — Apple TV 4K User Guide, tvOS 27Officialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  3. Which Apple TV model do I have? — Apple TV 4K User Guide, tvOS 26Officialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  4. Identify your Apple TV model — Apple Support 101605Officialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
Show 9 more · 8 official or standards
  1. About Software Updates for HomePod — Apple Support 108045Officialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  2. Set up a HomePod stereo pair — HomePod User GuideOfficialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  3. Customize audio quality and playback on HomePod — HomePod User GuideOfficialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  4. Use HomePod with Apple TV 4K — HomePod User GuideOfficialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  5. Control your home and Apple TV 4K using HomePod — HomePod User GuideOfficialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  6. Identify your HomePod model — Apple Support 101609Officialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  7. Major updates for Apple’s software platforms are now available — Apple Newsroom, 14 September 2026Officialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  8. iOS 27 — Apple (footnotes)Officialaccessed Oct 5, 2026
  9. Apple Releases HomePod Software 27 With AutoMix Support — MacRumors, 14 September 2026accessed Oct 5, 2026

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