tvOS 27.2 arrives on Apple TV 4K: new features for FaceTime, Siri Remote and screen saver

The operating system improves FaceTime calls, expands screen saver customization options, and introduces support for finding the Siri Remote via Find My on iPhone. The release also includes bug fixes and security updates. However, the expected integration of Siri's new artificial intelligence capabilities on devices already on the market remains absent, at least for the moment.Source:MacRumors.

tvOS 27.2: compatibility and what's new in the update

The release of tvOS 27.2 represents the first software update for Apple TV since the arrival of tvOS 27 in September. In fact, Apple has not published a tvOS 27.1 version, moving directly to the 27.2 numbering.

The update affects the second generation Apple TV 4K and later models. The changes were detailed only after the release, through Apple support documentation: unlike what happens on other devices in the ecosystem, the Apple TV Software Update section does not directly present the complete notes of the installed versions.

The documented changes affect three aspects of daily use: communication through FaceTime, customization of images displayed during inactivity and remote control identification. Corrective and security interventions are added, without the available information specifying the number of vulnerabilities resolved or the complete list of problems eliminated.

FaceTime introduces call shortening and accessibility services

One of the main innovations concerns FaceTime, which expands the ways of participating in conversations directly from the television. The new update introduces FaceTime connections, designed to simplify access to calls from Apple TV.

The presence of the links allows you to participate in conversations through a dedicated connection, making entry into calls more immediate without having to resort to additional procedures described separately.

Apple also introduces support for third-party services dedicated to sign language interpreting and subtitling. These tools can be added to FaceTime calls, expanding communication and accessibility possibilities for people who need linguistic or visual assistance during a conversation.

The published notes do not specify which suppliers are already usable, nor do they describe any commercial conditions for external services. It is therefore important to distinguish the support introduced in the operating system from the concrete availability of individual services.

Custom screensavers with iPhone photos

The customization of screensavers receives two distinct interventions. The first allows you to use your iPhone to choose specific photos to view on your Apple TV, without sharing your entire photo library with your TV device.

The ability to select only certain images gives you more precise control over what personal content is shown on the screen. It's a significant distinction for those who want to use private photos as a screensaver while keeping the rest of the collection on their phone separate.

The second new feature is the option to shuffle screensaver categories. Apple TV can alternate images belonging to different categories during the succession of contents displayed, avoiding limiting the experience to just one type.

The two changes respond to different needs: the selection of photographs concerns control over personal contents, while the random alternation introduces greater variety in the display of screensavers.

Find My allows you to find the Siri Remote

With tvOS 27.2he arrivesalso support finding the remote control through the Find My app on iPhone. The feature affects second-generation and later Siri Remotes, offering a way to locate a lost remote.

However, there is an important distinction between general Find My compatibility and precise search functionality. The latter, referred to by Apple as Precision Finding, is limited toFourth generation Siri Remote.

Accordingly, localization support should not be interpreted as having the same search capabilities across all generations of the remote control. Previous models can benefit from the declared compatibility with Find Myself, but not from the precise search reserved for the fourth generation.

This difference is particularly relevant for those who already own an Apple TV 4K and intend to use their remote control with the new functions: the generation of the Siri Remote determines which possibilities are actually accessible.

Siri AI is not yet active on older models

Despite the changes introduced, tvOS 27.2 does not yet enable Siri's new AI capabilities on second-generation and later Apple TVs 4K currently affected by the update.

Apple had indicated the future availability of Siri AI also for these models, but the function is still deactivated in the newly distributed version.

Siri's artificial intelligence capabilities are one of the main elements announced for this device.

As observed by MacRumors, it is possible that Apple will choose to activate Siri AI on previous models closer to the launch of the new hardware. However, this is an editorial hypothesis, not an officially confirmed timing.

For the moment, therefore, users of compatible Apple TV 4K can use the documented innovations for FaceTime, screen saver and Siri Remote, while the introduction of Siri's AI functions remains subject to subsequent activation by Apple.

Editorial source consulted:MacRumors.