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tvOS 16.2 beta brings multi-user voice recognition to Siri on Apple TV, here’s how it works

Apple this week released the first beta of iOS 16.2 for developers, which comes with overall improvements and some new features. The company also released tvOS 16.2 beta, and the update brings an important feature to Apple TV — multi-user voice recognition when using Siri.

Siri voice recognition coming to Apple TV with tvOS 16.2

As noted by Sigmund Judge on Twitter, the latest beta update to the Apple TV operating system enables multi-user voice recognition for Siri. For those unfamiliar, this is a feature already available on the HomePod that identifies the voices of different people so that they can make personal requests to Siri based on their own data.

Since the feature is integrated with Apple TV user profiles, Siri can change profiles, play songs, or give recommendations based on the voice of the user who’s talking to the virtual assistant. tvOS is even able to associate the voice profile of the user’s iPhone to identify their voice automatically.

Siri can recognize your voice to switch profiles, play your music or give personalized video
recommendations. If your Apple TV is in your home or added to your home later, your Siri voice profile from your iPhone will be associated with your home so Siri can recognize your voice on this Apple TV and any current or future Siri-enabled devices in your home.

However, at least according to Judge, the feature “doesn’t seem to be fully functional” in this beta. Of course, Apple still has plenty of time to fix everything before tvOS 16.2 is released to the public.

Siri on Apple TV gets a new interface

With tvOS 16.1, which was recently released to all users, Apple has introduced a new, more modern interface for Siri on Apple TV that is similar to the one on the iPhone and iPad. As we detailed on 9to5Mac, the new Siri interface in tvOS 16.1 is more compact and has more animations. Of course, this interface is also present in the tvOS 16.2 beta.

Here’s how Apple describes it:

Siri on Apple TV features a complete redesign, and will be able to recognize each user’s voice, so they can easily access their movies, shows, music, games, and apps, and pick up where they left off. By using the Siri Remote and asking “What should I watch?” users can get tailored recommendations. The more compact design of Siri on Apple TV allows users to quickly view results without leaving the action onscreen.

It’s unclear at this point when Apple will make tvOS 16.2 available to the public, but the update is likely to be released by the end of the year. In addition to tvOS 16.2, Apple has also been testing new betas for iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 with a new HomeKit architecture, Live Activities improvements, and external display support with Stage Manager for iPad users.

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Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.