tvOS 17 and HomePod Software 17 to be officially released on September 18

Apple today confirmed during its “Wonderlust” event that tvOS 17 and HomePod Software 17 will be released to the public next week, on September 18. Once available, the updates can be downloaded and installed on compatible Apple TVs and HomePods.

tvOS 17 brings a redesigned Control Center for Apple TV, plus a new way to find your Siri Remote with iPhone and FaceTime on Apple TV for the first time. With the update, Apple TV users can also easily set up a VPN via third-party apps – which, of course, requires compatible apps installed.

And with HomePod Software 17, owners of Apple’s smart speaker can ask Siri to play media using iPhone apps. There are also new voices for Siri in German and the ability to talk to Siri just by saying its name instead of the command “Hey Siri.”

• tvOS 17 adds native VPN support for the first time on Apple TV
• Siri no longer requires ‘Hey’ command to activate, now has back-to-back requests
• iOS 17 lets users ask Siri to play media on the HomePod using iPhone apps

Here’s how to install tvOS 17 RC

First, go to the beta.apple.com website and sign up with your Apple ID (preferably the one you use with your Apple TV). If you have never joined the Apple Beta Software Program before, the update might not appear on your Apple TV, so make sure you are registered in the program.

After that, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your Apple TV.
2. Enter the System menu.
3. Click Software Updates.
4. Turn on Get Beta Updates option.

And here’s how to install HomePod Software 17 RC

In order to install HomePod Software 17 RC on your HomePod, your iPhone or iPad must be running iOS 17 or iPadOS 17. If you haven’t installed the latest RC software on your iOS device yet, check out our guide on how to install iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 public beta.

If your iPhone or iPad is already running the latest iOS 17 RC build, you just need to follow these steps to get the HomePod Software 17 beta update on your HomePod:

1. Open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the “…” button in the upper right corner of the screen.
3. Tap Home Settings.
4. Choose the Software Update option.
5. Go to the HomePod Beta Updates menu.
6. Switch on the toggles for the HomePods you want to install the beta software on.

After that, the Home app will show you the latest RC update available for your HomePod. Keep in mind that there’s no RC build available for the first-generation HomePod.

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