Netflix dropping support for older Apple TV models this summer

Netflix has announced that it is dropping support for select older generations of Apple TV. In an email sent to subscribers this week, Netflix said that it is “sunsetting support” for the Apple TV (2nd generation) and Apple TV (3rd generation) on July 31.

In the email, Netflix writes that it is making this change to “ensure you maintain the best possible Netflix viewing experience.” Here’s the full text of the email (via Reddit):

You’re receiving this email because you’ve used Apple TV (2nd generation) and/or Apple TV (3rd generation) with Netflix in the past. Unfortunately, we’re sunsetting support for these devices on Jul 31, 2024. We know this can be frustrating, but we’re doing this to ensure you maintain the best possible Netflix viewing experience.

The Apple TV (2nd generation) was released in 2010 with support for 720p resolution. The Apple TV (3rd generation) followed in 2012 and added support for 1080p playback. Both of these models were released prior to the advent of tvOS and the tvOS App Store, and instead shipped with a collection of pre-installed apps.

If you have the Apple TV HD (released in 2015) or newer, you’re unaffected by this change and continue to watch Netflix as normal.

We’ve seen a number of services drop support for the older generation of Apple TV models over the years, including things like YouTube, CBS All Access, Crunchyroll, and MLB At Bat. Meanwhile, iOS 16 also dropped AirPlay support on older Apple TV models due to DRM issues.

If you’re still clinging to an Apple TV 2 or Apple TV 3, now’s a good time to look into updating.