Apple at the WWDC 2020 keynote on Monday unveiled tvOS 14 as its updated platform for Apple TV devices. The company also announced that it has formed a home alliance in association with Amazon and Google, along with other companies in the smart home market. The alliance aims to provide a standard of interoperability for developers. Apple has also opened HomeKit of origin, of course, to be part of the new standard and expand the range of compatible smart home devices. Separately, Apple also announced new privacy features that will hit their platforms this year.
tvOS 14 new features
One of the main changes that tvOS 14 brings to your Apple TV device over the existing version of tvOS is the compatibility with the Xbox Elite 2 and Xbox Adaptive controls. There is also multi-user support to help users play games with their friends and family easily. Importantly, tvOS already has Apple Arcade support so you can play your favorite Arcade game on a big screen. You can also resume the Arcade games you are playing on your iPhone or iPad directly on your Apple TV device.
The tvOS 14 update also brings PiP support, which is also available on iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. This will help you play two videos on one screen. Also, you can access PiP while using AirPlay. There is also support for 4K video streaming via AirPlay in the Photos app.
tvOS 14 will bring Picture-in-Picture support to your Apple TV device
Apple also announced an audio sharing feature on Apple TV devices that will work with AirPods. Also, there will be compatibility with the Home app on tvOS 14.
During the announcement, Apple also revealed that the Apple TV + service is reaching more than 100 million televisions and devices worldwide. The service is already available on multiple devices, including LG and Samsung smart TVs, and will hit Sony and Vizio smart TVs later this summer. The company also announced that it is working on a new original Foundation series, based on the science fiction series Isaac Asimov, to be released in 2021.
Apple also revealed that third-party music services are coming to HomePod. However, the list of those services has yet to be announced.
HomeKit updates
Apple has formed the domestic alliance with a list of partners including Amazon, Comcast, Google, Ikea, Leedarson, Legrand, NXP, Resideo, Samsung SmartThings, Schneider Electric, Signify, Silicon Labs, Somfy, Texas Instruments, Wulian, and Zigbee. These new partners will work together to bring new smart home solutions to the market. Apple has also opened its HomeKit SDK “to ensure ease of use and privacy” as part of the new alliance. Additionally, the company claims that the new standard will work “incredibly well” on all of its Apple devices and will be visible directly in the Home app.
In iOS 14, there will be an updated startup app that will give you automation tips for your smart home devices. This means that you will receive suggestions on the automation features you will get from your connected devices once you add them to the Home app. Additionally, there will be expanded controls in the Control Center for faster access to your devices and scenes. Apple has also introduced an adaptive lighting feature for HomeKit compatible lights that will allow them to automatically adjust the color temperature throughout the day. The Home app in the new version of iOS will also get new changes at the interface level to show the visual status of your connected devices at the top.
The iOS 14 update will also provide an improved experience for connected cameras. It will allow activity zones to allow you to select particular areas to receive alerts from any intruder. Similarly, ringers using HomeKit will get face recognition support on the device to automatically identify friends and family. The tvOS 14 updates will also get integration with HomeKit-enabled devices so you can bring any of your cameras or doorbells to your TV screen. You can also view any of your connected cameras in full screen.
tvOS 14 will allow you to see the power of any of the cameras on your door directly on your TV screen
New privacy features
In addition to tvOS 14 and HomeKit updates, Apple in its WWDC 2020 keynote address announced some new privacy features targeting the App Store, including summaries of developers’ self-reported privacy practices on the product pages of the App Store. The company is also expanding its login with Apple by allowing users to update their existing accounts with the unified login option. Users will also be able to choose to share their approximate location with app developers instead of allowing them to access their precise location details while granting access to the app’s location. Additionally, there will be improved visibility for recent microphone and camera access by installed applications.
Apple is also bringing an App Store policy for apps that have ad tracking. This means that apps that will silently track you on other apps and websites via an ad crawler will now require your permission.
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