Apple TV app redesign launches ahead of TV+ streaming service

Apple just took an important step in its bid to take over your living room.

The company is launching a redesigned version of the Apple TV app as it also prepares to launch its new TV+ streaming service later this year. The updated app is available on Apple TV, iOS, and Samsung SmartTVs and adds a new, dedicated kids section, plus new subscription offerings. 

In some ways, the new Apple TV app is similar to iOS 11’s App Store redesign. There’s a new emphasis on curation, with Apple editors hand-picking recommended shows and films from across its channels, and personalized content suggestions based on the services you subscribe to.

There’s also a new kids tab, similar to the “kids” section of Netflix (though it’s not walled off from the rest of the app), with shows and films recommended by age range. 

Though there’s no sign of Apple’s upcoming TV+ streaming service in the refreshed app (TV+ is launching in the fall and will be incorporated into the app then), there is one notable new subscription offering in the new Apple TV app: channels. 

Apple is offering a selection of subscription channels including HBO, CBS, Showtime, and a handful of others, that allow you to watch content directly in the app. 

These “channels” are different than watching say, HBO Now on the Apple TV, in a few important ways. For one, you’re subscribing to the service directly through Apple, not through your cable provider or from the network itself. So you can actually sign up for your subscription without leaving the Apple TV app. You can also download the content to watch offline, and share that channel with up to six people in your family (yes, an actually official way to share that HBO password). 

Now, all that’s left to do is wait for all those celebrity-packed (Hi Oprah!) original series to launch.