Apple issues tvOS 16.4 update to all users

By Andrew Orr

Apple has released the tvOS 16.4 update to the public, bringing general improvements and possible enhancements to Siri.

Apple releases tvOS 16.4

The company is finally rolling out the update to all users after the developer release candidate on March 21. The tvOS update can be manually updated on an Apple TV using the Settings app in addition to being installed automatically.

This tvOS version, like many others, usually comes with platform stability, bug fixes, and ecosystem enhancements. However, though it hasn't yet been officially confirmed, Apple might be testing a new Siri framework with the update.

A report on March 16 claimed that the tvOS 16.4 beta had evidence of expanded Siri features, codenamed "Bobcat." The new framework, "Siri Natural Language Generation," starts with using language generation to tell jokes but could also extend to timers.

It's not evidence that Apple intends to build a chatbot clone of ChatGPT, but Siri may get smarter when responding to customer requests.

Generative AI algorithms produce content, including audio, images, text, and videos. For instance, Siri currently relies on a database of existing material and cannot create new content in response to a user's query.

Apple is probably under pressure due to OpenAI and ChatGPT's success. In February, it hosted an in-person symposium on artificial intelligence, the first one in years.

How to install tvOS on the Apple TV

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Select System.
  3. Select Software Update.
  4. Select Update Software then Download and Install.

If an Apple TV is set to update automatically, it will handle downloading and installing of tvOS on the user's behalf.