tvOS, visionOS, watchOS and HomePod Software: Details on version 26.5
In addition to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Apple has also updated its smaller operating systems. A look at what is known.
Apple TV 4K: Apple is updating again.
(Image: Apple)
Apple TV 4K, Vision Pro, Apple Watch, and HomePod: These devices also received major updates on Monday evening, along with the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Depending on the platform, Apple provides more or less information. What is already clear: There are again plenty of patched security vulnerabilities. An overview of what's new in tvOS 26.5, watchOS 26.5, visionOS 26.5, and HomePod Software 26.5.
Apple doesn't say much about small updates
Apple is usually largely silent about updates for tvOS. This is also the case with tvOS 26.5, which is available for all Apple TV 4K models. Only bug fixes and security fixes are mentioned, no new features. These were not visible during the beta phase either. Apple also says little about visionOS 26.5: bug fixes and security fixes. Initially, it remained unclear whether at least the new RCS encryption is present in the Messages app.
Videos by heise
watchOS 26.5 comes with a bit more newness: There is now a “Pride Luminance” watch face via the Watch Faces Gallery (very colorful), and two already known bugs have been fixed (SMS sending instead of iMessage with dual-SIM iPhone pairing, Workout app audio not working without iPhone).
HomePod gets new software
Also new is HomePod Software 26.5. Apple does not comment on this either. So it remains unclear which bug fixes are integrated. Apple also provides no information on security improvements as usual. The update is not done on the device itself, but via the Home app on iPhone, iPad, or Mac (via Home settings). This is a shame because HomeKit still has some stability issues, for which users would like more detailed information about potential fixes.
Apple's accessory products are partly very old: The Apple TV 4K was last updated in 2022, the HomePod mini dates back to 2020, and the HomePod 2 to 2023. The Apple Watch is up to date (Fall 2025), as is the Vision Pro with M5 chip (Fall 2025). While it is quite clear that Apple will update its computer watch in September, dates for the renewal of the other accessory products are still unclear.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
