Report: A Redesigned Apple TV App is Coming in December

Apple is set to launch a redesigned Apple TV app in December, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported yesterday. The new app is said to be part of an update for tvOS, the operating system that powers Apple TV set-top boxes, but the Apple TV app is also available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and some smart TVs.

“The revamped app on the Apple TV box will include a new side panel on the left-hand side for navigating between video categories, matching a design aesthetic used by Netflix Inc. and other streaming services,” the report reads. The Apple TV app on tvOS currently uses a top navigation bar, something that’s indeed not common on video streaming services

Gurman also reported that Apple will discontinue its redundant Movies and TV Shows apps on tvOS, which will make the Apple TV app the unique hub to rent and buy movies and TV shows from Apple. Similarly, the iTunes app on iOS on iPadOS is also set to lose its movie and tv shows sections, which users can also already find in the Apple TV app.

In recent years, the Apple TV app has evolved into an entertainment hub where users can consume content from Apple’s TV+ subscription service, but also search for content from participating streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, or Paramount+. Moreover, the Apple TV app also lets users subscribe directly to some of these services via a Channels system, something that other platforms like YouTube and Amazon Prime Video already have.

In other Apple-related news, the company announced yesterday that it will hold a keynote on October 30. The event has a “Scary Fast” tagline, and we should see new versions of the 24-inch iMac and the MacBook Pros.