What Apple TV is
Apple TV is Apple’s all-original streaming subscription service, officially described as “an all-original streaming service featuring hundreds of exclusive shows and movies”. The service launched on November 1, 2019 under the name Apple TV+ and was renamed Apple TV (dropping the “+”) in late 2025. Note that “Apple TV” is also the name of Apple’s set-top box hardware; this page covers the streaming subscription service.
What it does and where it stops
The catalog centers on Apple Originals series and films; the official page describes the originals as commercial-free and refreshed weekly, and lists live sports such as Formula 1 and MLS. Watching goes through the Apple TV app: Apple devices (including the Apple TV 4K box, iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro), Android and Windows devices, major smart TVs and streaming devices, plus the web at tv.apple.com. Family Sharing covers up to six family members.
Subscription prices, free trials, and bundle options (such as Apple One) vary by country and region; see the official page for current terms. The available catalog and sports rights also differ by region, so availability while traveling or after moving should be checked against Apple’s official pages.
Discussion in the show
In the chapter “Vibe Coding 把硬盘用满之后” (when vibe coding fills the disk) of Weekly #003, Guizang relays a news item saying Apple folded Apple TV membership and related benefits into iCloud and mentions AI tokens added to iCloud; Yang Pan asks whether it is unavailable in China, and Guizang answers that neither China nor the EU is included. This is the participants’ retelling of a news item at the time; its official details have not been confirmed through official channels, and bundling follows Apple’s official pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Apple TV a subscription service or a set-top box?
Both share the name: Apple TV is Apple’s streaming subscription service and also its set-top box hardware (such as Apple TV 4K). This page covers the subscription service; see the Apple TV 4K page for the hardware.
How do Apple TV+ and Apple TV relate?
They are the same service. It launched on November 1, 2019 as Apple TV+ and was renamed Apple TV in late 2025. The old Apple TV+ name still appears in many interfaces and articles.
What can I watch on Apple TV?
The official positioning is all-original: hundreds of exclusive Apple Originals shows and movies, described as commercial-free with weekly additions, plus live sports such as Formula 1 and MLS. The catalog varies by region; see the official page.
Which devices can play Apple TV?
Watching goes through the Apple TV app on Apple devices (Apple TV 4K, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro), Android and Windows devices, major smart TVs and streaming devices (Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, PlayStation, Xbox, and more), or the web at tv.apple.com, per the official page.
How much does an Apple TV subscription cost?
Prices, free trials, and bundles vary by country and region; Apple’s page shows the U.S. plans, and other regions follow their local Apple sites. See the official Apple TV page.