Here's how to force your Apple TV to update its software.

By default, your Apple TV should automatically update its operating system over the air when a new update is available; you shouldn't need to do anything save pressing "Update Now" on an alert. If you're in a hurry to watch a movie, listen to music, or do something else when it happens, however, you may not want to update right then and there. Luckily, you can check for and apply Apple TV software updates at any time. Here's how to go about it.

How to manually update tvOS on the Apple TV

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Click on System > Software Updates.
  3. Click Update Software.

If there's an update available, you should be able to see it and install it. If not, you'll see a message saying your software is up to date.

Apple TV