YouTube is dropping support for the 3rd generation Apple TV

Remote (Image credit: Rene Ritchie/iMore)

What you need to know

YouTube is ending support for the 3rd generation Apple TV.
Owners will need to AirPlay YouTube from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the box.

As reported by 9to5Mac, YouTube will soon drop support for the 3rd generation Apple TV and earlier. Customers who wish to continue watching YouTube on those models will need to AirPlay videos from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

According to the report, the change will only affect models older than the 4th generation Apple TV (commonly known as the Apple TV HD). The Apple TV 4K will also, of course, continue to support the YouTube app.

The change doesn't affect the two Apple TV boxes currently being sold today. Apple TV HD (fourth generation) and Apple TV 4K (fifth generation), the two models that run tvOS and have a built-in App Store, will continue to have supported YouTube apps. Rather, the AirPlay requirement for playback is coming to third-generation Apple TV streaming boxes that were first introduced in 2012.

Apple TV 3rd generation (Image credit: Apple)

9to5Mac reader provided the outlet with the messaging currently being displayed to users with a 3rd generation Apple TV:

Starting early March, the YouTube app will no longer be available on Apple TV (3rd generation). You can still watch YouTube on Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, iPhone, or iPad. With AirPlay, you can also stream YouTube from your iOS device directly to any Apple TV (3rd generation or later).

3rd generation Apple TV owners can, of course, upgrade to the Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K in order to continue watching YouTube directly. The app is also available on most Smart TVs, streaming boxes or sticks, and gaming consoles.

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.