The latest Apple TV update finally delivers a long-awaited feature

When tvOS 26 launched on Apple TV in September, one of the biggest changes it introduced was making the profile selection screen the first thing you see when you turn on the device.

Apple added profiles to Apple TV years ago, but switching between them was buried in the Control Center, which made it easy to forget, so the new profile selection screen added with tvOS 26 was a welcome improvement. However, one prominent feature was still missing from Apple TV profiles — until now.

With the latest tvOS 26.2 update, Apple has finally added the ability to create profiles on the Apple TV without linking them to an Apple ID (via 9to5Mac). That means you can now set up a proper guest profile or create profiles for other members of your household without needing their Apple ID.

Roku has offered a guest mode for years, but Apple’s old Apple ID requirement made it a pain to set up a guest profile unless you created a separate Apple ID just for that purpose. With this update, creating a profile on your Apple TV is now just as easy as making one on a streaming service like Prime Video, Netflix, or Disney+.

Apple has also added a kids’ mode with tvOS 26.2

The update is available now

In addition to allowing you to create profiles on your Apple TV without an Apple ID with tvOS 26.2, Apple has introduced a new option to mark a profile as intended for a child, effectively adding a kids’ mode to Apple TV. This automatically restricts the Apple TV experience to PG content by default, making it easier to ensure kids only see age-appropriate shows and movies. You can also customize the allowed rating to match their age, such as TV-G or TV-14.

If you share your Apple TV with family members or roommates, tvOS 26.2 will undoubtedly make that experience much easier, and it’s nice to see Apple finally giving profiles some attention after adding them with tvOS 17 back in 2023.

tvOS 26.2 is rolling out now, and you can easily update to it by opening the settings menu on your Apple TV, navigating to System > Software Updates, and selecting Update Software.

In other Apple TV news, although Apple didn’t release a new Apple TV 4K this year, there are still many reasons to look forward to it next year, with its anticipated chipset upgrade being one of the biggest.