Apple Announces tvOS 14, Adds PIP Support, Home Support, Multi-User Support

Apple is expanding the features available on it tvOS platform for Apple TV. While it’s not a massive overhaul for the Apple TV 4K streaming device, it does include a number of small, incremental changes.

At its annual WWDC keynote, Apple detailed camera integration from HomeKit-supported smart video cameras and doorbells, a picture-in-picture mode, and updates to its Apple Arcade video game service.

On the HomeKit side, Apple is adding the Home app to Apple TV, meaning you can use your streaming device for some smart home and security functions, like viewing camera feeds from around the house or getting picture-in-picture alerts when someone’s at the door. Facial-recognition features can also let you know who’s knocking.

The platform-wide picture-in-picture feature, on the other hand, is fairly self-explanatory. Users will be able to view live or on-demand video content in a window while using another app on your Apple TV.

Speaking of games, tvOS 14 also includes expanded Xbox controller support (adding the Elite 2 and Adaptive controllers) and multiple-user features in Apple Arcade titles. That means, for example, different users can sign in and pick up games from where they last left off.

Improved multi-user support means that you can now switch between users on your Apple TV and pick up in a game right where you left off. Switch over to another user and you’ll see their progress instead. In other words, you’ll never have to worry about losing progress in a game, as long as you’re on the right account. tvOS 14 also adds support for the Xbox Elite Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller, so you have even more ways to play.

Those changes aren’t quite at the same caliber as the ones we got from tvOS 13 that brought multi-user support with personalized recommendations, a new-and-improved Control Center, improvements to the TV App ahead of Apple TV Plus, but there’s always a chance Apple could surprise us with another feature down the road.