Source: Joseph Keller/iMore

When you update Apple TV to tvOS 15, you won’t even notice many changes because they are so subtle. There are, however, some pretty awesome new features that you should read about in our tvOS 15 FAQ. Before you click the “update” button on your Apple TV, there are a few things you should do to prepare. These directions work well on the Apple TV HD and all Apple TV 4K versions.

Apple TV devices from 2014 and earlier run Apple TV Software which uses a channel-style content installation system instead of apps. If you’re not sure which Apple TV you own, look for an App Store. If you don’t have an App Store, you have an older Apple TV that doesn’t support tvOS.

Clean up before you back up

You can’t back up an Apple TV in the traditional sense, but you can make sure your movies, apps, and TV shows are synced across your devices. So before you go ahead with backing up your Apple TV’s content, clean it up.

Get rid of unwanted apps and clean up your Home screen a bit before updating. While you’re at it, check out your movie and TV show library; if there’s stuff in there you no longer need, get rid of it too. That way, after you update, you won’t be syncing over anything extraneous.

Back it up

You can’t back up your Apple TV in the traditional sense. You can, however, sync content via Home Sharing and iCloud, which helps secure all of your apps, music, movies, TV shows, and photos. Before you update Apple TV, perform this syncing version of a backup.

Easy does it

That’s it! Welcome to tvOS 15. We’ve also got some recommendations for the best Apple TV accessories to help make your TV and movie watching experience the best it can be.