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🍎 Apple has confirmed it’s rebranding one of its most popular streaming services
📺 Apple TV Plus is losing “+” in favor of just “Apple TV”
⭐️ The company says it’s part of a “vibrant new identity” for the service
📱 New beta software has revealed an updated icon for Apple TV as well
🤷 It’s unclear when the new name will take over the entirety of Apple TV Plus
The name “Apple TV” can now refer to one of three things: Apple’s set-top-box, Apple’s streaming service, and Apple’s app for its streaming service.
Today, the company confirmed that Apple TV Plus will now be known simply as “Apple TV,” dropping the “+” from its branding. The shift brings with it a “vibrant new identity,” according to the company. The news was broken at the tail-end of a press release announcing the streaming date for Apple TV’s hit film, F1 The Movie, which will be available starting December 12.
Why the sudden change? We have no idea. It’s one of the more confusing brand changes that Apple has made, given the fact that there’s now no clear way to tell the streaming service from the hardware from the app, at least on paper. Apple is reportedly gearing up to announce a new version of the Apple TV 4K set-top-box before the end of the month, so perhaps it’ll get a new name to help separate things.
So far, Apple hasn’t updated the Apple TV Plus app, website, or store with the new branding. The only place it lives is the icon for the app in the latest beta versions of its software, like iOS 26, visionOS 26, and tvOS 26. The icon (shown above) has a colorful accent within the text, reminiscent of the colors used for the Siri animation when you trigger the assistant. It’s unclear if this is an indication that the rest of the app will also see a new colorway or if this is just to add some level of vibrancy to the name.
We expect Apple TV Plus to quickly evolve into “Apple TV” in the near future.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.
