Apple’s next updates are almost here, tvOS drops iTunes apps, Watch adds sleep metric, Vision Pro boosts streaming

Apple is signaling it’s nearly ready to ship its next round of software updates for the Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro. The company has pushed out “Release Candidate” builds of tvOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4, typically the final stop before a public rollout.

For everyday users, this isn’t a flashy feature dump. It’s more of a tune-up, with a few targeted changes that could actually matter: Apple is finally scrubbing lingering iTunes-era apps from Apple TV, adding an HDMI audio stability option, expanding sleep insights on Apple Watch, and improving how high-end Vision Pro apps stream graphics.

Apple’s public release is widely expected within about a week, unless testers uncover a last-minute bug serious enough to force a second Release Candidate.

What a “Release Candidate” means, and why it matters

In Apple’s beta pipeline, a Release Candidate (RC) is the build the company believes is ready for prime time. Developers and testers use it to hunt for the kinds of problems that can embarrass a launch: random crashes, battery drain, Wi‑Fi weirdness, Bluetooth dropouts, or video playback glitches on specific hardware.

But “candidate” is the key word. Apple has issued RC2 builds in the past when something breaks late in the process. Installing an RC is still a bet, usually a safe one, but not a guarantee.

The synchronized timing across tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS also suggests Apple wants these updates to land together, reducing the odds of cross-device hiccups in an ecosystem where everything talks to everything.

tvOS 26.4 kills off iTunes Movies and iTunes TV Shows

The most visible change in tvOS 26.4 is also the most symbolic: Apple is removing the iTunes Movies and iTunes TV Shows apps from Apple TV. For many users, those apps had already become glorified shortcuts that funneled people into the Apple TV app anyway.

Now Apple is making it official, another small step in burying the iTunes brand and simplifying the Apple TV home screen. If you’ve had those icons parked in the same spot for years, expect a moment of muscle-memory confusion.

tvOS 26.4 also adds a new HDMI setting called “Continuous Audio Connection.” In plain English: it’s designed to keep audio more stable when your setup is finicky, think soundbars, AV receivers, or eARC chains that sometimes trigger brief dropouts or handshake delays.

Apple is also touting improved content discovery in the Apple TV app with a feature called “Genius Browse,” aimed at making recommendations easier to navigate across services. As always, the usefulness will depend on which streaming apps fully integrate with Apple’s system, and whether the recommendations actually reflect what you want to watch.

watchOS 26.4 adds “Average Bedtime” to Apple Health

On the Apple Watch side, watchOS 26.4 introduces a new sleep-related metric: “Average Bedtime,” synced into the Health app. Instead of just logging nights, the system highlights your typical bedtime over time, an attempt to turn raw sleep data into a trend you can actually act on.

That’s a smart move for a common problem: plenty of people get enough hours of sleep but keep wildly inconsistent schedules. A rolling average can make that drift obvious, especially if your weeknight routine and weekend habits don’t match.

Compatibility remains the same as watchOS 26 overall. You’ll need an iPhone 11 or newer (or iPhone SE, 2nd generation or later) running iOS 26, and an Apple Watch Series 6 or later (plus newer SE and Ultra models). If your hardware is already cut off from watchOS 26, this update won’t change that.

One caveat: averages can hide messy patterns. If you go to bed early four nights and extremely late three nights, the “average” may look fine while your schedule is anything but. Like most wearable health features, it’s a guide, not a diagnosis.

visionOS 26.4 targets smoother, sharper streaming on Vision Pro

For Vision Pro, visionOS 26.4 leans into a performance-focused upgrade: support for “foveated streaming” in apps and games. The concept is technical, but the payoff is simple, higher visual quality where your eyes are looking, with more compression in your peripheral vision.

That can translate into sharper perceived detail and lower latency in interactive experiences, especially in graphics-heavy apps. It’s a practical way to stretch bandwidth and computing power without forcing the headset to render everything at maximum quality all the time.

The catch is execution. Foveated techniques depend on reliable eye tracking and careful developer integration. If tracking is thrown off by lighting, calibration, or fatigue, or if an app isn’t well optimized, users could notice quality shifts or artifacts around the edges.

When you can expect the public release, and who should wait

RC builds usually mean the public release is close, often within days. Based on Apple’s typical cadence, tvOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4 could land for everyone within about a week, assuming no late-breaking issues force Apple to re-spin the build.

If you’re a tester, the usual rule applies: don’t install a Release Candidate on a device you can’t afford to lose for a day. A glitchy Apple TV is annoying. A flaky Apple Watch that you rely on for work notifications or daily health tracking is a bigger problem. And for Vision Pro developers, one broken app can stop a workflow cold.

Big picture, this is Apple doing what it often does in mid-cycle updates: fewer headline-grabbing features, more cleanup and under-the-hood work, plus a handful of changes that quietly reshape how the ecosystem feels day to day.