YouTube Discontinuing 3rd-Generation Apple TV App, AirPlay Still Available

YouTube is planning to stop supporting its YouTube app on the third-generation Apple TV models, where YouTube has long been available as a channel option.

youtube apple tv
A 9to5Mac reader received a message about the upcoming app discontinuation, which is set to take place in March.

Starting early March, the YouTube app will no longer be available on Apple TV (3rd generation). You can still watch YouTube on Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, iPhone, or iPad. With AirPlay, you can also stream YouTube from your iOS device directly to any Apple TV (3rd generation or later).

Third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ owners will no longer be able to watch YouTube directly on the ‌Apple TV‌ after the app goes defunct, but YouTube content can be AirPlayed to the ‌Apple TV‌ from an iPhone or iPad, a method that is less convenient.

This discontinuation is applicable only to the third-generation Apple TVs, as YouTube stopped supporting the second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ models back in 2015. The fourth and fifth-generation ‌Apple TV‌ models are not impacted as these models have access to the tvOS App Store, which is not available on the third-generation ‌Apple TV‌.

Tag: YouTube

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

n0va Avatar
66 months ago
this makes me so sad and i dont even have a 3rd gen tv
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JoeShades Avatar
66 months ago

This does not make sense... Doesn't Apple TV third gen run exactly the same OS as Apple TV 4th gen and later? I would understand if they are stuck at older AppleTV OS, but that is not the case.
no
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
speg Avatar
66 months ago
Why does it have to be removed? Can’t it just keep working without additional “support”?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
John.B Avatar
66 months ago

Not the same is. Apple stops supporting 3rd gen Apple TV long ago.
Inaccurate.

TV+ channel support was added to the 3rd gen AppleTV one year ago. appleinsider.com/articles/19/05/13/apple-tv-channels-arrive-on-third-generation-apple-tv-and-in-tvos-123-update ('http://appleinsider.com/articles/19/05/13/apple-tv-channels-arrive-on-third-generation-apple-tv-and-in-tvos-123-update')

The 3rd gen AppleTV got an update to 7.6.2 just a few weeks ago; one of the fixes was for the YT video app. support.apple.com/en-us/HT202157 ('http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202157')
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TVreporter Avatar
66 months ago
Disappointing to hear - would it really take much to keep it supported? Sure you can’t watch 4K video on it but the bulk of the videos still offer lower quality settings.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rictus007 Avatar
66 months ago
To be honest they provided support for quite a few years.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)