The latest suite of Apple operating system updates has landed, delivering a crucial round of refinements that, while light on flashy new features, are essential for the ongoing stability and performance of your devices. tvOS 18.5, watchOS 11.5, and visionOS 2.5 primarily focus on the under-the-hood improvements that keep your Apple ecosystem running smoothly, ensuring that existing features continue to function at their peak. It’s the kind of necessary maintenance that often goes unnoticed but is vital for a seamless user experience.
tvOS 18.5, along with its HomePod software twin (both sharing build number 22L572), is a classic minor update for your Apple TV. It’s all about enhancing stability and squashing any lingering bugs, a typical cycle for tvOS which prioritizes reliability over frequent major feature additions between its big annual releases. While tvOS 18.5 doesn’t introduce new capabilities, its groundwork is important for optimizing features like the Matter support for robotic vacuums and the lossless, ultra-low latency audio for AirPods Max, both of which landed in the preceding tvOS 18.4. Keeping your Apple TV updated is straightforward: simply head to Settings, then System, select Software Updates, and choose Update Software.
Meanwhile, watchOS 11.5 (build number 22T572) arrives for your Apple Watch, a relatively uneventful update in terms of groundbreaking features but one that subtly enhances your wearable experience. Most notably, it introduces a vibrant new Pride Harmony watch face, beautifully animated with rainbow stripes that shift with your wrist movement, a perfect match for the new Pride Edition Sport Band.
This version also brings a convenient “buy with Apple Watch” feature for authenticating purchases within the Apple TV app on third-party devices and resolves a minor bug that could prevent your iPhone from notifying you about a fully charged watch battery. To update, ensure your Apple Watch is at least 50% charged and connected to Wi-Fi, then open the Settings app on the watch, tap General, and select Software Update. Alternatively, use the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, navigate to General, then Software Update, and download the available update.
For Apple Vision Pro users, visionOS 2.5 (build number 22O473) offers a particularly useful upgrade: a new tab within the Apple TV app dedicated entirely to spatial and 3D content. Finding Apple’s immersive videos and three-dimensional movies was previously a bit of a treasure hunt, often requiring a direct search or hoping they appeared in a featured section.
Now, with this dedicated tab, the growing catalog of immersive content is much more accessible, making it easier than ever to dive into the unique experiences the Vision Pro offers. Beyond this, the update includes the usual unspecified bug fixes to polish the user experience. Updating your Vision Pro is as simple as going to Settings, selecting General, then Software Update, and choosing the visionOS 2.5 option.
