tvOS 27.2.1 is out, and it turns on Siri AI for the Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation). Siri AI will not respond on either box unless an iPhone or iPad with Siri AI turned on is nearby.
The update reaches the older boxes 18 days after tvOS 27.2, which came out on October 26 without Siri AI for them. The Apple TV 4K (4th generation) went on sale on November 13 with Siri AI already available in tvOS 27.2.
Siri AI Needs a Paired iPhone or iPad
You need an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad on the latest software, and the owner of the home in the Home app has to be the person with that device. Requests that use your personal context, such as asking Siri AI to play a show a friend recommended, run through the paired iPhone or iPad. Siri AI opens as a full-screen conversation on your TV, where you can search for movies and shows.
Siri AI is a beta on Apple TV and is available at launch in English in the United States, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the United Kingdom. It is not available on iPhone or iPad in the European Union, which leaves Apple TV owners there without a paired device, and it does not work if your Apple Account region is mainland China. Features that rely on server-side models also carry daily usage limits.
Older Boxes Skip Hands-Free Siri
The Apple TV 4K (4th generation) has far-field microphones for hands-free requests, so it is the only box where you can say “Hey Siri” without picking up the remote. On the Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation), you hold the Siri button on the remote to talk to Siri AI.
The Apple TV HD and the first-generation Apple TV 4K do not run tvOS 27, so they stay without Siri AI. Four-speaker HomePod surround sound also needs the new box.
Update to tvOS 27.2.1 in Settings
Open Settings on your Apple TV 4K, go to System, then Software Updates, and select Update Software. Select Download and Install to start the download, and keep the box connected while it updates. In the same menu you can turn on Automatically Update so future releases install on their own.
After you update, you can get Siri AI on Apple TV 4K by turning it on from your iPhone or iPad and matching the device language and Siri language. Both have to be set to a supported language before Siri AI works on the box.
