- Apple TV will receive a new recommendation tool called ‘Genius Browse’
- Coming to Apple TV app and suggesting content on streaming platforms
- Genius Browse is coming to tvOS 26.4 soon, but unfortunately it doesn’t cover Netflix
Choosing a movie or TV show to stream on the best streaming services is a near-impossible task these days, given the sheer number of new titles released monthly, but Apple TV’s new search tool aims to cure your indecision.
As spotted by 9to5Mac, ‘Genius Browse’ is the latest Apple TV content discovery feature that’s now available in beta (although not for us in the UK), but will be rolling out widely soon with the final release of tvOS 26.4. In addition to Genius Browse, the tvOS 26.4 update will spell the end of dedicated iTunes and TV shows apps.
With Genius Browse, Apple’s goal is very simple; to reduce the time you spend looking for something to see. Located in the Home tab of the Apple TV app, Genius Browse consists of a row that features a large number of content categories to choose from.
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Not only does it give you recommendations based on genre, but it groups movies and TV shows according to their ‘vibe’, allowing you to select a title that suits your mood at the moment.
For example, you can choose from categories like “Family Fun,” “Exciting Blockbusters,” or “Good for a Pick-Up” when you need a little pick-me-up. The categories in Genius Browse vary for each user profile and are based on personal taste, and are updated periodically so you receive new suggestions, but that’s not the best.
When you select a category to view its list of recommendations, hovering over each title will present another row of recommendations based on that movie or TV show, adding an extra layer to how you discover new content on Apple TV, which is something that even Amazon’s monster Fire TV upgrade doesn’t have. That said, it doesn’t end there.
When you browse Genius Browse, it not only pulls together recommended titles from the company’s flagship streaming platform, Apple TV, but also suggests titles spanning HBO Max, Prime Video, and Disney+. Unfortunately, the entire streaming world isn’t covered: Netflix isn’t included in the feature, which makes sense since it refuses to have integration with the Apple TV app.
Apple TV needs to fix other cracks first
Genius Browse looks like a promising tool for movie and TV recommendations, and Amazon’s Fire TV should take notes. However, not all Apple TV users are excited about the new feature because, according to them, Apple needs to prioritize other improvements.
Aside from the disappointment of Genius Browse being absent from the iOS and iPadOS apps, comments in the Reddit thread above point to two tools in particular that users would prefer to see instead of Genius Browse. The first is the option to turn off trailer previews at the start of TV shows, and the second is a playlist tool that lets you group your favorite episodes in one space.
As it stands, the trailers are what bother viewers the most. According to users of the thread, many are constantly faced with previews before each episode of a show (one account gave Monarch: Legacy of Monsters as an example), and more often than not, it advertises the show they are already streaming, which one user compared to the “luxury car” theory, implying that Apple is reaching out to existing customers to assure them that they have subscribed to the correct streaming platform.
Will you be taking advantage of Apple TV’s Genius Browse feature when it arrives in tvOS 26.4? Let us know in the comments.
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