On Sunday, June 26, Apple announced that Apple TV users would no longer be able to access the Facebook Watch app as the company has discontinued the platform for tvOS.
Facebook Watch app allows users to watch Facebook videos and livestreams straight onto their TVs.
Facebook Watch No Longer Works on Apple TV
According to 9to5Mac, the Facebook Watch app users will no longer be able to open it on Apple TV.
Facebook has shut down the tvOS app with the platform's latest update, The icon is also updated, but users will still be able to see the app on the App Store.
When trying to access Facebook Watch on tvOS, the users will see a message that says the app is no longer available and that the videos and livestreams can be watched on Facebook's website.
Since tvOS does not have a web browser, the only way for users to be able to watch Facebook videos on Apple TV is through AirPlay from another device.
What is Facebook Watch
In 2017, Facebook launched the Facebook Watch app on Apple TV.
Users were given the opportunity to log into their Facebook accounts to watch videos from the accounts that they follow, their friends, and even suggest livestreams and videos to other users.
Although the tvOS app has been discontinued, Facebook Watch can still be accessed via Smart TVs.
New Siri Remote for Apple TV
Aside from the decision to discontinue Facebook Watch, Apple has also hinted that the upcoming iOS 16 software update will include code-level references and a new version of the Siri Remote for the Apple TV.
According to user Aaronp613, a contributor to the online database of Apple software and devices called AppleDB, the first two betas of iOS 16 that revealed include strings for SiriRemote4 and WirelessRemoteFirmware4. Still, they do not correspond with any Siri Remote.
Aaron said that the original Siri Remote is labeled as SiriRemote, while its revised version that includes a white circle around the Menu button is labeled SiriRemote2. The silver Siri Remote that was released in 2021 is called SiriRemote3.
According to iMore, this trend made Apple fans think that there is a possibility that SiriRemote4 is the next remote for Apple TV.
However, no additional details about the SiriRemote4 are mentioned in the code, so nothing is known about its design or features. The code findings also do not guarantee that Apple will move forward with releasing a new Apple TV remote.
In May, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a new Apple TV would be released in the second half of 2022 with a better cost structure.
Kuo suggested that it could be cheaper compared to the existing Apple TV 4K, which costs around $179 in the United States.
Kuo did not get into details about the features and design, so it is not clear if the new Siri Remote could be for the new Apple TV that will be released in late 2022.
The latest Apple TV model was launched in 2021 with a new Siri Remote that features a better and more slick design than the previous remote. The tvOS 16 update for the Apple TV will roll out in September.
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Written by Sophie Webster
