When Apple launched its streaming service in 2019, it had a “+” at the end to differentiate it from the existing Apple TV app, which also offers content from third-party providers. However, Apple announced on Monday that it is rebranding Apple TV+ as simply “Apple TV,” and the first signs of this rebranding can be seen in the latest beta version of iOS.
A new Apple TV logo and identity
With the third beta of iOS 26.1, which was released to developers on Monday, Apple revealed the new logo for the Apple TV app and Apple TV+. It looks a lot like the old logo, but this time with colors and a Liquid Glass effect instead of plain white characters.
The new logo can also be seen in certain parts of the app to indicate that a film is part of Apple’s streaming platform catalog. Of course, since this is beta software, the old name “Apple TV+” is still visible in some of the app’s menus. It’s also still present in the “Entertainment” tab of Apple’s website.
Apple
The news came as a surprise early this morning when Apple issued a press release announcing that “F1 The Movie” would begin streaming on December 12th. At the end of the press release, the company mentions that “Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a dynamic new identity.”
There are no further details on when the new identity will go live, but it will likely happen in the coming weeks alongside the public release of iOS 26.1.
What is behind the name change?
It’s unclear why Apple decided to remove the “+” from the Apple TV. Honestly, it seems a little awkward to tell someone that I’m watching an Apple TV show on the Apple TV app on an Apple TV. Hopefully the new branding will make more sense once Apple tells us the whole story.
It’s also possible that the “Apple TV+” brand will return at some point with a different focus. Many rumors suggest that Apple is planning to launch different tiers for its streaming catalog, like other services. If true, “TV+” could become the leading ad-free package.
Apple is rumored to announce new products in the coming days, including the iPad Pro M5 and MacBook Pro M5, and possibly a new Apple TV 4K. Perhaps we’ll learn more about Apple TV’s new branding from these announcements.
