The Apple TV has steadily evolved since 2017, gradually adding features that early adopters had been requesting for years. When the Apple TV 4K launched that year, the streaming device showed considerable promise but lacked a number of capabilities that would later define it as a mature streaming platform.
A wishlist compiled in March 2017 outlined seven improvements hoped for in a future Apple TV refresh. Over subsequent hardware and software releases, six of those seven requests were addressed by Apple, transforming the compact streamer into a far more capable device.
The Features Apple Added Over Time
Among the improvements delivered were an Amazon video app, native 4K support and enhanced TV control. These additions brought the Apple TV in line with expectations for a premium streaming box and broadened its appeal to households seeking a single hub for their entertainment.
The final item to arrive from the original list was a remote finder, a tool designed to help locate the frequently misplaced Apple TV remote. This capability launched in 2023 with tvOS 17, using the company’s Find My network to track the accessory. A comparable feature had appeared earlier on rival hardware, with Roku introducing its own remote-locating function in 2015 alongside the Roku 4.
The One Request Still Unfulfilled
Despite these numerous updates, one item from the 2017 wishlist remains outstanding. The Apple TV still does not include an optical audio output, a connection that some users had hoped to see for integrating the device with older audio equipment. As of 2026, this port has not been incorporated into any version of the streaming device.
The Apple TV first launched in its more recent forms with the Apple TV HD in 2015, followed by the Apple TV 4K in 2017. Across these generations, the device has shifted from a promising but incomplete product into one that fulfils the majority of the requests made by long-standing users.
The remote finder function continues to rely on Apple’s Find My network to help owners track down a misplaced remote, marking the most recent major addition drawn from that original list of seven desired features.
