iOS 1.4.8 and tvOS 1.5.2 are here. This is the biggest overhaul since the apps were first released in 2018. The changes go deeper than meets the eye.
Netstream TV is gradually bringing all platforms up to the same standard. It started with First Screen, then WebTV. Now it’s iOS and Apple TV’s turn. Both apps now follow the same design principles as First Screen. Logos, colors, icons, and backgrounds have been standardized. Both apps now support Light and Dark Mode and, for the first time, have their own Home Screen. And under the hood, more changes have been made than meet the eye.
From old to new: a matter of patience
Eight years of app development take their toll. The app has been continuously refined, but Apple’s platform has undergone fundamental changes during that time. New frameworks, new design paradigms, new possibilities. At some point, incremental adjustments are no longer enough, and the question arises as to whether a complete overhaul might not be the more honest approach.
We’ve been at this point more than once. Building a new app from scratch would have made things much easier. But it would also have meant taking a stable, productive app off the market. So we decided to take the other approach: step by step, screen by screen, without interrupting ongoing operations. What you see is the new design, the Light and Dark modes, and the Home screen. What you don’t see is just as important.
One app per platform, not one app for all
We could have built a uniform interface for all devices. We didn't. It was a deliberate decision.
The iPhone and iPad will get the native tab bar and support Liquid Glass in iOS 26. Apple TV will get a side menu, similar to the one on the First Screen. Each platform will get the design that feels right for it.
It takes more effort. But an app that behaves on every device the way you'd expect it to based on the platform is a better app. Consistency across all Netstream TV platforms—yes, but not at the expense of the platform-specific experience.
{ dev_mode: true }
Apple has ushered in a new era with Xcode 18, the new tvOS 17 Min target, and Swift 6 Strict Concurrency. For us, this wasn't a limitation, but a welcome opportunity to build the code on a more solid foundation.
Two major structural changes are underway: ReSwift is being phased out in favor of Combine and ObservableObject, screen by screen. Storyboards are giving way to programmatic UI, also gradually.
The variety of hardware remains a particular challenge: Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K are both in use, but differ significantly in performance. Every decision made in the code must work on both devices. That may sound like a minor issue, but in practice it’s a constant balancing act.
To be continued
That wasn't the end—it was just the beginning. The apps' feature set will be expanded gradually. As always, you can find the latest information in the changelog at netstream.ch/tv-updates.
