Issue with Disconnecting Third Party Apps from Apple TV App

Question

2023may Author

Level 1

26 points

Issue with Disconnecting Third Party Apps from Apple TV App

I have multiple Apple TVs across various rooms and have been using them for years with a collection of content tied to my Apple ID. I also have other third party apps installed and signed in to, on which I also view content.

I always said "Not Now" to every prompt I got in the Apple TV app to "Connect" the third party apps to the Apple TV app. Recently, I had a guest unintentionally "Connect" third party apps like Amazon Prime and Paramount+ to my Apple TV app by clicking the "Connect" button when prompted. Now, I can't seem to disconnect them.

I went to Settings > Apps > Connect to TV and turned off the connection for all third party apps that were linked but despite this, when I try to open movies/shows from the Apple TV app's Library/Store/Search, I'm still being taken directly into these third party apps without any prompts to reconnect or ask for permission.

In an attempt to resolve it, I signed out of all third party apps, uninstalled them, changed my passwords for both the third party apps and my Apple ID, then signed back into everything. However, the Apple TV app still seamlessly connects to those third party services, bypassing the permission prompts.

Is there a way to completely disconnect or reset the link between my Apple TV app and these third party apps?

Posted on Sep 7, 2025 12:24 PM

Reply

Answer 1

vazandrew

Level 8

40,834 points

Sep 13, 2025 10:42 AM in response to 2023may

Disconnecting will just stop content from those apps from being added to the queue and impacting recommendations.

What complicates matters is if a title is available on multiple services and defaults to one you don't wish to use, it will still attempt to playback in that provider's app (and direct you to install if it is not on the device).

You can long click on a title to get info and it will show all services it is available on (under "how to watch") and from there you can select your preferred service.

You are free to give Apple feedback.

Product Feedback - Apple

Reply

Answer 2

vazandrew

Level 8

40,834 points

Sep 27, 2025 11:59 AM in response to 2023may

Nothing is being used for recommendations nor is there tracking.

All that is happening is that it’s defaulting to a particular service for playback when a title is available on multiple services. The only way that can change is by letting Apple know and if enough give that feedback then the better likelihood they will do something.

Reply

Answer 3

2023may Author

Level 1

26 points

Sep 27, 2025 10:00 AM in response to 2023may

As suggested, I have reported the issue to Apple but there is still no solution.

I did not sign up for recommendations or usage tracking with Apple or any of the other entities and I most definitely don't want this information shared across them.

Why is there not an option to stop this?

Reply

Answer 4

2023may Author

Level 1

26 points

Sep 29, 2025 3:43 PM in response to vazandrew

Not only did this "default opening in a third party app" not happen prior to the connect event I originally described, but the fact that this behavior cascaded across numerous other devices indicates a binding of my Apple account data with the third party app.

[Edited by Moderator]

Reply

Answer 5

vazandrew

Level 8

40,834 points

Sep 29, 2025 2:53 PM in response to 2023may

I have been a regular tester for years and can tell you that it has always worked that way. It just won't present itself unless a specific title is available on multiple services and defaults to one other than the service you wish to use.

Again, nothing is being shared because the app itself is not connected (it is just defaulting to a specific service for playback, however when said app is not installed it will merely guide you to install and nothing further).

The only way to ensure Apple is getting feedback is to actually converse with others who are experiencing the behaviour and encourage them to contact Apple.

Reply

Answer 6

2023may Author

Level 1

26 points

Sep 29, 2025 6:10 PM in response to 2023may

Agreed, prior to the "Connect" event I mentioned in my request, I too did not experience this issue with third party app associations. The fact that this behavior affected multiple devices suggests that there may be some unintended linkage between my Apple account and the third party app. I too hope others are able to share similar experiences so that Apple can address this issue appropriately.

Reply

Answer 7

Vancouver22

Level 8

37,514 points

Sep 7, 2025 2:04 PM in response to 2023may

So you’ve gone into Settings > Apps > TV and scroll down to CONNECT TO TV?

Reply

Answer 8

2023may Author

Level 1

26 points

Sep 13, 2025 10:30 AM in response to 2023may

Is there a solution to this?

Reply

Answer 9

2023may Author

Level 1

26 points

Sep 13, 2025 3:57 PM in response to vazandrew

Thank you for the insight.

Is the suggestion that all I can do is request Apple to allow a disconnect feature in a future iteration?

Reply

Answer 10

vazandrew

Level 8

40,834 points

Sep 13, 2025 6:10 PM in response to 2023may

No problem. Yes, if you wanted that to change then you need to let them know. If enough do the same then there is a good chance they will take notice.

Reply