how to downgrade to tvos 16

tvos 17.2 has completely ruined cec hdmi volume control via the Apple remote.

I have two Apple TV 4k 3rd gen devices and have used the RF ability of the Apple Remote to control the volume on connected devices without ever having to be in direct line of sight for years until the 17.2 update.

One Apple TV is connected to a Yamaha RX-A3070 via HDMI for my 9.2.4 home theater projector.

The other Apple TV is connected directly to a Samsung TV via HDMI.

I’m an electrical engineer for a cable company and I test our app across all types of devices so I am extremely well versed in troubleshooting. I also tried updating one device to beta 17.3 hoping for a fix but no luck. I really wish I could downgrade to 17.1 or prior.

If any developers or engineers would like to discuss, please reach out to me via my apple ID as I would be happy to assist in troubleshooting the issue, as well testing any potential alpha fixes.

thanks, and please fix this issue ASAP!!

Same here! If I could downgrade or at least go back to tvOS 17.1 I would. The latest update to 17.2 is horrendous. The TV Shows and Movies apps, now migrated to the TV app are so bad. Why do these app shortcuts for TV Shows and Movies even exist? A minor update from 17.1 to 17.2 should not have been so impactful. This was like going up a major version from 17 to 18 with no vision for what customers want.

Purchases are there, then they aren’t. Watch history is completely gone. I have to restart the device like an Android phone from 2014. Whatever Apple is doing is disappointing and I’m ready to boot up my Roku again.

Similar issue. IOS17 update has completely messed up my third party remote controls for Apple TV. The actual Apple remotes work, but my wife prefers a multi system remote for all our AV set up. Is this going to be fixed?

As a developer, we really need a supported way to downgrade to support legacy OS users. For instance, working on DRM video playback needs to be done on an actual device, a Simulator with it's playback limitations, is not sufficient for this purpose.

Hey there Lorenzo9216,

Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities. We understand you've run into some issues with the latest tvOS version. While there is not a supported way to downgrade tvOS, because that can cause some stability issues, we'd like to help out. If you don't mind, start by telling us a few details about what's not working as expected, or what doesn't meet your preferences. We'll use that information to get started.

In the meantime, you can check out this Apple TV support website to see if you can find any useful resources: Apple TV - Official Apple Support

Take care.

… support legacy OS users.

At this time, all models Apple TV from the 2015 model 4th generation and later, support the latest OS version. About Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD software updates - Apple Support. There is no reason to stay behind. Despite the incidental claims of users with issues, reverting would not be a solution. Fixes will come with later updates. Retired functions will soon be broken on older OSs, when Apple ‘unplugs’ the server that handled that. There are very good reasons to stay up-to-date: features, security updates, bug fixes. The only way is forward, and that’s a good thing.

As a developer …

That surprises me. Developers should want users to stay up-to-date on software versions, and know why that is important. When an app developer gets asked by a user why something doesn’t work, they’d also reply: “Well, have you updated to our latest version? Do that first.”

Remember when Netflix started requiring tvOS 16.1 or later, almost a year ago? Almost everyone still on prior version, updated then. Their older tvOS app versions didn’t connect anymore, apparently a server-side check for some compatibility. I think Apple was happy how that turned out, with getting users to do the updating. Lesser apps may not have that influence, but up-to-date users wouldn’t have noticed anything about it.