Apple TV Adds Profiles and Sign Language in iOS 27.2
Photo Credit: Samuel Boivin
Apple is bringing user profiles to the iPhone and iPad versions of its Apple TV service with iOS and iPadOS 27.2, which arrives next week, closing a gap that has long separated it from rival streaming platforms. Apple TV has been the only major streaming service without profile support on iPhone and iPad, and that changes with the update.
Profiles have existed in tvOS for big-screen viewing, and the feature now extends to Apple's handheld platforms. Profiles created on one platform sync automatically to others, so each viewer keeps a personalized playback history, queue, and set of recommendations. Parents can set up a profile for a child that limits viewing to age-appropriate Apple TV content.
Apple is pairing the expansion with a set of new profile image options. Characters from the service's kids' programming, among them The Snoopy Show, Frog and Toad, and Stillwater, can now be used as profile images in iOS 27.2.
The second feature addresses accessibility. Apple TV is moving past subtitles with official sign language support on a selection of movies and shows. In iOS 27.2, users have the option to turn on American Sign Language or British Sign Language, with the setting located in the Settings app under Apps, then TV, then Sign Language.
How many titles will support sign language at launch is unknown. Subtitle and caption options have been standard across services for years, while dedicated sign language tracks remain rare.
Apple TV costs $14.99 per month, with a discount available through the Apple One bundle. Profiles on mobile devices have been a staple elsewhere for years.
Both features arrive with the broader iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS 27.2 rollout expected next week. We are keeping an eye out for which Apple TV titles gain sign language support once the update goes live.
