Owners of Apple’s fourth-generation Apple TV 4K are encountering black screens and device-testing warnings when opening YouTube, with a software update offering a possible workaround.
Apple’s newly launched fourth-generation Apple TV 4K is facing an unusual software issue, with some users reporting that the YouTube application does not work properly on the device.
The streaming device, introduced earlier this year as a competitor to Google’s TV Streamer, has started reaching customers, but early users have encountered problems when trying to open YouTube.
According to a report by The Verge, some Apple TV 4K owners are greeted by a black screen containing a QR code and an error message stating, “YouTube is not yet available on this device.”
The problem prevents affected users from accessing the application, although reports suggest that the issue does not affect everyone in the same way.
Some users have managed to launch YouTube, but their screens display a transparent red warning bar at the bottom. The message reads, “YouTube app is approved for device testing only and not for production use.”
The warning suggests that the version of YouTube currently appearing on some devices may be intended for testing rather than general public use.
A possible workaround has been shared by Tom Warren, who reported that users can attempt to resolve the issue by updating their Apple TV to tvOS 27.2.
After installing the update, users need to force restart the streaming device. They should then uninstall the YouTube application and reinstall it.
This process may allow the application to load correctly and remove the error messages appearing on affected devices.
However, it remains unclear how many customers are experiencing the problem or whether the suggested workaround resolves it for all affected users.
The issue is particularly noticeable because YouTube is one of the most widely used applications on streaming devices. Customers purchasing a new Apple TV 4K generally expect essential streaming services to work without additional troubleshooting.
Apple and YouTube users will be watching for further updates as the new device becomes available to more customers.