You just unboxed that sleek black puck, hooked up the HDMI, and now you’re staring at the home screen. It looks great. But where is Netflix? Where’s that niche fitness app you use, or the latest Jackbox game for your weekend party? If you are sitting there wondering how do you download apps to apple tv, you aren’t alone. Honestly, it should be a one-click affair, but Apple’s ecosystem has some quirks that can trip up even the most tech-savvy people.
It is mostly about the "App Store" icon, but there is a lot more under the hood—especially if you are using a model from a few years back or trying to manage storage that is suddenly full.
Finding the App Store (And What to Do if It’s Missing)
The primary way you grab new software is through the App Store. Simple. You look for the blue icon with the white "A" made of popsicle sticks.
Open that up. Use your Siri Remote to swipe over to the search magnifying glass or just browse the "Discover" tab. Apple’s latest tvOS 26 interface uses something they call Liquid Glass—it’s basically just a fancy way of saying the background blurs and reflects the colors of the app art. It looks cool, but don't let the eye candy distract you. To get an app, you just click "Get" for free ones or the price tag for paid ones.
But what if the App Store isn't there?
If you're staring at a screen that only has a handful of icons like "Movies," "TV Shows," and "Settings," but no App Store, you might have an older unit. Specifically, if you own an Apple TV 1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation, you cannot download apps. Period. Those older boxes used a "pushed" system where Apple decided which apps you got. If it isn't there, you can't add it. For those older models, your best bet is actually AirPlay—beaming the app from your iPhone to the TV.
The Secret to Fast Downloads: Use Your Phone
Searching for apps with the remote is a nightmare. Typing "Crunchyroll" letter by letter using a glass touchpad is a special kind of torture.
Kinda cool tip: If you’re signed into the same Apple Account (they’ve moved away from the "Apple ID" branding recently) on your iPhone and Apple TV, you don't have to type. When you open a search field on the TV, a notification usually pops up on your iPhone. Tap it, and you can use your phone's keyboard.
Also, check your settings. If you go to Settings > Apps, you can toggle on Automatic Installs. This is a lifesaver. If you download a streaming app on your iPad or iPhone, and there’s a TV version of it, your Apple TV will quietly download it in the background while you’re sleeping.
When the "Get" Button Fails You
Sometimes you find the app, you click the button, and... nothing. Or maybe it just spins forever.
I've seen this happen most often because of two things: billing issues or storage limits. Even for free apps, Apple sometimes requires a valid payment method on file. If your credit card expired, the App Store might just hang.
Then there's the storage problem. The Apple TV 4K usually comes in 64GB or 128GB flavors. That sounds like a lot for a streaming box, but if you’re a gamer using Apple Arcade, those files are huge. To see what’s eating your space:
- Go to Settings.
- Click General.
- Scroll down to Manage Storage.
You'll see a list of apps ordered by size. If you see something like "Asphalt 8" taking up several gigabytes and you haven't played it in a year, trash it. You can always redownload it later; your save data is usually tucked away in iCloud anyway.
Re-downloading Your Old Purchases
You don't have to pay twice. If you bought an app on a different Apple TV or even years ago on an older model, it lives in your "Purchased" history.
In the App Store, look at the top navigation bar. Swipe over to Purchased. There is a section there called "Not on This TV." This is basically a graveyard of every app you’ve ever touched. It’s the fastest way to set up a new device without having to remember the names of every single streaming service you subscribe to.
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Troubleshooting the "Download Failed" Glitch
If you’re still stuck, it might be a deeper software glitch. Apple recently pushed tvOS 26.2, and while it's mostly stable, some people have reported that the App Store gets "stuck."
Try a "Soft Reset" first. Don't just turn the TV off. Hold down the Back (or Menu) button and the TV button on your Siri Remote at the same time. Keep holding them until the little light on the front of the Apple TV box starts flashing rapidly. Let go, and the system will reboot. This clears the cache and usually unblocks any stuck downloads.
One more thing: check your region. If you’re trying to download a US-only app (like Max or Hulu) but your Apple Account is set to the UK or Canada, the app won't even show up in search. You’d need a dedicated account for that region to see those apps.
Actionable Next Steps
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To get your Apple TV fully loaded and running smoothly, start with these three steps:
- Audit your hardware: Verify you have an Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K (check for the App Store icon). If you have an older 3rd Gen model, consider an upgrade to the 2025/2026 4K model to gain app access.
- Enable Background Sync: Navigate to Settings > Apps and turn on Automatically Install Apps so your iPhone downloads show up on your TV without extra work.
- Clean your Storage: Go to Settings > General > Manage Storage and delete at least two large apps or games you no longer use to ensure the system has enough "breathing room" for OS updates and new metadata.