Apple has rebranded its streaming service with "a vibrant new identity", and it involves a confusing name change.
The tech titan snuck the reworked streaming service name into the announcement that the 2025 blockbuster F1 The Movie will be available to stream on the platform from Friday, the 12th of December.
Right at the bottom of the press release, Apple says "Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV", meaning the service has dropped the "+" from its name.
While it's certainly a cleaner look, it will also make things even harder to distinguish within Apple's streaming repertoire.
Apple TV can now refer to one of three things: the streaming service, the digital store where you can buy or rent films and TV shows, or the streaming box that you connect to your TV via HDMI.
Furthermore, that "vibrant new identity" is already beginning to make an appearance, as users who have updated their Apple TV 4K to the tvOS 26.1 beta software have reported (via MacRumours) a colourful new app icon that's replaced the previous monochromatic look.
The same branding has begun to crop up on Apple's streaming press site, too, which you can see here.
So why has Apple made this change? It's hard to tell; however, with reports mounting of a new Apple TV 4K streamer, this brand refresh is certainly adding fuel to the fire.
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Read our full Apple TV+ review
And check out our Apple TV 4K (2022) review
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