Apple TV app adds sign language interpretation starting November 13
Apple TV adds ASL and BSL interpretation to select Apple Originals on November 13 for devices on OS 27.2 or later.
Apple · Macfolio · 11 November 2026
Apple is adding on-screen sign language interpretation to the Apple TV app. The feature launches Friday, November 13, 2026, alongside the global streaming premiere of the Apple Original film Being Heumann, and works on Macs as well as iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Vision Pro.
How it works
According to Apple Newsroom, the interpretation is designed and tested by Deaf and native signers, with each performance crafted for the specific film. Viewers turn the option on in the Apple TV app settings, then press the Sign Language button while watching a supported title. Supported titles carry a Sign Language icon, and search understands phrases like "with ASL."
Confirmed details:
- Launch: November 13, 2026, with Being Heumann
- Languages: American Sign Language and British Sign Language for Being Heumann and F1
- Coming later this year: Way of the Warrior Kid and Greyhound, with more Apple Originals to follow
- Requirements: iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2 or visionOS 27.2 or later, or supported third-party devices running the latest app
Apple is also adding a "Movies & Shows with American Sign Language" collection in the app.
Who benefits and what to do
Deaf and hard of hearing viewers get interpretation inside the regular title, rather than hunting for a separate version. On a Mac, you need macOS 27.2 or later and the Apple TV app; if you skipped the November 9 updates, install macOS 27.2.1 first, which you should do anyway for its security fixes. Accessibility teams and educators who use Apple Original content in training or classes may also want to note which titles support it.
This does not mean every Apple TV title now has sign language. At launch it is a small set of Apple Originals, and Apple has not said whether licensed titles will get it. Apple also did not list languages beyond ASL and BSL.
Our take: building interpretation into the player, with Deaf creators involved, is the right approach and better than separate ASL versions that are easy to miss. The catalog is tiny for now, so its value depends on how quickly Apple expands it.
Caveats: availability may vary by region and device, and the experience may differ on third-party TVs.