VPN software on television sets has long suffered from an awkward mismatch: tools designed for keyboards and touchscreens squeezed into an interface operated by a remote control. ExpressVPN's latest update to its Apple TV app addresses that mismatch directly, with a redesigned home screen, quick-access favourite locations, an integrated speed test, and three additional protocol options - all available now through the App Store at no extra cost to existing subscribers.
Why TV Remains a Difficult Platform for Privacy Tools
Smart TVs and streaming devices present a distinct usability challenge for security software. On a phone or laptop, switching server locations or adjusting protocol settings takes a few taps or clicks. On a television, the same actions often require cycling through nested menus with a directional remote, spelling out search terms one character at a time, or losing track of where a setting is buried. The friction discourages active use, which means people connect once, leave the settings untouched, and never explore whether a different server might serve them better.
That friction also has a privacy dimension. A VPN that people find too cumbersome to use properly offers weaker real-world protection than one they interact with regularly. Design quality, in this context, is not cosmetic - it directly affects whether the tool does its job.
What the Updated App Actually Changes
The redesigned home screen consolidates the elements people reach for most often: the connection toggle, the current server location, the active protocol, the most recently used location, and saved favourite locations. All of these now appear on a single screen, laid out with the logic of remote navigation in mind. The visual structure mirrors the iOS version of the app, which reduces the cognitive load of switching between devices.
Favourite locations, which previously required a trip into the Locations menu to access, are now surfaced as quick-connect tiles on the home screen. For a user who connects to the same two or three servers regularly - a home country for general browsing and a specific region for a particular streaming library, for instance - this removes several steps from a routine action.
The protocol additions are a meaningful expansion of flexibility. The previous version offered Lightway and an automatic selection mode. The update introduces WireGuard, OpenVPN UDP, and OpenVPN TCP. These are all well-established, open protocols with distinct characteristics worth understanding:
- WireGuard is a modern protocol valued for its lean codebase and generally fast connection speeds, making it a popular choice for users who want manual control without sacrificing performance.
- OpenVPN UDP prioritises speed by forgoing some of the error-correction overhead associated with TCP, making it suitable for streaming and general browsing on stable connections.
- OpenVPN TCP is more reliable on unstable or restrictive networks because it retransmits lost packets, at the cost of some speed. It also tends to blend in more easily on networks that block or throttle VPN traffic.
ExpressVPN recommends keeping protocol selection on Automatic for most users, and that remains sound advice. The added options matter most for users troubleshooting a connection problem, working around a network that blocks certain traffic types, or who simply have an informed preference built on experience.
The built-in speed test rounds out the update. It measures server performance from the Apple TV itself, giving users a direct read on whether a particular location is underperforming. Previously, diagnosing a slow connection meant either tolerating it or switching servers at random. The speed test makes that process deliberate and visible.
The Broader Case for a Well-Designed TV VPN
Streaming is now one of the most common use cases for consumer VPNs. Geographic licensing restrictions mean that the same subscription service offers different content libraries depending on where you are, and many users connect through a VPN to access content that is licensed in another region. At the same time, smart TV platforms collect significant amounts of viewing data - behaviour that is governed by varying privacy standards depending on the manufacturer and jurisdiction. A VPN encrypts traffic between the device and the server, limiting what can be observed at the network level, though it does not prevent data collection by apps running on the device itself.
Against that backdrop, the quality of the interface matters. A VPN that sits on a device but rarely gets used because connecting is awkward provides little of either benefit. The direction ExpressVPN has taken with this update - consolidating the most-used features, reducing the steps required for routine actions, and adding tools for informed troubleshooting - reflects a realistic understanding of how people actually use these tools on television hardware.
The update is available now. Opening the App Store on Apple TV, locating ExpressVPN, and selecting Update is all that is required. No reconfiguration is needed, and all new features are included with an existing subscription.
