VPN software has long suffered a usability problem on television platforms: the tools designed to protect your connection were often cumbersome enough to discourage using them at all. ExpressVPN's latest update to its Apple TV app addresses that friction directly, introducing a redesigned home screen, favourite-location shortcuts, three additional protocol options, and a built-in speed test - changes that collectively shift the experience from tolerable to practical.
Why TV Remains a Difficult Platform for Privacy Tools
The challenge of running a VPN on a smart TV or streaming device is partly architectural and partly a matter of input design. Unlike a laptop or phone, a television interface is built around a remote control - a blunt instrument for anything requiring precise selection or text entry. Most VPN apps were designed for touchscreens or keyboards first, then ported to TV operating systems as an afterthought, which meant buried menus, multi-step location switching, and a general sense that the app was fighting the platform it ran on.
Apple TV occupies an interesting position in this space. Its tvOS operating system is more structured and developer-friendly than many competing streaming platforms, which makes it a reasonable target for a well-designed VPN client. Still, the constraint remains: any interaction that would take two taps on a phone can require five or six clicks with a remote, and that difference compounds over time into a genuine disincentive to use the app consistently.
What the Updated App Actually Changes
The redesign places the most frequently needed controls - the connection toggle, the current location, the active protocol, and saved favourite locations - on a single home screen. The layout follows the same visual hierarchy as ExpressVPN's iOS app, which matters for users who move between devices and expect consistency. More concretely, it removes the need to enter a separate menu just to connect to a frequently used server.
Favourite locations are not a new feature in ExpressVPN's ecosystem, but surfacing them on the home screen as one-click tiles is a meaningful change in practice. Connecting to a preferred server in the UK, Japan, or the United States no longer requires scrolling through a full server list or, worse, typing with an on-screen keyboard. The distance between opening the app and being connected shrinks considerably.
The protocol additions carry more technical weight. The app previously supported Lightway - ExpressVPN's proprietary protocol - and an automatic selection mode. The update adds WireGuard and OpenVPN in both its UDP and TCP variants. For most users, the automatic setting remains the right default; it selects the best-performing protocol based on current network conditions without requiring any input. The expanded options matter for a narrower audience: users on corporate or restricted networks where specific protocols are blocked, those troubleshooting unusual latency, or those who have a considered preference for an open-source protocol they can audit independently.
WireGuard, developed in the mid-2010s and now widely adopted across the VPN industry, is notable for its lean codebase - substantially smaller than OpenVPN's - which makes it easier to audit for security vulnerabilities and generally faster to establish a connection. OpenVPN, the older standard, remains valuable precisely because of its track record and widespread compatibility. TCP mode, which wraps traffic in a format that resembles ordinary web browsing, is particularly useful on networks that scrutinise or throttle standard VPN traffic. Having both available on a TV app gives technically informed users genuine flexibility without imposing that complexity on those who don't need it.
The speed test rounds out the update by giving users a way to benchmark server performance from within the app. When a connection feels sluggish or a specific server location appears to be underperforming, the alternative has typically been to disconnect, switch, reconnect, and assess by feel. A built-in diagnostic removes that guesswork and keeps the process contained to a single interface.
The Broader Case for VPN Use on Streaming Devices
People use VPNs on television platforms for several distinct reasons, and usability improvements affect each of them differently. Accessing region-locked streaming libraries is the most commonly cited use case - different countries carry different content catalogues on the same platforms, and a VPN connection routed through another country can make that content available. Encrypting traffic on a shared or public network is a more security-oriented motivation, relevant for anyone using a streaming device in a hotel, short-term rental, or any environment where the underlying network is not fully trusted. A third category involves simply reducing the amount of behavioural data that internet service providers can collect about viewing habits, since ISPs operating in many jurisdictions can legally log and sell traffic metadata without user consent.
None of these use cases are well served by a VPN that is too cumbersome to engage consistently. An app that people connect to only occasionally - because switching servers is effortful or because the interface is slow - offers substantially weaker protection than one people actually use. That is the practical argument for design investment in this category, and it is why the changes in this update matter beyond their individual feature value.
Getting the Update
The updated app is available now through the App Store on Apple TV. Existing subscribers can access all new features by opening the App Store, finding ExpressVPN, and selecting Update. No additional configuration is required, and the changes are included within existing subscription tiers.
