VPN software has a usability problem, and it becomes most obvious when you try to use one on a television. ExpressVPN's latest update to its Apple TV app takes a direct run at that problem, adding a redesigned home screen, favourite locations as quick-access tiles, a built-in speed test, and three additional VPN protocol options - all available now through the App Store. The changes are incremental in scope but meaningful in practice, addressing the specific friction points that make VPN use on a TV feel more laborious than it should.
Why TV Remains the Hardest Device for VPN Usability
A VPN on a smartphone or laptop benefits from a touchscreen or keyboard - two input methods that make switching servers, adjusting settings, or running diagnostics relatively painless. A television remote offers none of that. Every additional step in a VPN interface, every sub-menu or on-screen keyboard field, costs the user more time and more patience than the same action would on any other device.
This matters because Apple TV is increasingly central to how people consume streaming content, and VPNs are a standard tool for doing so with greater privacy or geographic flexibility. The practical reality is that many users who install a VPN on their Apple TV will simply not use it to its full capability if doing so requires repeated navigation through layered menus. Interface design, in this context, is not cosmetic - it is directly tied to whether the security and privacy benefits of the tool get used at all.
What the Update Actually Changes
The redesigned home screen consolidates the most frequently needed controls into a single view: the connection toggle, selected location, active protocol, most recent location, and favourite locations. That last element - favourites appearing directly on the home screen as one-click tiles - is the change most users will feel immediately. Previously, accessing a saved favourite still required going into the Locations menu. Now, those tiles appear the moment you open the app.
The protocol additions are the update's most technically substantive change. The app previously offered Lightway - ExpressVPN's proprietary protocol - and an automatic selection mode. WireGuard and OpenVPN, in both its UDP and TCP forms, are now also available. For most users, the automatic setting remains the sensible default; it selects the best available protocol for the current network conditions without requiring any input. But manual protocol selection has genuine value in specific situations: when a network actively restricts certain traffic types, when UDP connections are unstable and TCP offers better reliability, or when a user simply wants consistency with how they connect on other devices.
A brief note on what these protocols represent: WireGuard is a modern, lightweight tunneling protocol known for fast connection times and a compact codebase that is relatively straightforward to audit. OpenVPN is a well-established open-source protocol with a long security track record. UDP prioritises speed; TCP prioritises reliable delivery and is more likely to traverse restrictive firewalls. Having all three available on a single TV-connected device gives technically informed users meaningful options without forcing less experienced users to engage with them.
The built-in speed test rounds out the update. Running a benchmark directly from the Apple TV - rather than relying on a secondary device or third-party app - lets users quickly identify whether a specific server is underperforming and whether switching locations might improve their experience. It is a practical quality-of-life addition that removes a step from a common troubleshooting process.
The Broader Case for VPN Usability
The value of a VPN depends entirely on consistent use. A tool that is technically sound but practically cumbersome will be bypassed - people will disconnect it, forget to reconnect, or simply stop using it on the devices where friction is highest. For privacy-focused users, that inconsistency creates gaps in protection. For streaming users, it means the geographic flexibility they subscribed for goes untapped.
Updates like this one are, in that sense, as much about privacy outcomes as about interface polish. When a VPN is fast to connect, easy to reconfigure, and does not interrupt the viewing experience, users are more likely to keep it active. That consistency is where the privacy and security benefit actually lives.
The update is available now on the App Store and is included with existing ExpressVPN subscriptions at no additional cost.
