[GH-ISSUE #4467] Add Native Apple TV (tvOS) Client Support #9481

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opened 2026-08-05 01:22:18 -04:00 by saavagebueno · 0 comments
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Originally created by @TipsTricksMore on GitHub (Sep 9, 2025).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/issues/4467

Description:
It would be great to have native Apple TV (tvOS) support for NetBird, similar to what Tailscale has recently introduced. Apple TVs are increasingly being used as low-power, always-on devices in home and office setups, making them excellent candidates for acting as:

  • Exit nodes (for routing traffic through a home/office network)
  • Subnet routers (to expose on-prem devices like NAS, printers, or legacy systems)
  • Clients for secure access to media servers (e.g., Plex, Jellyfin, Emby etc.)

Why Apple TV?

  • Always on & energy efficient: Apple TVs typically stay powered and connected, using <1W idle power.
  • Convenient placement: Often centrally located in a home network, connected to wired Ethernet or stable Wi-Fi.
  • Trusted ecosystem: Many users already rely on Apple TV as a hub for home media and networking.
  • User expectations: Competitors (e.g., Tailscale) have released tvOS support with positive reception and wide adoption.

Use Cases

  1. Use Apple TV as a subnet router to access other devices on the home LAN remotely.
  2. Advertise Apple TV as an exit node, allowing remote devices to tunnel traffic through the home network.
  3. Run Apple TV as a standard NetBird client, enabling secure access to tailnet resources directly from the device.

Alternatives Considered
Currently, there are no good workarounds. Users may run a separate always-on device (Raspberry Pi, VM, etc.), but this increases cost, complexity, and power usage.

Impact
Adding tvOS support would expand NetBird’s reach, especially in self-hosted, home-lab, and small office environments, where Apple TV devices are common and underutilized for networking purposes.

Originally created by @TipsTricksMore on GitHub (Sep 9, 2025). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/issues/4467 **Description:** It would be great to have native Apple TV (tvOS) support for NetBird, similar to what Tailscale has recently introduced. Apple TVs are increasingly being used as low-power, always-on devices in home and office setups, making them excellent candidates for acting as: - Exit nodes (for routing traffic through a home/office network) - Subnet routers (to expose on-prem devices like NAS, printers, or legacy systems) - Clients for secure access to media servers (e.g., Plex, Jellyfin, Emby etc.) **Why Apple TV?** - Always on & energy efficient: Apple TVs typically stay powered and connected, using <1W idle power. - Convenient placement: Often centrally located in a home network, connected to wired Ethernet or stable Wi-Fi. - Trusted ecosystem: Many users already rely on Apple TV as a hub for home media and networking. - User expectations: Competitors (e.g., Tailscale) have released tvOS support with positive reception and wide adoption. **Use Cases** 1. Use Apple TV as a subnet router to access other devices on the home LAN remotely. 2. Advertise Apple TV as an exit node, allowing remote devices to tunnel traffic through the home network. 3. Run Apple TV as a standard NetBird client, enabling secure access to tailnet resources directly from the device. **Alternatives Considered** Currently, there are no good workarounds. Users may run a separate always-on device (Raspberry Pi, VM, etc.), but this increases cost, complexity, and power usage. **Impact** Adding tvOS support would expand NetBird’s reach, especially in self-hosted, home-lab, and small office environments, where Apple TV devices are common and underutilized for networking purposes.
saavagebueno added the feature-request label 2026-08-05 01:22:18 -04:00
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Reference: DYNR/netbird#9481