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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Apple’s 11 underwater Aerial screen savers are real, but they are not a new 2026 release. Apple added the collection on January 31, 2020, for Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K. The reported footage includes jellyfish, dolphins, kelp forests, rays, sharks, coral, waves and a humpback whale. On current Apple TV 4K software, you can find underwater scenes through the Aerial screen-saver settings.
This concerns the Apple TV device’s built-in screen saver—not the Apple TV+ streaming service.
What Apple added in 2020
The original report said Apple expanded its Aerial library with 11 underwater clips. They were added to the normal Aerial rotation, so people already using Aerials could encounter the new marine footage without installing an app or buying a subscription.
The report was published on January 31, 2020. It should therefore be read as a historical Apple TV update, not as a current announcement. Apple’s Aerial library and controls have evolved since then, and Apple’s current documentation describes underwater scenes as one of the available Aerial categories rather than promising that the library still contains exactly the same 11 clips.
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See the contemporary report for the original announcement.
The 11 underwater clips
The original list included the following entries:
- Alaskan Jellies: two clips
- Tahiti Waves: two clips
- California Dolphins
- California Kelp Forest
- Costa Rica Dolphins
- Cownose Rays
- Gray Reef Sharks
- Humpback Whale
- Red Sea Coral
The count is 11 because Alaskan Jellies and Tahiti Waves each represented two clips. The remaining seven entries were single clips: 2 + 2 + 7 = 11.
The contemporary report indicated that HD and 4K versions appeared to be available. That was an observation from the time, not a current Apple specification for every clip, so it is safest not to assume identical resolution, codec or HDR behavior across the present-day library.
How to find the Underwater Aerials
On a current Apple TV 4K, use this path:
- Open Settings.
- Select Screen Saver.
- Select Aerials.
- Choose Choose Aerials.
- Select the Underwater category.
- Show or hide individual clips, or manage the category using the available controls.
Apple’s current guide also includes a Download Frequency setting. This controls how often Apple TV downloads new Aerial videos. The number of Aerials stored on the device depends on available storage, so the television may not retain the entire library at once.
Apple now organizes Aerials into broader categories such as Cityscape, Earth, Landscape and Underwater. Menu names and available categories can vary with hardware, software version, country and region. Apple’s current screen-saver guide is the best reference if your menus differ.
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Will the underwater clips appear automatically?
In 2020, Apple said the new underwater videos would enter the rotation automatically for users who already had the Aerial screen saver enabled. On current software, automatic appearance depends on a few settings:
- Aerials must be the active screen-saver type.
- The Underwater category or its individual clips must not be hidden.
- Downloads must be enabled or frequent enough for new videos to arrive.
- The Apple TV needs available storage to retain downloaded Aerials.
When an Aerial is playing, Apple says you can swipe left or right on the Apple TV Remote to move to another location or video. That gives you some control over the rotation, but it is not the same as selecting a named video from a conventional playlist.
Can you make one exact video play permanently?
Not through the normal Aerial settings. Apple lets you choose themes, show or hide categories, and hide individual Aerials. It does not generally provide a setting that permanently assigns one named clip—such as Humpback Whale or Red Sea Coral—as the sole screen saver.
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In practical terms:
- Yes: prioritize or select the Underwater theme.
- Yes: hide clips you do not want in the rotation.
- Yes: skip between available videos while the screen saver is playing.
- No: create a permanent one-video Aerial playlist through the standard settings.
How to start the screen saver
To activate the screen saver manually, return to the Home Screen and use the Back or Menu button as supported by your Apple TV Remote and tvOS version. Apple documents the exact interaction in its screen-saver activation guide.
Apple calls these videos Aerial screen savers, not wallpapers. “Wallpaper” can suggest a static image, while Aerials are moving videos that play when Apple TV is idle.
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Which Apple TV models support them?
The 2020 report named Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K as compatible with the underwater additions. Current Apple support documentation says Aerial screen savers are not available on Apple TV (2nd generation) or Apple TV (3rd generation).
Compatibility is not simply a matter of the Apple TV brand name. Menus, categories and content can vary by model, tvOS version, country and region. Current documentation focuses especially on Apple TV 4K, while older Apple TV HD owners may see different controls from those shown in the latest Apple TV 4K guide.
Apple’s general Apple TV screen-saver support page explains the model limitation and notes that the number of downloaded Aerials depends on available storage.
Why the clips may be missing
If you do not see the underwater footage, check these items in order:
- Confirm the active screen saver. Go to Settings > Screen Saver and make sure the current selection is Aerials, rather than Memories & Slideshows, Portraits or another option. Apple’s screen-saver settings guide covers this menu.
- Check the Underwater category. Open Settings > Screen Saver > Aerials > Choose Aerials and make sure the category and desired clips have not been hidden.
- Review Download Frequency. If downloads are disabled or set to occur infrequently, newly available Aerials may not appear promptly.
- Check storage. Apple limits the number of stored Aerial videos according to the space available on the device.
- Verify the model. Apple TV 2nd and 3rd generation models do not support Aerial screen savers.
- Allow for software and regional differences. Apple warns that features and content can vary by hardware, software, country and region.
Download settings and the data trade-off
Aerials should not be described as videos that continuously stream from Apple. Apple provides a download-frequency control and explains that the number of stored Aerials is limited by available storage. That means the experience involves downloaded or cached screen-saver content, although the supplied documentation does not establish specific file sizes or bandwidth requirements.
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Choosing more frequent downloads can keep the rotation fresher, but it can also increase network activity and use more local storage. Restricting the collection to Underwater makes the marine footage easier to find, but it reduces the variety of Apple’s wider Aerial library. Hiding individual videos offers useful control, though not the full playlist management of a dedicated video app.
Is Apple TV 4K worth buying for these videos?
If you already own a compatible Apple TV, the underwater Aerials are a built-in feature and do not require a separate purchase. If you do not own one, the current Apple TV 4K is the relevant Apple hardware to consider, but buying the device solely for 11 historical clips would be difficult to justify. Its value depends on whether you also want its broader television and streaming functions.
The important distinction is that the underwater videos are not a paid add-on. A compatible Apple TV and suitable software are the requirements; there is no separate underwater-Aerial subscription.
The bottom line
Apple really did add 11 underwater Aerial screen-saver clips—but it did so in January 2020. Today, compatible Apple TV owners can use Settings > Screen Saver > Aerials > Choose Aerials > Underwater to manage the marine collection. The exact library can change, so treat the original 11-clip list as a historical snapshot rather than a guarantee that precisely those 11 videos are still available on every device.
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