Apple TV will add an on-screen sign language interpreter to two films on Friday, Nov. 13. Viewers can choose American Sign Language (ASL) or British Sign Language (BSL) for Being Heumann, which makes its streaming debut that day, and the racing film F1. On a supported device, turn on Sign Language in the Apple TV app, then select the language in the playback controls.
Check the device and app version
Apple lists five minimum software versions in its feature announcement: iOS 27.2 for iPhone, iPadOS 27.2 for iPad, macOS 27.2 for Mac, tvOS 27.2 for Apple TV hardware and visionOS 27.2 for Apple Vision Pro. A later version also qualifies. For supported third-party devices, Apple says to use the latest version of the Apple TV app.
The Apple TV app itself runs on a wider range of devices. Apple’s announcement names smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV and game consoles as examples of where people can watch Apple TV, but gives no model-by-model list for sign language interpretation. If you watch on a TV or streaming stick, check for an app update and look for the setting on that device. The announcement does not specify support for web playback. In the U.S., Apple lists its streaming subscription at $14.99 a month, with a seven-day trial for new subscribers. Check the device requirements before signing up for either film’s interpreted version.
Turn on interpretation and choose a language
On a TV or living room device, open the Apple TV app and its sidebar, then go to Settings > Accessibility > Sign Language. This is the setting inside the streaming app. Once it is on, start one of the supported films and use the Sign Language button in the player to select ASL or BSL.
Apple says a Sign Language icon will identify titles with interpretation. If the player button is missing, start with Being Heumann or F1, check that the app setting is enabled and confirm the software version. You can also search the app for “with ASL” or browse the Movies & Shows with American Sign Language collection. The collection is a way to find titles with ASL. Check the individual player menu to see which languages that title offers.
The interpreter appears on screen alongside the movie. Closed captions and subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers present dialogue and other audio information in text. Apple lists those options separately on title pages, so a CC or SDH badge alone tells you nothing about whether a signed performance is available.
Being Heumann at launch
Ruth Madeley plays Judy Heumann in Siân Heder’s film about the disability rights activist. The story follows the 1977 sit-in in San Francisco, part of a campaign to get the federal government to enforce Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The National Park Service documents how protesters occupied a federal building for nearly a month while demanding rules to implement the law’s protections against disability discrimination.
Daniel Durant appears in the film and directed its sign language interpretation. Apple says Deaf and native signers helped design and test the viewing feature. The official trailer introduces the film and its setting. Use the feature in the Apple TV app to see the signed presentation of the full film.
F1 and the titles Apple says are next
F1 also gets both sign languages on Nov. 13, according to Apple. It is the existing film starring Brad Pitt as driver Sonny Hayes, so viewers can try the player control on a film already in the catalog. Apple says Way of the Warrior Kid and Greyhound will get interpretation later in 2026. The company has not announced specific dates for those two films or a timetable for the rest of its catalog.
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