Sky Glass and Sky Stream are receiving a significant software update that brings several new features to their Entertainment OS – and the star of the show is a proper “Skip Ads” button that finally lets you jump past adverts with a single click.
The update, which is rolling out to all Sky Glass and Sky Stream users starting this week, also adds Apple AirPlay support, improved binge-watching features, and the ability to add favourite channels to your home screen.
Sky Glass and Sky Stream both use Entertainment OS, and they both receive regular updates and small fixes. The last major software update was released in April 2024, when Low-Latency modes for gaming and sports were introduced.
The new update will be automatically installed on your device when it’s in standby mode (usually overnight). If you haven’t received the update yet, you can try unplugging your device from the power, waiting about 20 seconds, and plugging it back in – this sometimes helps trigger the update process.
Sky Glass (see my review), which was released in 2021, is a 4K TV set that features a QLED HDR display and a built-in Dolby Atmos soundbar with six speakers.
Sky Stream (see my review) is a standalone streaming set-top box that works with any broadband provider.
Unlike Sky’s other services in the UK (like Sky Q), Sky Glass and Sky Stream don’t use a satellite dish – instead, they rely on broadband, and stream all the content to the TV, much like other streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV and Roku – or streaming services like Sky’s own NOW (see our Sky Stream VS Now comparison).
Here’s what’s coming with the December 2024:
Skip Ads Gets A Major Upgrade – Finally
The most exciting addition in this update is the new Skip Ads button, which dramatically improves the ad-skipping experience for those paying for Sky’s £5/month Ad Skipping add-on.
The history of ad-skipping on Sky Glass and Stream has been somewhat complicated. When these devices first launched, Sky’s own on-demand content actually had minimal adverts, showing them only before programmes started.
However, Sky later increased the number of advert breaks, adding them throughout shows and films – similar to traditional TV viewing.
To help with this, Sky offered their Ad Skipping add-on free for the first 12-18 months (depending on when you signed up). However, since late 2022, new customers have had to pay £5/month for it from day one.
Until now, even when paying for the add-on, viewers had to manually fast-forward through adverts – sitting through each break with remote in hand, trying not to skip too far ahead and miss the beginning of their programme.
While you could use voice commands to skip ahead by specific time intervals, it was still a hit-or-miss experience.
The new Skip Ads button changes all that, letting you jump past adverts instantly with a single click, thanks to a new button that shows up on the screen whenever adverts are playing (on supported content).
This brings the experience more in line with Sky’s NOW streaming service, where paying for NOW Boost (£6/month) removes adverts entirely from Sky’s content.
While Sky Glass and Stream users will still see the adverts initially, at least now they can skip them instantly instead of fumbling with fast-forward.
However, there’s an important caveat – the new Skip button only works on Sky’s own channels and on-demand content.
For third-party apps like ITVX, STV Player, Channel 5 and Channel 4, you’ll still need to manually fast-forward through adverts even with the £5/month add-on.
If you want full ad-free viewing on these services, you’ll need to subscribe to their individual ad-free tiers separately, where available.
Sky Glass Gets Apple AirPlay At Last
Sky Glass users get an extra treat with this update – full Apple AirPlay support.
This long-awaited feature means you can now stream virtually any content from your Apple devices directly to your Sky Glass TV.
Whether you want to share holiday photos on the big screen, play your Apple Music playlists through Sky Glass’s integrated speaker system, or mirror your iPhone’s screen for gaming or browsing, AirPlay makes it seamless.
The feature works with iPhones, iPads, and Macs, adding significant flexibility to Sky Glass’s capabilities.
This is particularly useful for content that isn’t available directly through Sky’s platform – you can now easily stream it from your Apple devices instead.
Binge-Watching Made Easier
Another much-requested feature arriving in this update is a proper “Next Episode” button for TV series.
When you finish watching an episode, you can either tap the new button to jump straight into the next one, or wait for an automatic countdown to do it for you.
This should make catching up on series like Game of Thrones or Day of the Jackal much more streamlined than before – though, if you’re not careful, you could wake up and find that 5 episodes have gone by without you noticing…
Your Favourite Actors in One Place
Building on Sky’s existing Playlist feature, you can now add actors to your playlist to easily find movies and TV shows they’ve appeared in.
Simply press the + button on your remote while browsing through cast lists or search results.
Once added, actors will appear in a new “People” section within your playlist, giving you quick access to their filmography.
Personalisation Gets Better
The update brings several personalisation improvements:
Sky has added new character avatars for personalising your playlist, including personalities like Jamie Redknapp from A League of Their Own and Nicolas Galitzine from Mary & George.
These join existing options like Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig characters.
You can now also add favourite channels to your home screen and assign them specific numbers on your remote. Alternatively, the system can automatically update your favourites based on your viewing habits.
Better Sound for Music Lovers
For music fans, Amazon Music now supports HD Audio on both Sky Glass and Sky Stream. This higher-quality audio format offers double the quality of standard definition streaming – though you’ll need an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription to access it.
The feature should particularly shine on Sky Glass, with its six integrated speakers taking full advantage of the improved audio quality.
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