How to install a configuration profile on Apple TV

Updated July 19, 2026

tvOS has no Safari and no Files app, so a .mobileconfig can't be opened directly on the device. Instead, Apple TV downloads profiles from a URL through a hidden menu: open Settings → General → Privacy & Security, highlight Share Apple TV Analytics, press Play/Pause on the remote and choose Add Profile. Note: profiles that set a device-wide proxy install only on a supervised Apple TV — a one-time setup with Apple Configurator on a Mac, which erases the device first. The steps below walk through it in detail.

Host the profile at a URL

Apple TV can only fetch profiles from a link — there is no way to open a local file. Put the .mobileconfig on any server the device can reach. If it's a debugging-proxy profile, ProxyBeam generates it and hosts it on your Mac automatically — the link is copied to your clipboard.

Open the hidden profile menu

On the Apple TV, go to Settings → General → Privacy & Security. Highlight Share Apple TV Analytics — but don't click it. Press Play/Pause on the remote — a menu with Add Profile appears.

Enter the URL and install

Choose Add Profile, enter the link and confirm the installation.

Tip: typing the URL with the remote is tedious. If an iPhone or iPad is nearby, a keyboard notification appears on it when you start typing — tap it and paste the link.

Trust the certificate if the profile adds one

Go to Settings → General → About → Certificate Trust and enable trust for the installed certificate. Proxy profiles need this step — without it, HTTPS traffic can't be decrypted.

Manage or delete profiles

Installed profiles live in Settings → General → VPN & Device Management. Keep one proxy profile at a time and delete it when you're done.

If something goes wrong

The profile won't download. Check that the device can reach the URL: same Wi-Fi network, no typo, and the server hosting the file is running. The profile won't install. Profiles that set a device-wide proxy are only accepted on a supervised Apple TV. Supervise it once with Apple Configurator on a Mac — this erases the device first — then try again. No internet after installing a proxy profile. The Apple TV's HTTP(S) traffic goes through the proxy now — the proxy app must be running on your Mac. Start it, or delete the profile.