topic Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default in Sky Glass

New “Feature” Enabled by default

82bit — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:41:45 GMT

So there seems to have been a change - the TV now defaults to playing live TV when powered on. No notification of this change, it's just enabled by default. Pretty annoying if it's a TV in the bedroom and you've turned the thing on early morning - and the wife is asleep next to you. Thanks Sky! Great stuff.

Yes - I've now turned this pointless and annoying new feature OFF in the settings. (Settings > Startup & standby > Default to live TV > Off)

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

Angel_Aka — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:43:36 GMT

LOL. Haven't loads of people been crying out for this feature since Glass launched?

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

82bit — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:45:07 GMT

Certainly not me! It's not that they've introduced it - it's that they just dropped it unannounced and turned it on! After 4/5 years of this NOT happening!!

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

MarkGoldsmith — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:59:14 GMT

@82bit wrote:
So there seems to have been a change - the TV now defaults to playing live TV when powered on. No notification of this change, it's just enabled by default. Pretty annoying if it's a TV in the bedroom and you've turned the thing on early morning - and the wife is asleep next to you. Thanks Sky! Great stuff.

Yes - I've now turned this pointless and annoying new feature OFF in the settings. (Settings > Startup & standby > Default to live TV > Off)

New feature notifications are sometimes publicised by Sky, but that would only happen once the rollout has completed to all customers.

Although I am in favour, I would like it if, when a software update has been completed or a feature remotely turned on by Sky, there is at least a release note tile on the home screen that you can click on to see details on what has changed. Personally i can't get my head around by release notes aren't published by Sky as I can't think of many software releases that don't have public release notes available somewhere at least to point out what has changed.

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

MarkGoldsmith — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:49:11 GMT

@82bit wrote:
Certainly not me! It's not that they've introduced it - it's that they just dropped it unannounced and turned it on! After 4/5 years of this NOT happening!!

I'm with you on this, whilst its been a heavily requested feature I for one prefer the Home screen.

I am a bit surprised the feature is turned on by default though, i would have thought it would make more sense being an optional feature that people can turn on, seeing how its hasn't existed in the platform at all.

Stream defaults to last watched channel on start up

Astongooner — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:35:07 GMT

As the title has anyone else noticed that the puck seem to have the last linear channel watched playing on the Home Screen now on start up. Sorry if I missed another post

Re: Stream defaults to last watched channel on start up

Dazzasky — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:36:55 GMT

@Astongooner wrote:
As the title has anyone else noticed that the puck seem to have the last linear channel watched playing on the Home Screen now on start up. Sorry if I missed another post

Yes that is a new feature that Sky have introduced. You can also turn it off in the settings as well, if you want @Astongooner

Re: Stream defaults to last watched channel on start up

robtodd — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:47:15 GMT

That hasn't happened on my puck yet. The UI updated overnight to 3.138.1 , by the way this appears to have resolved the persistent sound drop outs on a programme switching from one format to another. Annoyingly over the last hour the puck has dropped out of the channel being watched to a screensaver carousel. A reboot seems to make no difference. I'm sure a factory reset will do the job.

'Currently Playing' starts on loading up home screen

GRS67 — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:48:49 GMT

This is a bit of a weird one, this morning Sky Stream is playing from 'Currently Playing' from loading the home screen

Previously Sky Stream would load and there would be nothing playing in the background, I would have to select to play before it appeared in the 'Currently Playing' box

Is this a new update? I'm not sure if I prefer the most recent channel playing as soon as it loads up or not

Re: 'Currently Playing' starts on loading up home screen

MarkGoldsmith — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:09:59 GMT

@GRS67 wrote:
This is a bit of a weird one, this morning Sky Stream is playing from 'Currently Playing' from loading the home screen

Previously Sky Stream would load and there would be nothing playing in the background, I would have to select to play before it appeared in the 'Currently Playing' box

Is this a new update? I'm not sure if I prefer the most recent channel playing as soon as it loads up or not

Yeah its a new feature. You should be able to turn it off in the settings ( so it reverts to just the Home screen on start up).

To be honest, whilst i understand why the feature has been implemented, i have no idea why they would decide to make it the default behaviour rather than leaving it as is and allowing customers the option to switch it to previous playing channel should they wish.

Re: 'Currently Playing' starts on loading up home screen

GRS67 — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:29:04 GMT

@MarkGoldsmith wrote:
@GRS67 wrote:
This is a bit of a weird one, this morning Sky Stream is playing from 'Currently Playing' from loading the home screen

Previously Sky Stream would load and there would be nothing playing in the background, I would have to select to play before it appeared in the 'Currently Playing' box

Is this a new update? I'm not sure if I prefer the most recent channel playing as soon as it loads up or not
Yeah its a new feature. You should be able to turn it off in the settings ( so it reverts to just the Home screen on start up).

To be honest, whilst i understand why the feature has been implemented, i have no idea why they would decide to make it the default behaviour rather than leaving it as is and allowing customers the option to switch it to previous playing channel should they wish.

Thanks for replying and answering my question

I've found the option to turn on or off, I agree you should be allowed to select rather than have it selected as default with no idea where or when it came from

IMO there should be something that lists all the most recent updates, if there is I've never found it

I'll keep this new feature on for the time being as I don't mind it, and at least it can be turned off 👍🏻

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

Dazzasky — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:57:40 GMT

I can see why Sky have turned on the feature by default. No one would know otherwise, most people don't check the settings to see what has changed. And I agree, people are constantly requesting that Sky Stream and Sky Glass start up on the last channel. This feature will give you the choice of whether it's on or off.

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

MarkGoldsmith — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:21:04 GMT

@Dazzasky wrote:
I can see why Sky have turned on the feature by default. No one would know otherwise, most people don't check the settings to see what has changed. And I agree, people are constantly requesting that Sky Stream and Sky Glass start up on the last channel. This feature will give you the choice of whether it's on or off.

In a situation like this, though, where the functionality of starting up is changing from what it has always been, if you are going to change the default, you should be informing customers of this new feature along with the fact it's going to be the new default and provide instructions on how to turn it off if you want the original experience back.

Whilst the ability to switch to the previous TV channel has been a requested feature, it's not one that every customer has been requesting, and changing the default behaviour of a service without any comms just leads to a bad customer experience.

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

Dazzasky — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:29:05 GMT

@MarkGoldsmith wrote:
@Dazzasky wrote:
I can see why Sky have turned on the feature by default. No one would know otherwise, most people don't check the settings to see what has changed. And I agree, people are constantly requesting that Sky Stream and Sky Glass start up on the last channel. This feature will give you the choice of whether it's on or off.
In a situation like this, though, where the functionality of starting up is changing from what it has always been, if you are going to change the default, you should be informing customers of this new feature along with the fact it's going to be the new default and provide instructions on how to turn it off if you want the original experience back.

Whilst the ability to switch to the previous TV channel has been a requested feature, it's not one that every customer has been requesting, and changing the default behaviour of a service without any comms just leads to a bad customer experience.

I totally agree but as we all know, Sky rarely give updates on new features. @MarkGoldsmith

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

Paul+Boland — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:38:19 GMT

Is this another UK only feature

I'm based in Republic of Ireland and have Sky Glass and 2 Sky Stream Pucks

It's not yet showing as enabled and it's also not yet showing in Startup & Standby to turn on or off

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

Jporch316 — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:13:28 GMT

@MarkGoldsmith wrote:
@Dazzasky wrote:
I can see why Sky have turned on the feature by default. No one would know otherwise, most people don't check the settings to see what has changed. And I agree, people are constantly requesting that Sky Stream and Sky Glass start up on the last channel. This feature will give you the choice of whether it's on or off.
In a situation like this, though, where the functionality of starting up is changing from what it has always been, if you are going to change the default, you should be informing customers of this new feature along with the fact it's going to be the new default and provide instructions on how to turn it off if you want the original experience back.

Whilst the ability to switch to the previous TV channel has been a requested feature, it's not one that every customer has been requesting, and changing the default behaviour of a service without any comms just leads to a bad customer experience.

Couldn't have said it better @MarkGoldsmith

@whenever there's a feature update in mobile phones you always get a couple of introductory screens after the reboot informing what's changed and how to utilise the changes .......... I for one will be turning this straight back off 😆

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

groupcaptain — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:08:44 GMT

My Sky Glass Air has updated the UI to 3.138.1 but the "feature" is not evident and there is no change in the settings that would allow it. I agree, it should not have been sneakedin as adefault without any notice.

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

Fothergill1 — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:11:33 GMT

@Jporch316 Is this new "feature" just on Glass as I have not noticed it on my stream puck? I saw some posts about it on the stream forum but can't find them again do maybe they were moved to the Glass forum.

Fully agree with everyone that notification of new features would be useful.

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

lettice — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 11:02:02 GMT

Not seeing this new feature on either of my Sky Stream pucks either.

Both my pucks UI were updated last week or so to 3.138.1, if it's part of the UI being rolled out.

So maybe it's a slow rollout of this new feature to customers.

Re: New “Feature” Enabled by default

groupcaptain — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 11:04:51 GMT

Can anyone confirm when a change like this is made, does it mean that either the build version or UI version changes? In my case, on the Glass Air, the UI changed very recently from 3.117.3 to 3.138.1 but I do not see any change - i.e. the new "feature" is not evident.