11 hidden Apple TV options and funky time-saving methods

Apple merchandise are recognized for his or her easy interfaces, giving even probably the most informal customers the power to simply use the gadgets. However beneath that simplicity lies a exceptional quantity of secrets and techniques. The Apple TV is an all-in-one hub to your lounge, dwelling theater or leisure middle. Whether or not that is shopping for motion pictures from the Apple Retailer, taking part in video games, streaming from Netflix, Hulu or different providers, or speaking together with your good home equipment, you are able to do all of it rapidly and simply from this elegant little field.

Regardless of being easy to make use of, there are many cool time-saving methods to find about Apple’s set-top field. From organizing and deleting apps or determining the way to bounce to a selected scene, listed below are 11 time-saving suggestions that may make content material absorption in your Apple TV even simpler. Should you simply wish to sit back and stream with out the stress, learn on.

Apple TV 4K (2022)

The Apple TV 4K (2022) provides a improbable streaming efficiency due to an up to date chipset, a smaller and lighter design and all kinds of user-friendly options.

Could your thumbs by no means undergo from “click on cramp” once more

Have you ever ever discovered your self clicking by stuff to observe and realizing you had been 30 menus deep with no straightforward method again? Nicely, you are not alone, however as an alternative of clicking the menu button or again button on the distant a bunch of occasions to get again to the Apple TV dwelling display screen (like most individuals do), simply long-press both the menu button or the again button. That can immediately return you to the house display screen.

No extra thumb cramping from clicking time and again.

2 Use the “Latest Apps” view for seamless multitasking

Or for re-launching when an app acts up

Multitasking is a lifestyle on our smartphones, as we skip between apps with reckless abandon. One cool factor in regards to the Apple TV platform is that its working system is loosely based mostly on iOS, so it shares a few of the core performance because the iPhone and iPad. One of many coolest demonstrations of that’s the “Latest Apps” view, which shows a stack of thumbnails of the providers you have used within the final span of time.

To launch this view, double faucet the Apple TV button. That’ll convey up the thumbnails. To decide on the app you wish to change to, simply swipe throughout the management pad on the high of the distant, or if in case you have the 2021/22 Apple TV, use the directional buttons.

3 Use Siri for voice management

Benefit from this Apple staple

Siri is built-in into Apple TV with the newer generations to make it attainable to request motion pictures or TV reveals utilizing your voice. All you could do is press the microphone button on the distant, or the aspect button on the 2021/22 distant. Maintain it down whilst you converse into the distant, let it go when you’re accomplished, and it’s best to see the textual content seem on the display screen, adopted by related outcomes.

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Along with discovering content material, you may also be taught extra about what you are seeing. Whereas watching a film or present, you should use the voice assistant to ask who’s in that scene, or who directed the film, and it will convey up the ends in a pop-up graphic on the backside of the display screen. It is a actually cool solution to work together together with your content material.

4 Reorganize and delete your apps for dwelling display screen customization

De-clutter for simple navigation

Need your own home display screen to be organized to your liking? Select the app icon you wish to transfer, then maintain down the choose button on the distant, and you may see the icon vibrate (just like how app icons vibrate in iOS). As soon as it does, you may transfer it left, proper, up, or down together with your distant. Use the touchpad or the directional pad on the distant, after which press the choose button once more to set issues in place.

Like on an iPhone, if you wish to create a folder de-clutter your own home display screen, you are able to do that too. Simply choose an icon and hover it excessive of one other and Apple TV will create a folder mechanically. You may then drag different apps into it.

Should you simply wish to do away with an app, you may delete it. Select the one you wish to do away with utilizing the tactic above, then maintain down the choose button/touchpad on the distant till the icon begins vibrating, and press Play/Pause to entry a contextual menu. From there, click on “delete”. This may completely take away the app and all of its related knowledge.

5 Scrub by movies to discover a particular scene

You do not have to overlook out

Should you’re searching for a selected a part of a film, or missed one thing if you left the room to get a snack, you may scrub again by the video timeline by hitting the pause button after which swiping left on the touchpad or directional pad to rewind till you discover the scene you are searching for. As you scrub, Apple TV will present a preview thumbnail above the timeline updating in real-time, so it is extraordinarily correct.

6 Use your iPhone as a distant

Misplaced distant? No downside.

The Apple TV distant is a remarkably well-designed enter system, packing a ton of performance into its minimalist design. However some issues, like typing out lengthy search queries, will be type of annoying. Nonetheless, if in case you have an iPhone you mechanically have a way more environment friendly solution to management your Apple TV.

Must you ever lose your Apple TV distant or just wish to use a keyboard to kind a question, swipe down the Management Heart from the highest of the display screen in your iPhone, iPod Contact, or iPad. Discover the Distant button, and it will load a distant interface for Apple TV in your cellphone display screen.

Whenever you first set it up, it will search for obtainable Apple TV models in your community, after which as soon as you have chosen the one you wish to use it with, you enter a code that it shows in your display screen and the cellphone and Apple TV are linked. From there, you may carry out any of the management duties the traditional distant does.

For one thing a bit extra granular, you may simply click on the left or proper aspect of the touchpad or directional pad to skip again or ahead in 10-second increments.

7 Allow subtitles for higher understanding

Straightforward content material accessibility

Apple

Like most streaming media gadgets, Apple TV means that you can allow subtitles for the overwhelming majority of its content material. This one is helpful for these of you who’ve hassle listening to or just wish to watch a international film however nonetheless perceive what’s occurring. There are just a few methods to do that, however the easiest method is to swipe downwards whilst you’re watching a present. That can show the subtitle choice menu. Many applications additionally embrace subtitles in a number of languages, which is usually a cool solution to complement your Duolingo.

8 Calibrate coloration utilizing your iPhone

Ensure that your display screen is as much as normal

To make use of the Apple TV’s color balance feature, which helps you to exactly alter the picture transmitted to your TV set, you want a few issues. First, you want an iPhone mannequin with Face ID sensors on the high within the notch (or Dynamic Island). You additionally have to set your TV show to its normal baseline coloration profile for optimum outcomes.

As soon as you have achieved that, unlock your iPhone close to your Apple TV after which navigate to:

1. Settings
2. Video and Audio
3. Scroll right down to ‘Shade Stability’, choose it, and it’s best to see a notification in your cellphone display screen

Following the directions in your TV display screen, flip your cellphone in order that the front-facing digital camera is pointing on the TV. You will see an overview of a cellphone seem on the TV display screen. Maintain your iPhone near your TV in order that it fills that rectangle define and the TV will then begin to play a collection of colours and white temperatures. The method takes just a few seconds, however as soon as it is achieved the system may have constructed a customized coloration profile for probably the most correct viewing expertise.

9 Save your eyes with Darkish Mode

Watch extra comfortably

Apple 

By default, Apple TV is about to the sunshine theme, so when you desire a white-on-black theme that is not so shiny, go to:

1. Settings
2. Basic
3. Look
4. Select the
   “Darkish”
   choice. Should you’d desire to have the system change from Gentle Mode to Darkish Mode when the solar goes down, the
   “Automated”
   choice in that very same menu will accomplish that.

10 PIN shield content material you don’t need your children watching

Make content material kid-friendly

One of the vital helpful choices Apple TV has is the power to assign a PIN code to content material with a selected ranking in order that your children cannot by accident watch something you deem inappropriate. The one draw back to this native choice is that it solely applies to content material bought or rented by iTunes, so it will not work on Netflix, Hulu or different streaming providers.

To set a PIN code, head to:

1. Settings
2. Basic
3. Restrictions

Activate restrictions and the system will immediate you for a PIN code. Should you scroll down the listing you may see “Allowed Content material.” This part is the place you may select which music, podcasts, motion pictures and TV reveals are allowable with out PIN entry. It’s also possible to deactivate multiplayer gaming, display screen recording and different options.

Any try to observe content material that exceeds that minimal would require the PIN to be entered to play. For different providers like Amazon Prime Video you may have to undergo that supplier’s personal parental management choices.

11 Discover out the place that screensaver was filmed

Screensavers are an Apple TV staple, and you may dive in deeper

One of many coolest issues about proudly owning an Apple TV is the attractive slow-motion panorama Aerial Screensavers that come on after a couple of minutes of inactivity. Wish to be taught what a part of the world we’re flying over? Calmly faucet the touchpad on the distant and textual content seems on-screen telling you the place it’s. It’s also possible to select the “themes” of the flyovers by navigating to:

1. Settings
2. Basic
3. Display Saver
4. Themes.

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FAQ

Q: Do totally different Apple TV remotes have totally different features?

Sure, older remotes and newer remotes have totally different performance and type components. Learn beneath for some key variations.

Touchpads and clickable d-pad navigation

Apple makes just a few totally different Apple TV remotes, relying on which mannequin you could have. Beginning with the 2021 mannequin, Apple eliminated the touchpad on the high of the earlier model and changed it with a round bodily clickable d-pad. It additionally has barely totally different buttons, providing a mute button and a again button rather than the Siri button and Menu button on the older distant.

Older remotes: Swiping for fast navigation is vital

For the older distant, use the trackpad on the high as you’ll one on a laptop computer. You may swipe up, down, left or proper, click on it by urgent firmly, or simply faucet gently on it.

Newer remotes: Precision by a bodily d-pad

For the newer distant, you could have extra exact management courtesy of the bodily d-pad. The cardinal instructions allow you to web page by menus, whereas the middle of the clickpad is one giant button for confirming choices, launching apps and the like.

Totally different distant buttons

The bodily buttons on the distant are straightforward to make use of. On the older distant, the Menu and Apple TV buttons are on the high. Beneath these, you could have the quantity rocker, the play/pause button and the Siri/voice management button. The Apple TV 4K distant is a tiny bit totally different, however the core idea is similar.

For the 2021 and 2022 fashions, the Siri button is on the aspect of the distant. The menu button has been changed with a again button and there may be now a devoted mute button in addition to the quantity rocker, play/pause button and Apple TV button.