You Should Know These 16 Apple TV Features

When it comes to phones, tablets, and smartwatches, Apple is accustomed to dominating the market. When it comes to media streaming devices, the Apple TV is pitted against popular options from Roku, Google, and Amazon.

If you’re an Apple enthusiast, you’ll like what the company has done with the latest Apple TV version. Voice control with Siri, a touchpad, and an accelerometer and gyroscope for games are all included in a single remote. And once the Apple TV+ streaming service launches this autumn, there will be much more to watch.

The basic HD Apple TV with 32GB of storage costs $149. The Apple TV 4K model costs $179 for the 32GB version and $199 for the 64GB version. Let’s take a look at what you’ve got.

1. Convert anything into a remote control

During the setup process, you’ll need the Apple TV’s included remote, but you’re not obligated to use it after that. The Apple TV Remote software for iOS turns your iPhone into a remote control. (Some non-Apple apps are available on Google Play for Android users.)

A standard third-party remote can also be used. Navigate to Settings > General > Remotes > Learn Remote on your Apple TV to program your remote to function with the device.

2. Examine the status of the remote’s batteries

Is your Apple TV remote broken or in need of replacement batteries? To see how much charge is remaining, go to Settings > Remotes and Devices. To see the real percentage number, click Remote.

3. Perform a voice search

The Siri remote is included with the new Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models, allowing you to summon Apple’s digital assistant and navigate the media streamer with your voice. Ask for the title, genre, cast, and more by holding down the Siri button. When you let go of the button, Apple TV will search for available apps. To get recommendations, press and hold the Siri button.

4. Change the sensitivity of the remote control

The new Apple TV remote replaces the directional buttons with a touchpad, but the surface can be a little too sensitive at times. Adjust the speed of the scrolling in Settings > Remotes and Devices > Touch Surface Tracking if you’re having trouble making the choices you want because you’re continually overshooting the apps. Medium is the default option, however you can adjust it to fast or slow.

5. Playback Control

Did you miss something onscreen that someone said? To go back 10 seconds, tap the touch surface on the left, or tap on the right if you need to skip a sad animal commercial for 10 seconds at a time.

To swiftly advance through a video, pause it and then swipe the trackpad back and forth in either direction. You can also ask Siri “what did he just say?” or “speed forward 10 minutes.” Apple TV will rewind the video for you.

6. Switch between apps with the App Switcher

The app switcher is one of the more useful features that newer Apple TV models have in common with iOS devices. Double-clicking the Home button activates this function, which displays a list of recently used apps. Swipe between apps using the trackpad, and flick one away to close it.

7. Organize yourself

You may move applications around, hide them, or tuck them into folders if your Apple TV home screen is too congested.

You can move an app across the home screen by clicking and holding it until it jiggles. To conceal a selected app from view, hit the Play/Pause button.

In the meantime, the new Apple TV, like iOS devices, enables folders. Hold down the touch surface until it starts to bounce and select the app you wish to place into a folder. Then drag it on top of another app in the same folder that you desire.

Hold down the highlighted app while pressing Play/Pause and selecting an option to create a new folder. Tap a folder to rename it, then put in a new title.

8. AirPlay Protection

AirPlay compatibility is incorporated into Apple TV, allowing you to send entertainment from your iPad or iPhone to a connected television screen. You can, however, set restrictions on who has access to your Apple TV. Choose from everyone, anyone connected to the same Wi-Fi network, or those who share control of your Home app in Settings > AirPlay. If someone wants to use AirPlay with your Apple TV, you can make them enter a password.

Set a verification code or a password for the device on older devices by going to Settings > AirPlay > Security.

9. Establish Parental Constraints

Similarly, if you wish to restrict your children’s access to certain content at home, go to Settings > General > Restrictions and enable a four-digit code.

You can limit or block the ability to make purchases and access explicit content on Apple TV. Language, ratings, and age can all be used to filter TV, movies, music, and podcasts. Multiplayer gaming, screen recording, location services, and other features can all be disabled on newer models.

10. Add Additional Accounts

You don’t have to share your Apple TV with others if you don’t want to. Individual Apple IDs should be used to create different accounts. Go to Settings > Accounts > iTunes and App Store from the home screen. Select Add New Apple ID and provide a user name and password for your Apple ID. Sign out and sign in again to add another account. Returning to Settings will allow you to swap between accounts.

11. Use Family Sharing to Share Movies, TV Shows, and Apps

Family sharing allows members of a family to share purchased content so that they don’t have to buy the same thing twice or three times. You can watch shared movies, TV shows, and apps on Apple TV. Simply navigate to the Movies, TV Shows, or App Store sections of the website. To see your family member’s material, go to Purchased > Family Sharing and choose them.

12. Make a Bluetooth connection

Because the Apple TV is Bluetooth compatible, you can pair it with headphones, keyboards, gaming controllers, and more. Put your item in pairing mode by going to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth (or Settings > General > Bluetooth on older devices).

13. Subscriptions can be canceled at any time.

It’s easy to lose track of your subscription services, but Apple TV allows you to keep track of them and cancel any that you’ve signed up for. Select your active subscription and cancel it by going to Settings > Accounts > Manage Subscriptions.

14. Watch Live Television

Streaming applications are excellent, but nothing compares the experience of watching live television, especially when it comes to sports. You can watch live TV on Apple TV with several US TV channel apps. ABC News, CBS News, CNN Go, Cooking Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Jr, Disney XD, DIY, ESPN, Food Network, FXNOW, HGTV, TBS, TNT, and Travel Channel are among the channels included.

If you have a fourth-generation Apple TV, you may simply ask to watch a station live by holding down the mic symbol on the remote. If you ask Siri about a specific sporting event, such as “When are the Flyers playing?” she will understand.

15. Create Your Own At-Home Environment

If you have HomeKit-enabled gadgets, your third- or fourth-generation Apple TV can act as a smart home hub.

You must use the same iCloud account for your Apple TV and the iOS devices you use with HomeKit to set up Apple TV as the hub. The procedure should be carried out automatically. If it isn’t already connected, go to Apple TV’s Settings > Accounts > iCloud, check for HomeKit, and make sure it is.

In order to make your devices more secure, Apple also needs you to set up two-factor authentication on iCloud. Go to Settings > iCloud > Passwords & Security > Set Up Two-Factor Authentication on an iOS device. In Settings > iCloud > Keychain, you must additionally enable iCloud Keychain.

16. Remove it from the picture

Have you tried switching it on and off? To restart Apple TV with the remote, press and hold the Home and Menu buttons until the Apple TV’s status light flashes, then let go.