Which came first, the chicken or the egg? It’s a question that baffles many, but it’s not nearly so baffling as the answer to the following question: Which came first, the iPhone or the Apple TV? Because as weird as it seems, the first Apple TV was announced a full year before the first iPhone.
9 signs you should upgrade your Apple TV
Whether your Apple TV is suffering from serious buffering or you’re still watching in HD, here are some telling signs to upgrade.
The product has developed over the years but it’s still ultimately a small, black box that gives you access to a universe of entertainment. But beneath that simplicity lies a remarkable amount of secrets. TheApple TVis more than just a streamer. It’s smart hub for your home, a games console, and more. Whether you’re buying movies from the Apple Store, playing games, streaming fromNetflix, Hulu or other services, or communicating with your smart appliances, you can do it all quickly and easily from this elegant little box.
Despite being simple to use, there are plenty of cool time-saving tricks that can help you get even more from Apple’s set-top box. From organizing and deleting apps or figuring out how to jump to a specific scene, here are 11 time-saving tips that can make binge-watching your heart out on your Apple TV even easier. If you want to Apple TV and chill without the stress, read on.
Apple TV 4K (2022)
The Apple TV 4K (2022) offers a fantastic streaming performance thanks to an updated chipset, a smaller and lighter design and a wide variety of user-friendly features.
1Use your iPhone for faster setup
Hand over your Wi-Fi settings to your Apple TV
The trouble with strong passwords is that they’re a real pain to type out, especially on a pick-one-letter-at-a-time interface on a TV. The thought of having to type your Wi-Fi password into your brand new Apple TV in order to get it up and running may be filling you with dread.
Why you should try Apple TV+ over Netflix
Here’s what’s so great about Apple’s rival to Netflix, and whether you should spring the $9.99 monthly for it.
The good news is that there’s a much simpler way. When you first power on your new Apple TV, simpy bring your iPhone close to your new favorite little black box, and you should see a message pop on your iPhone asking if you want to set up your Apple TV. Tap continue, and your iPhone will share information such as your Wi-Fi credentials without you having to lift a finger. Your iPhone will need to be connected to your Wi-Fi and have Bluetooth turned on in order for this to work, but it can be a real time saver.
2Long-press the menu button to avoid excessive clicking
May your thumbs never suffer from “click cramp” again
Have you ever found yourself clicking through stuff to watch and realizing you were 30 menus deep with no easy way back? Well, you’re not alone, but instead of clicking the menu button or back button on the remote a bunch of times to get back to the Apple TV home screen (like most people do), just long-press either the menu button or the back button. That will instantly return you to the home screen.
How ExpressVPN works on Apple TV and 3 features to try
Apple TV users can now access ExpressVPN to securely stream a broader content catalog. Here are the main features to note, and how to use them.
No more thumb cramping from clicking over and over.
3Use the “Recent Apps” view for seamless multitasking
Or for re-launching when an app acts up
Multitasking is a way of life on our smartphones, as we skip between apps with reckless abandon. One cool thing about the Apple TV platform is that its operating system is loosely based on iOS, so it shares some of the core functionality as the iPhone and iPad. One of the coolest demonstrations of that is the “Recent Apps” view, which displays a stack of thumbnails of the services you’ve used in the last span of time.
I always install these 7 apps first on my smart TV
Whether your TV is running Android, webOS, or otherwise, I prioritize these apps to get up, running, and watching.
To launch this view, double tap the Apple TV button. That’ll bring up the thumbnails. To choose the app you want to switch to, just swipe across the control pad at the top of the remote, or if you have the 2021/22 Apple TV, use the directional buttons.
If an app becomes unresponsive or glitchy, this is a really handy way to kill it before re-launching it. Just open the recent apps view, swipe until you get to the app, then swipe upwards on the controller to slide it off the screen and dismiss it.
4Use Siri for voice control
Make the most of this Apple staple
Siri is integrated into Apple TV with the more recent generations to make it possible to request movies or TV shows using your voice. All you need to do is press the microphone button on the remote, or the side button on the 2021/22 remote. Hold it down while you speak into the remote, let it go when you are completed, and you should see the text appear on the screen, followed by relevant results.
9 critical updates the new Siri needs to leave other AI chatbots in the dust
Apple has fallen a long way behind in the AI race, but a new Siri could get Apple back in the game.
In addition to finding content, you can also learn more about what you’re seeing. While watching a movie or show, you can use the voice assistant to ask who’s in that scene, or who directed the movie, and it’ll bring up the results in a pop-up graphic at the bottom of the screen. It’s a really cool way to interact with your content.
5Never miss a line of dialog
The feature you never knew you needed
This is one of those features that once you know about it, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without it. We’ve all had moments when a character in a movie or show that we’re watching has said something that’s central to the plot, but they’ve mumbled it so badly that you have no idea what they said. Tom Hardy as Bane, anyone?
These are the 5 ways I make my TV sound louder
Your TV might struggle with sound, but your ears don’t have to.
Thankfully, your Apple TV can help you out. Just use Siri and say ‘what did they say?’ and your Apple TV will automatically rewind by 15 seconds, and turn on the subtitles. you’re able to now clearly see on the screen the crucial information that the actor is mumbling inaudibly. It’s such a useful feature that you’ll start you wish you could use it in real life.
6Reorganize and delete your apps for home screen customization
De-clutter for easy navigation
Want your home screen to be organized to your liking? Choose the app icon you want to move, then hold down the select button on the remote, and you’ll see the icon vibrate (similar to how app icons vibrate in iOS). Once it does, you can move it left, right, up, or down with your remote. Use the touchpad or the directional pad on the remote, and then press the select button again to set things in place.
Like on an iPhone, if you want to create a folder de-clutter your home screen, you can do that too. Just select an icon and hover it over the top of another and Apple TV will create a folder automatically. You can then drag other apps into it.
TiVo’s streaming stick enhanced my smart TV and leveled up my content game
Fast navigation and easy access to content make it easier to find what I want to watch.
If you just want to get rid of an app, you can delete it. Choose the one you want to get rid of using the method above, then hold down the select button/touchpad on the remote until the icon starts vibrating, and press Play/Pause to access a contextual menu. From there, click “delete”. This will permanently remove the app and all of its associated data.
7Scrub through videos to find a specific scene
You don’t have to miss out
If you’re looking for a specific part of a movie, or missed something when you left the room to get a snack, you can scrub back through the video timeline by hitting the pause button and then swiping left on the touchpad or directional pad to rewind until you find the scene you’re looking for. As you scrub, Apple TV will show a preview thumbnail above the timeline updating in real-time, so it’s extremely accurate.
5 essential things to know about your TV’s motion smoothing feature
Adding in artificial frames to fill content gaps, directors and Tom Cruise want you to turn it off, but it has its place.
8Use your iPhone as a remote
Lost remote? No problem.
The Apple TV remote is a remarkably well-designed input device, packing a ton of functionality into its minimalist design. But some things, like typing out long search queries, can be kind of annoying. However, if you have an iPhone you automatically have a much more efficient way to control your Apple TV.
Should you ever lose your Apple TV remote or simply want to use a keyboard to type a query, swipe down the Control Center from the top of the screen on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. Find the Remote button, and it’ll load a remote interface for Apple TV on your phone screen.
When you first set it up, it’ll look for available Apple TV units on your network, and then once you’ve selected the one you want to use it with, you enter a code that it displays on your screen and the phone and Apple TV are linked. From there, you can perform any of the control tasks the normal remote does.
You can use your iPhone as an Apple TV remote. Here’s how
No remote? No problem – you can easily control your Apple TV or other AirPlay compatible TV via your iPhone.
For something a little more granular, you can just click the left or right side of the touchpad or directional pad to skip back or forward in 10-second increments.
9Enable subtitles for better understanding
Easy content accessibility
Like most streaming media devices, Apple TV allows you to enable subtitles for the vast majority of its content. This one is handy for those of you who have trouble hearing or simply want to watch a foreign movie but still understand what’s happening.
What do you really get from your smart TV’s free channels?
Commercials, ads, and tracking technology mean all the free perks comes at a cost.
There are a few ways to do this, but the easiest way is to swipe downwards while you’re watching a show. That will display the subtitle option menu. Many programs also include subtitles in multiple languages, which can be a cool way to supplement your Duolingo.
10Calibrate color using your iPhone
Make sure your screen is up to standard
To use the Apple TV’scolor balance feature, which lets you precisely adjust the image transmitted to your TV set, you need a couple of things. First, you need an iPhone model with Face ID sensors at the top in the notch (orDynamic Island). You also need to set your TV display to its standard baseline color profile for optimal results.
Once you’ve done that, unlock your iPhone near your Apple TV and then navigate to:
Following the instructions on your TV screen, turn your phone so that the front-facing camera is pointing at the TV. You’ll see an outline of a phone appear on the TV screen. Hold your iPhone close to your TV so that it fills that rectangle outline and the TV will then start to play a series of colors and white temperatures. The process takes a few seconds, but once it’s done the device will have built a custom color profile for the most accurate viewing experience.
I always check these 7 smart TV settings to get the best picture and sound quality
Adjusting these settings will help you get the most out of your new TV right out of the box.
