Apple TV 4K is among the greatest streaming units you should buy. It’s so succesful that we’re prepared to guess it might probably do stuff you by no means knew it might. Whereas Apple makes it very simple to drag Apple TV 4K out of the field and get proper to streaming films and TV exhibits, it’s able to a lot extra — and never only for Apple customers. Although, let’s be frank, there are a number of options accessible solely to those that personal different Apple units.
Belief me once we say that just a bit little bit of time invested in studying about these things pays off large as you employ your Apple TV day after day. By the point we’re achieved, you may be an Apple TV energy person.
Video information
Personalize the look
Darkish mode
Are you a fan of darkish mode in your units? Apple tvOS can do this. Hit the Settings icon, then navigate to Common > Look. From there, you possibly can choose Gentle, Darkish, or Automated. Deciding on Darkish will preserve the Apple TV in darkish mode on a regular basis, whereas deciding on Auto will shift from mild in the course of the day to darkish in the course of the night time — similar to the iPhone.
![Apple TV on-screen interface showing light, dark, and automatic appearance themes](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/apple-tv-tips-and-tricks00001.jpg?fit=720%2C404&p=1)
Prepare your house display
Now, let’s mess around with how your house display appears to be like. You may need to prepare the apps within the order of most-used up high. You may also need to delete some apps or tuck some apps into folders.
To maneuver apps, merely spotlight the app you need to transfer, press and maintain the Choose button till the app begins jiggling, use the directional buttons or the swipe pad to maneuver the app the place you want, after which click on Choose once more.
Now, that is fairly essential: Be selective about which apps you set within the high row as a result of tvOS makes use of the highest row apps when it begins suggesting content material you may need to watch — however not all apps work equally. That’s why you may need to put Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu there. Paramount+ additionally appears to work.
Deleting apps or creating folders begins the identical approach. Spotlight the app, press and maintain till it jiggles, and then you definately need to press the Play/pause button. This gives you extra choices, and at that time, you possibly can delete an app. Or, if you wish to create a folder or transfer an app to a folder, you do this right here as properly. One tip for creating folders that makes intuitive sense is to make use of an app that could be a prime instance of its class sort to be able to begin a folder. As an illustration, use an Apple Arcade recreation app when making a video games folder.
Up Subsequent
You’ll be able to add the Up Subsequent characteristic to the very high of the house display as an alternative of getting to enter the Apple TV app to see it. This manner, you may get again to one thing you’ve been watching even sooner. To do that, ensure the Apple TV app has a spot within the high row of apps utilizing the method we confirmed you earlier. Then, go to Settings > Apps > TV. Click on on Prime shelf so it says “Up Subsequent.” If you return to your house display, you’ll see your not too long ago watched exhibits on the high as an alternative of urged content material.
You can also affect what goes into the Up Subsequent part — it doesn’t must be stuff you’ve already began watching; it could possibly be one thing you need to watch quickly. To do that, simply long-press the Choose button on the present or film you intend to look at and choose Add to Up Subsequent.
![Apple TV homescreen customized to show "up next" river instead of suggested content](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/apple-tv-tips-and-tricks00004.jpg?fit=720%2C404&p=1)
Customized navigation
Now let’s discuss getting across the Apple TV extra simply. We’ll begin with issues you are able to do to make utilizing the distant simpler.
First, you’ve in all probability seen that getting again to the house display may be sort of a trouble for those who’re a number of clicks deep into the system. There are two methods to get again to the house display sooner. One is to easily press and maintain the Menu button, which zips you straight to the house display. The opposite approach is to vary the TV button on the distant in order that, as an alternative of taking you to the Up Subsequent part of Apple TV, it takes you straight to the house display. Do that by urgent Settings, deciding on Remotes and units, deciding on the TV button, after which selecting Residence display. You’ll be able to undo this later in order for you.
Siri
Handbook
Now let’s alter how the Siri distant works. You could discover that the touch-enabled click on pad is a little bit too sensitive — or perhaps it isn’t delicate sufficient. Both approach, you possibly can alter this by clicking Settings >Remotes and units> Contact floor monitoring after which discovering your candy spot.
However, for those who discover you don’t actually like utilizing the touchpad in any respect and would moderately disable it totally, do this by clicking Remotes and units, then Clickpad, and deciding on Click on solely. Now the touchpad is turned off, and it’s again to a directional pad and choose button.
Lastly, if you wish to swap between apps rapidly, simply double-tap the TV/house button — you get a row of the most-recent gadgets, and you may simply swipe and choose the subsequent factor over. You can also change whether or not a single press of the TV/house button takes you to the Apple TV app or to the house display.
Voice
That’s handbook management lined — now let’s discuss voice management. We’re all used to utilizing digital assistants for assist discovering issues or executing fundamentals, like, “Present me films with Charlize Theron,” “What’s the climate like right now?” or “Open Netflix.”
However you need to use Siri for extra particular jobs, and sometimes, it’s simpler than utilizing the distant. As an illustration, let’s say you need to again up or advance in a film or TV present. Simply ask Siri to “return 15 seconds” or “skip forward 20 minutes.” This could are available actually useful when scrubbing by a present takes a very long time – because it does usually on HBO Max.
You may also save a number of clicks by asking Siri to drag up particular exhibits in apps or particular channels in reside TV apps. For instance, you possibly can say, “Open Stranger Issues season 3 on Netflix,” or, “Open ESPN on Fubo.” Now, Siri doesn’t cowl each single app, however as a rule, you’re gonna get proper the place you need to be extra rapidly through the use of voice than by clicking round.
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Join peripherals by Bluetooth
Subsequent, let’s discuss connecting Bluetooth units. You’ll be able to join headphones, keyboards, and recreation controllers, all by way of Bluetooth.
Clearly, with Apple’s AirPods, the method is streamlined. However any pair of Bluetooth headphones will work for personal listening. And also you may need to join a PlayStation or Xbox controller for enjoying video games and fundamental navigation. Additionally, keyboards can turn out to be useful for typing in textual content, corresponding to your many passwords, if you wish to save a while. (However when you have an iPhone or iPad, these work nice, too.)
Your pathway for all of that is Settings > Remotes and units > Bluetooth. There’s a custom-made information on the high for recreation controllers, however for headphones and keyboards, it’ll simply search for a Bluetooth machine in pairing mode and let you choose it. If there’s a four-digit safety code you’ve set, enter it. And for those who aren’t conscious of ever having set a cod, getting into 0000 virtually all the time works.
Now, since we had been speaking about controls, utilizing an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Look ahead to controlling the Apple TV is superior, and I’m going to get into that in a second, however there are just a few settings and safety choices on the Apple TV I need to discuss first.
Some of the essential ones is to set a safety code for AirPlay — AirPlay is what allows you to stream video or music to the Apple TV from one other machine. And it may be achieved by anybody inside vary of your Apple TV until you lock it down behind a code. To do that, go to Settings > Safety > AirPlay > Activate machine verification. As soon as a tool is granted entry, a code received’t be required once more. So for those who grant your pal or roommate entry as soon as, they’ll proceed to have it until you take away their machine from the authorised listing.
Create particular person profiles
Talking of pals, roommates, or relations: Anybody who has an Apple ID can have their very own profile on the Apple TV. Which means their very own app structure, folders, darkish mode, and content material suggestions. You are able to do this a few methods, however I’m going to Settings > Customers and accounts > Add New Person, after which I add the Apple ID.
Alongside these identical traces, you need to use Household Sharing on the Apple TV — it capabilities the identical throughout all Apple units. In case you are the household organizer, you possibly can share your subscriptions to apps and providers with as much as six folks. The factor is, you possibly can’t arrange Household Sharing on an Apple TV itself. So, you’ll have to do it on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad. It’s well worth the time to arrange as a result of when you do, for those who add a “member of the family’s” Apple ID — I imply, it could possibly be a roommate, proper? — they’ll have entry to the subscriptions you already pay for by Apple.
Superb-tune your AV settings
By default, your Apple TV 4K goes to speak along with your TV and decide what the perfect video settings will likely be. It might ask you if you wish to activate HDR, and you may go forward and say “sure” when you have an HDR TV. Should you do this, although, your Apple TV will all the time be in some sort of HDR mode, be that Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR 10+, or HDR, relying in your TV. Because of this for those who watch content material that wasn’t made in HDR, you’ll be getting pretend HDR, and you could not need that. Particularly with actually darkish content material — ahem, Recreation of Thrones.
There are two choices I encourage you to discover. Select Settings > Video and audio > Match content material. Right here, you possibly can choose Match dynamic vary, which signifies that the Apple TV will go to SDR mode once you’re watching content material made in SDR after which assist your TV kick into HDR mode when watching HDR content material. It’s the identical thought with Match Body Price. Relatively than present all content material on the identical body charge, you possibly can have the Apple TV ship the content material because it was made — that is particularly essential for those who like watching films in 24 frames per second, as they had been made — in any other case, they will look artificially smoothed out.
![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/apple-tv-tips-and-tricks00010.jpg?fit=720%2C404&p=1)
On the audio facet of issues, there actually isn’t a lot it is advisable to fiddle with. Virtually every part needs to be automated. Go forward and thumb by this, although. You’ll be able to activate Scale back loud sounds, for example, and that may apply dynamic vary compression, which is nice once you’re simply utilizing TV audio system, however it actually places limits in your soundbar or house theater system.
For the Apple followers
OK, Apple followers. This subsequent part is for you. That is all stuff you are able to do for those who’re invested within the Apple ecosystem past simply the Apple TV.
AirPlay
Let’s begin with AirPlay, which is Apple’s protocol for sharing audio and video. Whether or not you employ Apple Music, Spotify, or one other music service, you possibly can click on the AirPlay button (this appears to be like like a rectangle with an upward pointing arrow below it) in your Apple Gadget and choose Apple TV to play music by the Apple TV. The identical goes for video. If I’m watching a YouTube video, for instance, I can transfer it from watching on my telephone to watching on Apple TV. The Apple TV may even allow you to display mirror, although, which is nice for Zoom calls.
On iOS units, it’s important to swipe to open the Management heart, then choose Display screen mirroring, then choose your Apple TV. On a Mac, you click on Management heart from the menu bar, then Display screen mirroring, then click on the Apple TV.
However AirPlay may also be used for picture-in-picture, which I feel is an excellent slick tip.
You’ll be able to already interact picture-in-picture on the Apple TV itself, however the listing of apps that help it’s sort of small. To get to it, it’s important to swipe or click on as much as reveal what appears to be like like a twin TV icon — click on it, and the Apple TV will transfer what you might be watching to a small picture-in-picture window.
The way in which I like to make use of picture-in-picture is with AirPlay. This manner, you possibly can ship one thing out of your Telephone by deciding on the AirPlay icon, sending it to the TV, and shifting that to the small image window so you possibly can go about discovering one thing else. This can be a nice method to regulate a recreation whereas watching your different favourite exhibits.
Picture calibration
For you iPhone house owners, this can be a method to optimize every part that you simply watch in your Apple TV. That is sort of an image calibration course of that bypasses your TV’s image settings, so that you won’t need to use this for those who’ve frolicked getting your image settings the best way you need them. However if you wish to optimize your Apple TV, simply click on Settings, then Video and audio, and scroll all the best way all the way down to Calibration, then choose Colour steadiness. Then, take an iPhone with FaceID and iOS 14.5 or later and produce it close to the TV. The TV will stroll you thru the method from there.
In case your TV helps Dolby Imaginative and prescient, you may see this selection grayed out as a result of it’s dealing with all that calibration as an alternative.
SharePlay
This can be a characteristic I don’t suppose folks use sufficient, however it’s nice for watch events. Apple calls it SharePlay, and it requires that the folks that you simply watch with have an iPhone or iPad, too, not less than. What you do is begin a FaceTime name — add as many individuals as you need. Upon getting them on the decision, go to your Apple TV and ensure that your person is chosen. You are able to do that by urgent and holding the TV button on the distant, then checking the higher portion of the pop-up window to confirm you’re logged into your Apple ID.
At that time, you can begin taking part in a film or TV present, and since you are on a FaceTime name already, the Apple TV will ask if you wish to use SharePlay. Say Sure, and then you definately’ll be requested to substantiate whether or not you truly need to begin SharePlay in your iPhone or iPad. When you agree, you and your mates can watch the content material collectively in sync.
![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/apple-tv-tips-and-tricks00014.jpg?fit=720%2C404&p=1)
Distant choices
Since we’re speaking about iPhone and iPad, don’t overlook they, alongside along with your Apple Watch, can be utilized as an Apple TV distant. That is particularly useful when it is advisable to sort one thing in. In your watch, you possibly can select the Distant app. In your iPhone or iPad, go to the Management Middle by swiping down from the higher righthand nook after which deciding on the icon that appears like an Apple TV distant. Any time it is advisable to enter textual content, a keyboard will robotically pop up in your telephone.
Spatial audio
Lastly, I need to spotlight utilizing spatial audio with head monitoring. That is the perfect at-home encompass expertise that doesn’t contain a massively elaborate house leisure system. To actually take benefit, you’ll need AirPods Professional, AirPods Professional 2, newer Beats Headphones, or my favourite for this, the AirPods Max.
![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/apple-tv-tips-and-tricks00016.jpg?fit=720%2C404&p=1)
You are able to do this certainly one of two methods. Both click on Settings > Remotes and units > Bluetooth, then the headphones you might be utilizing, or when you’re taking part in content material – films, TV exhibits, or music – press and maintain the Residence button and choose the headphones from there. Then you possibly can select spatial audio or spatialized stereo for two-channel content material. However to get the perfect expertise, I counsel utilizing head monitoring – this modifications the soundstage relying on the place you flip your head, so for those who flip your head to the left as you might be going through your TV, then the audio will appear to come back from the TV. However for those who don’t need this, you possibly can flip it off. Both approach, to entry this, open Settings > Accessibility > AirPods, then toggle Middle audio on TV on or off.
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