Yes, I’m one of those people who owns Apple TV even though my current TV also has apps. Am Apple TV fan since 2012, and I’ve had a good portion of its generations, including the current Apple TV 4K. When someone asks me, “Why do I have an Apple TV if my TV already does the same thing?” “, a smile appears on my face and my response is: no, it’s not the same.
The best tips for Apple TV with tvOS
This article is not about reasons to buy an Apple TV, but about 16 Tricks I Use on Him This may be useful to you if you are already a user or have thought about purchasing one at some point. Some of them are based on the latest version of tvOS, so check that your Apple TV is up to date to get the most out of these tips.
Return to the home screen with the press of a button
The first trick I do when setting up a new Apple TV is to change the function of the button that has the icon of a television. By default, this takes you to the Apple TV+ app, but I prefer it to take me to the home screen. This way, exiting an application will be much easier and faster. For that:
- Go to Settings > Controllers & Devices > TV Button > Home Screen
Enjoy multitasking and close stuck apps with this trick for Apple TV
The Apple TV has a super powerful processor, and few people know that it has apps open in the background ready to replay what you left waiting. You can scroll through multitasking by pressing the button with the TV icon twice quickly. Then, scroll the trackpad between different apps. And if one is stuck, slide it up and close it completely.
Restart your Apple TV by pressing two buttons
Just like you can hard reset the iPhone with a button combination, the Apple TV has its own trick for doing it. All you have to do is press the button back button + the button with the TV icon
Disable automatic previews in tvOS
This happens to me often: I take a nap, I fall asleep, and suddenly I wake up to a glimpse of an automatic trailer. You can deactivate Apple TV+ natively and I also tell you where to do it with Netflix.
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion
- Disable automatic previews
In the case of Netflix, you will need to use a web browser to log into your account. Then enter Profile & Parental Controls > Playback Settings. Finally, uncheck Automatically play trailers when browsing on all devices.
Switch between light and dark modes on your Apple TV
Apple TV has dark mode enabled by default. However, when there is more light in the room, clear mode will help you see better. My recommendation is to choose the automatic option.
- Go to Settings > General > Appearance
- Choose the color mode you prefer
Take advantage of all the tvOS Control Center options
The Control Center has been redesigned in the latest version of tvOS. To activate it, simply hold briefly pressed the button with the TV icon. Inside the Control Center, you’ll have access to HomeKit cameras, quick settings, and user profiles.
In Quick Settings, Do Not Disturb mode (because it also enables it on your iPhone) and Quick Search are really useful. There you can find all kinds of movies and will redirect you to the streaming service in which it is available.
Listen to audio through two pairs of AirPods
This is another of the tricks for Apple TV that I use the most. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment with neighbors who don’t use the feature I’m about to tell you about. My partner and I have both AirPods Pro and we usually wear them to watch movies on Apple TV. In this way, We hear neither the television nor the cries of our neighbors.and we also better appreciate the details of the film.
To use two AirPods at the same time with Apple TV, you must have them turned on. Then you will have to go to control center and select both AirPods as audio output.
Move apps and create folders
I myself was surprised to discover this Apple TV tip. And you can create folders to better organize the tvOS Home screen. To move an application, Press and hold the center button on your Apple TV remote. Immediately click Edit and scroll to the desired area. To create a folder, in the drop-down menu that appears, go to Move to > New Folder. For example, I have one on Apple Arcade games.
Use Siri more, it’s the best device where it works
It’s no secret that Siri often doesn’t do what we expect. There are times she stays silent, other times she responds with something completely unrelated… That’s why many of us have decided not to use her. However, Apple TV is the only place I use it and it gives me good results.
For example, since the microphone is on the remote, I find it very useful to whisper something related to the lights in the house. Furthermore, like on TV, he doesn’t talk, he just performs the action. Another good use you can make of it is to search for movies. If you ask it “I want to watch Oppenheimer,” it will tell you what streaming service it is on.
Video calls enter a new dimension with Apple TV
If you have an iPhone and an Apple TV, you can use both to make a video call from your TV. All you have to do is go to the application FaceTime or Zoom. I particularly used it for give courses online and it’s really comfortable. Of course, I recommend that you have a tripod to put the iPhone on or one of the accessories sold by Belkin to put it on the TV.
The best karaoke possible thanks to Apple TV and Apple Music
No more searching on YouTube for the name of the song you want to sing followed by the word “Karaoke” or “Instrumental”. Thanks to Apple artificial intelligenceThe majority of Apple Music’s music catalog is available for singing without vocals and following the lyrics.
To do this, simply go to the Apple Music app and choose the song you want to sing. After, When you enable lyrics, you will see a microphone icon. If you click on it, the voices will magically disappear.
Use your iPhone or Apple Watch as a remote control
There are times when you feel extremely lazy having to get up from the couch to get the remote. If you have your iPhone with you or your Apple Watch on your wrist, you can scroll through the system and even turn up the volume. In the iPhone goes to control center
Calibrate the color of your TV with this tvOS trick
When we buy a TV, we rarely consider how many color profiles it has. Brightness, contrast, saturation…In the end, we chose to leave it as “Default”. To help us in this process, Apple TV offers a tip for calibrating our screen and its colors.
- Go to Settings > Video & Audio > Recalibrate Screen.
- Place the iPhone with the screen facing the TV.
- Using Face ID technology, it will accurately calibrate colors for better viewing.
Picture-in-picture with any app
The PiP or Picture in Picture function is perfect for if you want to follow two programs at the same time. In native Apple applications it is compatible, just press the PiP icon. However, some third-party apps like Netflix do not support this tvOS feature. For thatyou just need to play the video from iPhone and send it via AirPlay to Apple TV. So you can play any type of content in PiP.
Enjoy your PlayStation or Xbox controller
Apple TV has a very interesting catalog of games. They are Arcade/Nintendo type and for For a better experience, you can connect a controller via Bluetooth. from PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. This way you will enjoy much more of the games available in the App Store, and of course also the Apple Arcade service. One of the jewels of Apple TV.
Customize tvOS screensavers
Apple TV offers hundreds of different screensavers. There are all kinds, seabed, cities, nature… You can choose the type to see and even show your photos. You have all these options from Arighteous > Salvapantallas.
If you are playing a screen saver and want to move to the next one, or go back to the previous one, you can do so byswipe left or right from the central trackpad of the Apple TV controller. Additionally, if you tap (and not tap) the center of the trackpad, you will know where the screen saver is.
And so far, these 16 Apple TV Tips That I Use in My Daily Life and I hope they’ve helped you get the most out of yours or encouraged you to get that Apple TV you’ve been eyeing for a while.
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