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Apple TV Tips: 21 Surprising Ways to use the Siri Remote

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You can use the new Apple TV remote control to manage your entertainment experience. Get started with Apple TV tips that show you 21 things you didn’t know the Siri Remote for the new Apple TV could do.

This new Siri Remote does more than you would expect just by looking at it. Learn how to use the new Apple TV remote to control your movies, apps, games and the Apple TV.

The new Apple TV includes an upgraded remote control with a touch surface that acts much like the iPhone screen, motion sensors and dual microphones to let you use Siri to control your Apple TV.

There are only six buttons and a touch surface on the Siri Remote for the new Apple TV, but you can perform a lot of actions using quick presses on the touch surface and on buttons that can pull double duty.

There is more the the new Apple TV remote control than meets the eye.

There is more the the new Apple TV remote control than meets the eye.

Apple sells the new Apple TV for $149 with 32GB of storage and $199 with 64GB of storage. Both models include the new Siri remote that allows users to control the Apple TV with their voice.

Learn how to use the new Apple TV remote control to the full potential with this quick Siri Remote guide.

Apple TV Remote Menu Button

The Apple TV remote control performs several actions depending on how you push it and where you are at.

The Menu button does more than a single order.

The Menu button does more than a single order.

Push the Menu Button – Go back one screen. This works in apps and in the Apple TV interface.

Hold the Menu Button – Go back to the Apple TV home screen from wherever you are in an app.

Double Press the Menu Button on the Home Screen – Start the Aerial screen saver function without waiting for it to kick on.

Menu + Home – Press both of these buttons to restart the Apple TV.

Apple TV Home Button

The Apple TV Home button looks like a small TV. You can press this to do several actions depending where you are and how you press it.

The Home button can do a lot of different things on the new Apple TV.

The Home button can do a lot of different things on the new Apple TV.

Press the Apple TV Button Once – This takes you home, similar to holding the menu button.

Press the TV Button Twice – Access Recent Apps. Swipe left or right to switch and swipe up on an app to close it.

Hold the TV Button – Put the Apple TV to Sleep and Turn off your HDTV if supported.

Press the Apple TV Button with the TV Off – If your HDTV supports HDMI-CEC you can push the Apple TV button when your TV is off and it will turn your TV on and to the right HDMi connection.

Apple TV Remote Siri Button

The Apple TV Remote includes dual microphones that allow you to control the new Apple TV with your voice — but you have to press the Siri button to get started.

Press the Siri Button – See example questions you can ask.

Hold the Siri Button – Ask Siri to watch something, find a movie, TV show or one of many other questions.

The Apple TV can control more than you would expect.

The Apple TV can control more than you would expect.

Apple TV Remote Play / Pause Button

The Play / Pause button on the new Apple TV remote control can do much more than just play and pause the movie or music you are watching or listening to.

Press Play/Pause on the Keyboard –  Use this to switch between uppercase and lower case.

Hold the Play/Pause Button – Hold this for about 6 seconds to go back to the Apple Music app on the Apple TV.

Press When Editing Apps – Press this button when in app edit mode to delete an app.

Apple TV Remote Touch Surface

Master the touch surface for a better Apple TV experience.

Master the touch surface for a better Apple TV experience.

The Apple TV remote control touch surface allows users to swipe to control the Apple TV similar to using a touch screen, but this time the screen is your HDTV and you are using gestures to move around.

Slide Left or Right – The faster you move your finger the faster the cursor goes.

Tap on the Edge of the Surface – When you need to move one selection to the left or right you can tap lightly on the left or right edge to go to the next letter or option.

Press and Hold on Keyboard – See capital letters, accents and a backspace.

Hold in Apple Music  – Hold down on a Song to go to the Artist and see other options for that song.

Press and Hold on the Home Screen – Press and hold on an app to make it wiggle. Then swipe up, down, left or right to rearrange your Apple TV apps.

Apple TV Remote Settings

Go to the Settings app on your Apple TV and you can change settings that will impact how your Apple TV and Apple TV remote control work. Go to Settings -> Remotes and Devices to get started.

Change Touch Surface Tracking – Change the speed of the movement when you slide your finger across the touch surface.

Learn Remote – Configure a third-party remote to control the Apple TV.

Configure Volume Control – By default the Volume buttons control many HDTVs over HDMI, but you can choose what they control and how they control it, as well as learn a new device in this setting.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Dale Ganz

    11/12/2015 at 1:31 pm

    Do you have to punch a button to launch Siri? I am a quadriplegic and would like to launch Siri with my voice alone. Is that possible?

    • Jason D

      12/30/2015 at 6:01 pm

      No, you have to press the button unfortunately.

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