8+ Cool Things You Didn’t Know Apple TV Could Do!
Credit: Papa John's
Wait, you still have a cable box?! It’s time to show that outdated piece of plastic the door.. With an Apple TV, you can rent movies, watch cable programming, access your Apple Music library, and do other Apple-y stuff. But do you really know how to use an Apple TV to its full potential?
Do you use the App Store, play games, watch live TV, order pizzas, and more already? If you do, good for you. If not, you'll soon learn about all of the fantastic things you can do with this tiny, magical box! Continue reading to learn 8+ Cool Things You Didn't Know Apple TV Could Do!
8 Shop Right from Your Couch
Did you know you can use your Apple TV to buy stuff other than movies? There are quite a few apps that let you make purchases right on your big-screen! You could order a gift for a friend, send your spouse or partner flowers, or even order a pizza. The possibilities are endless (as long as there’s an app).
QVC
Move over grandma, QVC just got a little more interesting. Now you can use the QVC app to watch live video while making those late-night, I’m-probably-going-to-regret-this-later, purchases. The app offers a “speed buy” button to make purchasing quick and easy.
Amazon
Amazon Prime members can shop from the millions of items found on Amazon while lounging in the living room. You can browse photos and videos, and purchase items with just a click. No wonder Amazon is the world’s second trillion dollar company.
1-800-Flowers
Take a break from your favorite show to order your favorite person a bouquet of roses. The 1-800-Flowers app makes it easy to find and purchase gifts. You can order flowers, chocolates, fruit baskets, and other gifts and send them just using your remote. Same day delivery is available on many items.
Edmunds
While you can’t buy a car with your Apple TV, you can be an informed buyer before making your next automobile purchase. Edmunds lets you browse new and used cars, read reviews, watch videos and how-to guides, and offers tips to help you have a pleasant shopping experience.
Papa John’s
This might be one of the coolest shopping apps available on Apple TV. Papa John’s has been in the news a bit lately and the company is working hard to distance itself from the man himself. If there’s one thing that should stick around, it’s this app. It lets you customize a pizza right from your couch and creates a virtual pizza in real time as you go.
When you have your order just the way you want it, press the play/pause button to place your order. This is one you have to experience in person just to understand how much work went into it. Hopefully other Apple TV app developers take note!
7 Watch Live TV
Your Apple TV is an awesome way to experience live TV using any of these live streaming services!
Hulu
Hulu with live TV lets users to stream live content from over 50 popular channels, including local channels in select areas. Hulu with Live TV costs $39.99 per month and includes all of the great on-demand content you’ve come to expect from Hulu.
CBS
If your current streaming service doesn’t have CBS you may want to subscribe to CBS All Access to get access to live channels and choose from over 10,000 previously aired episodes. CBS prices start at $5.99 per month but, users can opt for a limited commercial plan for $9.99 per month.
Philo
Philo is an inexpensive service with plans that start as low as $16 a month. Viacom channels which aren’t available on most other live-streaming services are included in this package. Philo by itself is a low cost streaming option, or you could use it to supplement the Viacom channels missing from other popular services.
Sling TV
Sling offers 20-40 of some of the most popular channels starting at just $25 month. It’s a lower cost option that still has great content. Add-on channels are available at an additional price.
YouTube TV
An easy-to-use service offering shows from over 60 of the largest Networks. The service costs $39.99 per month and add-on packages are available for an additional cost. YouTube TV has a simple interface and features one of the better live guides on Apple TV.
And more
Playstation Vue, DirecTV, and Fubo all offer live streaming. There are many options and as live streaming grows in popularity the providers will likely offer more channels and features to stay competitive. The services listed here don’t require a contract, so you could always shop around until you find the one that’s best for you.
6 Listen to Endless Music
Starting a jam session in your living room is easy with Apple TV. Whether you buy music from iTunes, or use a music streaming service such as Apple Music, there are numerous ways to get the party started.
Pandora
Pandora is possibly the streaming radio service that started it all. It lets you create up to 100 personalized and unique radio stations to discover new music. The app is free with limited skips, or you can upgrade to a premium service via in-app purchase. If you already have a paid account, simply sign in with your credentials.
iHeartRADIO
Listen to thousands of radio stations, news, podcasts and sports. You can also customize radio station preferences and choose to sign up for premium features which include unlimited skips.
iTunes
Once upon a time, in the days before streaming, there were digital purchases (and Limewire). If you still prefer to buy your music, rip it from a CD, or have a large iTunes music library, you’ll be happy to know it’s still available on Apple TV. Just sign in with your Apple ID and you're good to go.
Apple Music
In addition to iTunes, Apple recently started their own streaming service called Apple Music. You can stream any song from the iTunes library with plans ranging from $4.99 (for students) to $14.99 (for families). In addition to music, you can listen to a live radio station called Beats 1, search playlists, watch music videos and original content, and more.
All of these options are great ways to get music playing through your TV for any occasion, but if you’d rather not share your music with the house, grab some wireless headphones!
Apple TV makes it easy to connect your Bluetooth headphones via the settings app. Put your headphones in pairing mode, and while in the Bluetooth settings, let the Apple TV find and pair to your headphones.
5 Take Control
Speaking of Bluetooth headphones, they aren’t the only accessories you can connect to your Apple TV. There are many other devices that let you take control of your viewing experience.
Remote App
Lost the remote again? Or maybe it’s just "clear across the room" and you're feeling too lazy to get up.. Have no fear, the Siri Remote app can alleviate all of your first-world problems. The remote app is available for your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch
Ditch your Apple TV remote by downloading the “Apple TV Remote” app available on the App Store to your iPhone or iPad. Use the keyboard in the app to take total control of your Apple TV. Use it to do things such as search for titles quicker, skip through chapters in your movies, and control your music.
Siri Remote
The Siri Remote that comes with your Apple TV is easy to use. Just hold down the microphone button and begin speaking into your remote.
You can ask Siri to play or pause content, skip chapters, and even ask “who’s in this movie?”
You can ask for movie suggestions or ask Siri to play some music. If you want to check the weather, see current sports scores, or check the stock market, Siri has that covered, too.
Siri on Apple TV can’t do everything that your iPhone can, but there are some things that may surprise you. For example, if you have smart home devices that support HomeKit you can ask Siri to control some of them. So “let’s watch a movie” could be setup as a scene that dims the lights and pulls your smart curtains.
Keyboards and Controllers
Apple TV supports many Bluetooth keyboards and standard remotes. It also supports some game controllers. Supported Bluetooth devices will show up in your Apple TV’s settings.
4 Game Night
Apple TV is a great living room entertainment device. In addition to movies and music, you can play a variety of single-player and multiplayer games. From board games to dancing, there’s something that everyone can enjoy. Check out some of the popular options below.
Crossy Road
Try to cross the road as a blocky chicken (or other animal) without being hit by traffic! Dodge obstacles and see how far you can get. The game also offers a Disney version with your favorite characters from multiple franchises. A multiplayer mode makes this a fun-filled competitive game for family and friends.
Real Racing 3
Choose from more than 200 cars and race in 18 real-world locations! You can use your Siri remote or connect a Bluetooth controller for a more immersive experience.
HQ Trivia
Join the live trivia game show on your big screen and compete for real prizes and money by answering questions correctly.
Just Dance Now
Grab a friend or dance solo. This popular game lets you get your groove on and test your skills. The game uses the accelerometer in the Siri remote to detect your movement. Just try not to throw the remote into your screen, Apple offers a Remote Loop to keep you tethered. Other players can download the companion app and dance along. How many stars can you get?
Solitaire
A true classic with simple graphics, made easy to play using your Apple TV remote. Choose from Draw 1 or Draw 3 gameplays and select a random deck or guarantee a win by choosing a winning deal.
And way, way more
The are a ton of awesome games for Apple TV that let you play board games, go bowling, and more. Here are some other great games to check out:
- Asphalt 8
- Angry Birds GO
- Modern Combat 5
- SongPop Party
- Beat Sports
- Beach Buggy Racing
- Rayman Adventures
- Monopoly
- Riptide GP 2
- Slide the Shakes
- Heroki
- Tranisitor
- Octodad: Deadliest Catch
- Oceanhorn
Okay. There’s too many to list. But you get the point. Check out the App Store to browse them all. You can also check out your purchases to see what apps and games you’ve already bought that also support Apple TV.
3 Mirror Your Screen
Your Apple TV can also let you use your TV as a second screen or a way to share your screen with other people. You can use AirPlay from your iPhone or iPad to share your current music or movie; or, you can mirror your entire display.
There are even some games and third party apps that format to your TV using AirPlay and then let you use your iOS device as a secondary input (such as a game controller).
If you have a Mac, you can use AirPlay to either mirror your screen or use your TV as a second screen. If you want to browse the Web on your Apple TV using your iPhone, you could always just mirror Safari. Or, you can download apps like AirBrowser or AirWeb to use a browser formatted to your TV.
2 A Smarter (and Safer) Home
Your Apple TV can be used as hub for many HomeKit enabled accessories. You can also use the Siri remote to control your smart home devices. You can set scenes, turn off lights, change the thermostat, and more. There are some safety limitations, for example you can’t unlock doors.
Use your Siri Remote to control you smart home devices. You can say things like “Hey Siri, turn off the lights”
In addition to being able to control certain devices or use the Apple TV as a home hub, there are also many security devices that offer third-party apps.
For example you can use the Canary app to view your Canary cameras from your TV. Check up on your kids in the other room, or see what's going on outside!
1 And Much More!
There are so many things you can do on Apple TV, and odds are you’re not going to do them all. But here are a few more things that you can do with some of the built-in apps.
Podcasts
Podcasts work exactly as they do on iPhone or iPad, but allow you to listen from your TV. Sign in to view your saved Podcasts or view featured and top-charted Podcasts to discover something new.
Books
iBooks StoryTime is a kids app filled with all sorts of different books for bedtime (or anytime) stories. Discover new books, classics, and read-alongs. Although there are a few free books, most books cost between $0.99-$9.99.
Photos
Your photos are synced to your Apple TV via iCloud. However, you can choose to disable it if you don’t want them to be accessible. You can view albums and even use your photos as a screensaver when your Apple TV isn’t in use.
How Do You Apple TV?
Of course there are many other things you can do from your Apple TV, from testing your Internet connection, to monitoring your baby, to using a calculator. There are lots of third-party apps and features to discover. What do you use your Apple TV for? What do you wish you could do? Let us know in the comments and on social media.