There are three Apple TV settings I all the time inform individuals to vary as quickly as they set theirs up. Whereas I heartily suggest the Apple TV over the clunky and ad-infested expertise of Roku and different good TVs, it’s not good. You’ll need to change just a few issues to make it proper.
Initially, you possibly can put one of many Siri Distant buttons to higher use. The TV button, by default, opens the Apple TV app — however you possibly can have it take you to the Dwelling Display as an alternative. Additionally, you’ll need to change the Dwelling Display to indicate your Proceed Watching record, not its suggestions. And eventually, you possibly can flip off these annoying Apple TV sports activities notifications to cease the interruptions when you’re watching your exhibits.
Change these three annoying default settings, and also you’ll be in for a much better viewing expertise. Preserve studying or watch our video to learn the way.
The Apple TV settings you need to change
The Apple TV is definitely Apple’s most underappreciated gadget. For those who personal one, you in all probability use it to sit back with a present or film nearly on daily basis — I can’t say I take advantage of my Mac or Imaginative and prescient Professional on daily basis. The Apple TV is virtually the one good TV interface that doesn’t embody invasive knowledge monitoring or ugly promoting. That’s what makes it the highest decide for residence theater and good residence aficionados.
And but, the default tvOS setup doesn’t all the time ship the intuitive expertise you count on out of the field. From adjusting the Siri Distant so it really takes you the place you need to go, to cleansing up the Dwelling Display and silencing pointless sports activities alerts, just a few good tweaks within the Apple TV settings can dramatically enhance the way you navigate content material and work together together with your {hardware}.
Our information walks you thru three must-change choices that can flip your Apple TV into a customized, frustration-free media hub. You’ll spend much less time wrestling with menus and extra time having fun with your exhibits.
Desk of contents: Change these three Apple TV settings for a greater expertise
- Change the TV button to go to the Dwelling Display
- Set the High Shelf to Proceed Watching
- Flip off Apple TV sports activities notifications
- Extra Apple TV how-tos
Change the TV button to go to the Dwelling Display
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The primary Apple TV setting I strongly suggest altering pertains to the Siri Distant. Urgent the TV button on Apple’s distant, by default, opens the Apple TV app — which I often don’t discover very helpful. Particularly since Netflix exhibits don’t present up there.
As an alternative, go to Settings > Remotes and Gadgets and set TV Button to Dwelling Display. Then, whenever you press the TV button, you’ll return to the Dwelling Display, the place all of your apps reside.
It is a big enhance to the Apple TV person interface. When it’s essential rapidly shut an app, you need to be taken to your grid of different apps as quick as attainable.
Set the High Shelf to Proceed Watching
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
When you’re at it, there’s one other setting associated to the Apple TV’s Dwelling Display you may need to change. While you’re on the Dwelling Display, swiping by the apps on the High Shelf, it’ll present full-screen previews of exhibits and flicks you possibly can watch from that app.
Nevertheless, by default, the TV app exhibits you promoted content material, not the exhibits you’re really in the midst of watching. The excellent news is which you can change this.
Open the Settings app. Then, scroll down and choose Apps. On the prime of the App Settings part, choose TV. Scroll down and set High Shelf to Proceed Watching. Now, you’ll have simpler entry to proceed the exhibits you’ve already began within the TV app.
(I additionally turned off Auto-Play Subsequent Episode, as a matter of private choice.)
Flip off Apple TV sports activities notifications
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple continues to ink offers with huge sports activities leagues like Main League Baseball, Main League Soccer and Formulation One racing. So maybe it’s no shock that Apple turned on sports activities notifications by default on Apple TV (and buried the off change). That implies that, it doesn’t matter what you’re watching within the night, you’ll obtain a random push notification within the higher proper inviting you to tune into some recreation.
Nevertheless, you don’t must undergo Apple’s sports activities advertising and marketing push. To show off Apple TV sports activities notifications, open the Settings app. Then, scroll down and choose Apps. On the prime of the App Settings part, choose TV. Scroll right down to the Notifications part, then choose Thrilling Video games to show off the notifications.
For those who are occupied with sports activities scores, you possibly can comply with your favourite groups within the Apple Sports activities app for iPhone or inside Apple Information on different units. That manner, you possibly can all the time see the most recent scores and upcoming schedules. The groups you comply with within the Sports activities app will sync throughout all of your units — together with your Apple TV.
Extra Apple TV how-tos
For those who use a sound bar together with your Apple TV and hate juggling two remotes, you may need to arrange your Apple TV distant to manage your sound bar. You may set this up from Study Distant, only a few gadgets decrease on the identical Remotes and Gadgets display. Click on right here for detailed directions.
Or, if you happen to desire having zero remotes, you possibly can use your iPhone or Apple Watch to manage your Apple TV as an alternative. Each units include a built-in Distant app that lets anybody management their TV from their telephone or watch.
We initially printed this text on Apple TV settings on June 26, 2024. We up to date it with the most recent info on December 25, 2025.
D. Griffin Jones is a author, podcaster and video producer for Cult of Mac. Griffin has been a passionate laptop fanatic since 2002, when he acquired his first PC — however since getting a Mac in 2008, he hasn’t turned again. His abilities in graphic and net design, together with video and podcast enhancing, are self-taught over 20+ years. Griffin has a bachelor’s diploma in laptop science and has written a number of (unpublished) apps for Mac and iOS. His assortment of outdated computer systems is made up of 40+ desktops, laptops, PDAs and units, courting again to the early ’80s. He brings all of those inventive and technical abilities, together with a deep information of Apple historical past, into his work for Cult of Mac.