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Here's the Upcoming Apple TV 'Remote' App

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At its recent Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple unveiled an all new "Remote" app for iOS devices, which has been entirely overhauled to make it easier than ever to control a fourth-generation Apple TV with an iPhone.

In the video below, we took a look at the Remote app to give MacRumors readers an early glimpse at what's in store. The new Remote app, which connects to an Apple TV via Bluetooth, mimics the exact layout of the Siri Remote for a navigation experience that's streamlined across different input methods.


When content like movies or music is playing, the Remote app includes a full "Now Playing" view for control purposes, along with a dedicated Menu button and a Siri button. As with the physical Apple TV Remote, navigation through the iOS app is done via touch gestures.

Entering text, like passwords and usernames, is much easier with the iOS Remote app because any text field automatically brings up a keyboard. Full Siri voice commands are supported, as is dictation. Because it includes the same gyroscope and accelerometer in the Siri Remote, an iPhone can be used as a dedicated game controller for playing games on the Apple TV.

The Apple TV Remote app is currently available to developers and can be downloaded through the Apple Developer website. It's not clear when the Apple TV Remote app will be released, but it may be released alongside tvOS 10 and iOS 10 this fall. The developer beta of the app only requires iOS 9.3.2 and tvOS 9.2.1, so there's a possibility it may launch ahead of the new operating systems.

For details on new Apple TV features coming in tvOS 10, make sure to check out our tvOS 10 roundup. Don't miss out on our previous videos, which have covered iOS 10, watchOS 3, and macOS Sierra:

- WWDC 2016 Overview in Seven Minutes
- iOS 10's Overhauled Lockscreen
- The New iOS 10 Photos App
- The New iOS 10 Messages App
- macOS Sierra - Siri
- iOS 10 Hidden Features
- watchOS 3 Overview
- iOS 10's Redesigned Apple Music Experience
- 3D Touch in iOS 10
- The New Home App for Controlling HomeKit Devices
- Everything New in tvOS 10

We've also got roundups for all of the upcoming operating systems, including watchOS 3, macOS Sierra, and iOS 10.

Article Link: Here's the Upcoming Apple TV 'Remote' App
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/06/27/apple-tv-remote-app-for-ios/
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Benjamin Frost said:
I know this article is principally about the app, but the Apple Remote is too symmetrical.

How do you find the right end in the dark?

Perhaps I could have phrased that better...
Click to expand...

I press on the wrong end of the Apple Remote approximately 100 percent of the time when I'm trying to pause a show or fast forward or something. It's hard to tell, especially when you just reach over and grab the remote without really looking. Probably one of my biggest annoyances with the remote.
 
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Benjamin Frost said:
I know this article is principally about the app, but the Apple Remote is too symmetrical.

How do you find the right end in the dark?

Perhaps I could have phrased that better...
Click to expand...

I guess you could attempt to locate the lightning-port with one of your fingers and thus figure out which way you're holding the remote? But yeah, I agree, it's hard to find the right end sometimes.
 
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HatMine said:
I guess you could attempt to locate the lightning-port with one of your fingers and thus figure out which way you're holding the remote? But yeah, I agree, it's hard to find the right end sometimes.
Click to expand...

I hate how they made the IR port have the exact same shape shape as the Lightning, so in the dark both ends look exactly the same.

Another reason why it's so confusing is that I feel like I'm using an iPhone when holding it, not a trackpad, and on an iPhone the glass part of course is what you touch.
 
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jclo said:
I press on the wrong end of the Apple Remote approximately 100 percent of the time when I'm trying to pause a show or fast forward or something. It's hard to tell, especially when you just reach over and grab the remote without really looking. Probably one of my biggest annoyances with the remote.
Click to expand...
I have the Griffin "Survivor Play" case on my Siri Remote, along with Apple's "Remote Loop" wrist strap, not out of fear of dropping the remote, but to make it easier to find, easier to pick up, and easier to orient in my hand. This way, it's grippier, sits up a little higher off a tabletop, doesn't slide around, and the wrist strap makes a nice "tail" to tell, without looking, which way the remote is pointing. And with these additions, I love the Siri Remote - it's small, handy, responsive, lets me control what's on screen, and lets me control the volume. "Everything you need and nothing you don't."
[doublepost=1467071518][/doublepost]
Cougarcat said:
Another reason why it's so confusing is that I feel like I'm using an iPhone when holding it, not a trackpad, and on an iPhone the glass part of course is what you touch.
Click to expand...
FWIW, I'm pretty sure the entire top of the remote is glass, just with two different surface finishes.
 
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Benjamin Frost said:
I know this article is principally about the app, but the Apple Remote is too symmetrical.

How do you find the right end in the dark?

Perhaps I could have phrased that better...
Click to expand...

I find myself picking up the remote very lightly and then feeling for the smooth glass. About half the time I get it wrong. It's not great lol. Really happy with the app though. Solves most of the issues I had with the Siri remote.
 
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I'm disappointed. The main thing I use the current remote app (on older AppleTVs for) is to scroll through my media library to select what to play. The old Apple TV remote you could use to scroll indefinitely, but it got very fast and no way to stop at the right time. New one, I hate scrolling, you can't just click one space and hold to scroll.
 
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I'm curious about the bluetooth connectivity, and if that's the only way to connect to the newer AppleTV, or if wifi works with it as well like the many older AppleTVs I have in the house.
 
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Has any developer actually used this App yet? Do we know if it supports all Apple TVs (2-4), and is Siri supported with them, or only the 4?
 
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Perfect, this will work well with the new Apple TV 4th generation coming out at the end of October!

Oh wait, it's 2016. This is the app we should have had at launch. It's been fun paying Apple several thousand dollars to be a beta tester the past few years.
 
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Will you be able to connect your phone to the apple tv via bluetooth? I taken my apple tv with me on trips several times, only to realize I've forgotten the remote, since i almost always use the phone to control it, and without the remote you can't select the wifi network, which makes it almost impossible to connect the phone to use the remote app.
 
About time Apple... clearly you've been spending too much time on other useless things like watch bands ;)
 
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I wish they'd bring back the ability in the app to scroll through your music library on the Apple TV. Somewhere along the line that function was removed. I liked having the option to choose and listen to music with the TV off. AirPlay works for streaming music from an iPad or iPhone, but it's not as smooth.
 
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jclo said:
I press on the wrong end of the Apple Remote approximately 100 percent of the time when I'm trying to pause a show or fast forward or something. It's hard to tell, especially when you just reach over and grab the remote without really looking. Probably one of my biggest annoyances with the remote.
Click to expand...
I bought the Remote Loop solely for that purpose. Makes it easier to tell one end from the other. I hate this new remote. You can't win with it.
[doublepost=1467077256][/doublepost]
santaliqueur said:
Perfect, this will work well with the new Apple TV 4th generation coming out at the end of October!

Oh wait, it's 2016. This is the app we should have had at launch. It's been fun paying Apple several thousand dollars to be a beta tester the past few years.
Click to expand...
No doubt!!! Unbelievable it took this long.
 
The new tvOS cannot come soon enough. Single sign on will solve a lot of problems. Food Network and HGTV in particular just REFUSE to remember my credentials.
 
brbttyl said:
What about the functionality in the current remote app for controlling iTunes--will that be preserved? I'm actually really glad Remote hasn't received any updates, because I much prefer the way search works over the Music app. I don't use Apple TV.
Click to expand...

This. Where is the remote for streaming from iTunes to all your Airplay devices? Am I the only one who uses Apple for full home audio? I have 7 Airplay 'targets' in my house, including two in the backyard. It's bizarre to me that they don't support the use case of streaming music to more than one room in your house (basic Sonos functionality).

The old remote app had a terrible implementation of this (no Apple Radio, no Apple Music, only access to music already downloaded to your Mac). But at least it was something. Looks like the new remote app is entirely focused on the ATV.

A *better* implementation would be to build multi-device music streaming into the Music app on iOS (either directly from the iOS app or remotely controlling iTunes on a Mac). But I don't see that happening either.
 
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