Any speculation on what a Remote App update might include?

[aresx85]

While an update may never come, or even disappoint when it does, what are some things you hope it includes? I'd love to see it function as a bigger surface for the touch elements, but the obvious keyboard is super important (especially if you can enter text with Siri). I'm hoping to get a bit more control and continuity between phone and Apple TV to the point where I can easily transfer music or video back and forth, maybe even with Siri ("play X on the living room tv" and the rest just works). I'm hopeful the remote app at least gets fixed to work like it used to, but I'm very hopeful the delay means something incredible. Pardon the rant

 

[Wreckus]

Only reason I can think of on why its taking this long is that they are going to have a game controller feature on the new remote app.

Other than that, no idea why its taking this long.

 

[haruhiko]

Only reason I can think of on why its taking this long is that they are going to have a game controller feature on the new remote app.

Other than that, no idea why its taking this long.

The other reason is that they are not making the update.

 

[Wreckus]

The other reason is that they are not making the update.

Another possibility, but That would be unfortunate IMO. Guess time will tell.

 

[Michael CM1]

It just needs virtual buttons like what's one the one now, a touchscreen area up top, and THE ABILITY TO TYPE TEXT USING THE IPHONE KEYBOARD.

 

[leesweet]

Another 'extension' could be variations on features based on size: iPhone 5s/6/6 plus etc. (Including 6s of course). So the larger screen could do more.

But I've seen a couple of references without details that 'Apple said' there's no update coming. I wish someone doing one of those interviews (like the one with Eddy) would ask the question.

 

[seadragon]

I just bought a new Yamaha receiver and they have an app that allows you to control the whole thing on a phone or tablet. It's really slick to use. Using a touch screen to directly select buttons that graphically represent different settings such as surround modes is so much better than clicking the buttons on the remote over and over to scroll through the settings.

My gut feeling is that Apple will come out with something like it. It may not be the Remote app that we know, but more of an Apple TV companion app. I really doubt they will just leave the Apple TV with it's one remote. I think they're going to release some really cool stuff for the ATV over time and what they released initially as the ATV4 is just the beginning.

That's just my gut feeling.

 

[aresx85]

I imagine they will eventually release something but I could see them killing the remote app in a sense and natively baking in another app or feature users will complain about being unable to delete. I actually hope they natively bake it in deeply, offer a widget for lock screen access, some way to use native Siri but distinguish it's use is for which tv (HomeKit does decent at knowing when I'm requesting devices with it so maybe the same framework will be used), or even a way to use it as a more household remote where it can assume based on proximity or something like handoff to "just work" with a device without telling it which one (I can definitely see myself getting another Apple TV in time). Again, all just hopeful at this point but fun to dream about the what-ifs

 

[waw74]

if they knew they were going to kill off the remote app, why did they make a watch version? the team writing the watch version had to know the 4 was coming.

+1 for needing the keyboard.

plus it's nice to have when the remote slips under something like it likes to do.

 

[aresx85]

if they knew they were going to kill off the remote app, why did they make a watch version? the team writing the watch version had to know the 4 was coming.

+1 for needing the keyboard.

plus it's nice to have when the remote slips under something like it likes to do.

Yeah, I don't think they will actually "kill" the app but I could see them just rewriting it altogether, effectively killing the old one. I totally agree on the watch part, and I miss the convenience of having that stay up while using the TV. The new remote is nice, don't get me wrong, but it'd be nice to have remotes for the whole family without shelling out $79 a pop. The keyboard is the biggest one that baffles me for not updating it at launch though, it's the most obvious use for the app, especially with no support for bluetooth keyboards.

I have faith something will come along eventually, I'm just afraid it could be a while based on past update history for the remote app