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The "iPhone Remote App" is not coming back

-Ray-

-Ray-

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 2, 2011
225
138
Pennsylvania
Im afraid that Apple may have purposely obsoleted the iPhone Remote App in an effort to push the new Siri Remote. As a software engineer, I cannot fathom the idea that Apple spent a year plus designing the new device and somehow managed to not update an app. There are a few reasons that I believe this:
  • No zero day compatibility for a feature that was essential to the previous model.
  • Apples support documents stating that the app is incompatible rather than a notice of impending compatibility via future update.
  • No mention of remote app during product demonstration or release
  • "Prerelease developers" such as Hipster Whale (Crossy Road) built in "controller / remote functionality" to their games rather than relying on a dedicated remote app.
  • This is what apple does.
The Remote app was an essential feature and had a fair amount of pluses that the Siri remote lacks.
  • Ability to seamlessly control multiple apple tvs in a home or office. Very useful for when my children lose their remotes. (Very frequent)
  • Easier text input with complex passwords.
  • Siri remote easily broken or lost. Why do I need to worry about another remote?
  • High replacement cost for Siri remote. ($79)
  • Shut off Tvs in different room. (Again, children)
  • Cannot easily tell siri remote position in dark. Have to fiddle. No backlight for buttons.
  • I have to charge the remote
  • Disconnected from the ecosystem.
Without the remote app features, my apple tv feels completely different, in a bad way. It will truly be missed in my house hold. I find the idea of a dedicated remote for Siri pointless. I don’t understand the hype surrounding Siri, Its a feature that is turned off on all of my Apple devices. Its useless to me.

Ps. Whats up with the horrible netflix interface.
 
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I seem to remember that the remote app used to be maintained by a single person at Apple. I honestly don't think they ever really cared about it.....and it's clear they didn't even think about it in the design of the new ATV. Have a feeling it's never going to get upgraded.

As for the Netflix interface....blame Netflix for that. This is their design across all devices. Some love it.....I hate it.

-Kevin
 
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1. Privately enter PIN for restricted content (i.e. want to watch PG-13 movie with kids or play an app that requires higher rating), or to purchase an app.
2. Long, secure passwords can be pasted from 1password into the remote app. Without this, we are left with manual silliness. Even the 'never ask me for a password ever' option on the apple tv seems to time out after a day.
3. You cannot bounce between gamecenter accounts without entering passwords which of course ... takes me back to #2.

I don't care about using the iphone as a controller. I DO care about managing text and securely entering family restriction PINs.

DUH apple
 
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I tweeted out to 1Password about them looking into a way to maybe activate 1PW on your phone and push that to a password field. Probably won't happen but would be cool.

Also can't believe Apple didn't just bake this into iOS. Image having your iPhone paired with the ATV (it would have done this during the initial setup). You click into a text field on the ATV and there is a button at the end you could click instead that would pop open an input box on the phone where you enter the password and click ok and it's pushed back to the ATV.

-Kevin
 
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Anybody know what they were using on stage for multiplayer games? Is it the iPhone version of the App? I thought is was something like the Remote App. However, I did not like the Remote App. To me it was always strange how they mimic the physical remote. I think what would be nice is to actually duplicate the tvOS on my iPad. Like a remote desktop with text field input.
 
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d21mike said:
Anybody know what they were using on stage for multiplayer games? Is it the iPhone version of the App? I thought is was something like the Remote App. However, I did not like the Remote App. To me it was always strange how they mimic the physical remote. I think what would be nice is to actually duplicate the tvOS on my iPad. Like a remote desktop with text field input.
Click to expand...

They are using the iPhone version of the game. IE, Crossy road now has a feature that will allow you to use it as a controller.
 
I think Apple will eventually update this with Siri dictation like other iOS devices have.
 
-Ray- said:
Something interesting. If you go here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/developer/apple/id284417353?mt=12 and click open in iTunes its says its unavailable in US Stores.
Click to expand...

That's trying to open it in the Mac App Store. Remote is still available in the iOS app store.

-Kevin

Apple has also made a point to update the description the Remote app to note:

Note: Remote is only compatible with Apple TV (3rd generation or earlier).

-Kevin
 
Last edited by a moderator:
-Ray- said:
Im afraid that Apple may have purposely obsoleted the iPhone Remote App in an effort to push the new Siri Remote. As a software engineer, I cannot fathom the idea that Apple spent a year plus designing the new device and somehow managed to not update an app. There are a few reasons that I believe this:
  • No zero day compatibility for a feature that was essential to the previous model.
  • Apples support documents stating that the app is incompatible rather than a notice of impending compatibility via future update.
  • No mention of remote app during product demonstration or release
  • "Prerelease developers" such as Hipster Whale (Crossy Road) built in "controller / remote functionality" to their games rather than relying on a dedicated remote app.
  • This is what apple does.
The Remote app was an essential feature and had a fair amount of pluses that the Siri remote lacks.
  • Ability to seamlessly control multiple apple tvs in a home or office. Very useful for when my children lose their remotes. (Very frequent)
  • Easier text input with complex passwords.
  • Siri remote easily broken or lost. Why do I need to worry about another remote?
  • High replacement cost for Siri remote. ($79)
  • Shut off Tvs in different room. (Again, children)
  • Cannot easily tell siri remote position in dark. Have to fiddle. No backlight for buttons.
  • I have to charge the remote
  • Disconnected from the ecosystem.
Without the remote app features, my apple tv feels completely different, in a bad way. It will truly be missed in my house hold. I find the idea of a dedicated remote for Siri pointless. I don’t understand the hype surrounding Siri, Its a feature that is turned off on all of my Apple devices. Its useless to me.

Ps. Whats up with the horrible netflix interface.
Click to expand...


I hope you are wrong, but I fear you are correct. Send feedback to Apple. I think I'll leave a negative review on the remote app too. Anything to get their attention.
 
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-Ray- said:
Who knows.. maybe we will see a jailbreak or something..
Click to expand...

I sure hope so. Most Apple products these days only seem to reach full potential when 3rd parties come in and save the day.

Hell, half the current iOS features are plucked straight from jailbreak tweaks of the past.
 
turbineseaplane said:
I sure hope so. Most Apple products these days only seem to reach full potential when 3rd parties come in and save the day.

Hell, half the current iOS features are plucked straight from jailbreak tweaks of the past.
Click to expand...

it shouldn't have to be like that tho.
 
They will update the App. They're not trying to "push" the Siri remote - it comes with every single device anyway and is the default way to control the device. Every single AppleTV 4G owner will also own a Siri Remote.

There's no conspiracy here.

netnothing said:
I seem to remember that the remote app used to be maintained by a single person at Apple. I honestly don't think they ever really cared about it.....and it's clear they didn't even think about it in the design of the new ATV. Have a feeling it's never going to get upgraded.

As for the Netflix interface....blame Netflix for that. This is their design across all devices. Some love it.....I hate it.

-Kevin
Click to expand...

Could easily be true.

As for Netflix, the AppleTV app is horrible. There are clunky layout glitches in lots of places (even the user selection screen - the very first thing - has uncentered elements). It also feels really, really claustrophobic with the ENORMOUS banner and even a freaking Netflix logo in the corner (they should really just **** with that - I hate it when companies keep throwing their brands in your face even once you've already bought their product. No need to keep advertising, Netflix; I get it! You don't need to sell me anything - I'm already a paying customer!)

It could be worse, though. Anybody checked out the Youtube app? It's so bad I think Google made it intentionally suck.

Ugh. Half-assed apps so far.
 
springsup said:
They will update the App. They're not trying to "push" the Siri remote - it comes with every single device anyway and is the default way to control the device. Every single AppleTV 4G owner will also own a Siri Remote.

There's no conspiracy here.
Click to expand...

They are pushing it in the sense that they are forcing us to use the product one way. Apple has a history of this. Remember the iPhone 4. Instead of correcting this issue we were lectured on how to properly hold a cellphone.
 
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netnothing said:
I seem to remember that the remote app used to be maintained by a single person at Apple. I honestly don't think they ever really cared about it.....and it's clear they didn't even think about it in the design of the new ATV. Have a feeling it's never going to get upgraded.

As for the Netflix interface....blame Netflix for that. This is their design across all devices. Some love it.....I hate it.

-Kevin
Click to expand...
I remember that too.... I also remember that it never gets updated right away.
 
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-Ray- said:
They are pushing it in the sense that they are forcing us to use the product one way. Apple has a history of this. Remember the iPhone 4. Instead of correcting this issue we were lectured on how to properly hold a cellphone.
Click to expand...

That was more of a weak excuse for a design flaw; not evidence of Apple's desire to force its customers to behave only in prescribed ways.

Apple are in the business of selling products, not controlling your mind. If there's a more convenient way to control the AppleTV, even for some situations like text entry, they will obviously want to do that to create a more compelling product.

I can't believe anybody would think they were deprecating the remote app to force people to use the remote.

Dictation would also be nice. Siri is blazing fast on the new machine and reasonably accurate.
 
FYI... I remember a while back Apple filed a patent for a new remote app that would use something like AirPlay to mirror the Apple TV to an iOS device and allow touch control... I suspect that we will eventually get that.
 
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ajiuo said:
FYI... I remember a while back Apple filed a patent for a new remote app that would use something like AirPlay to mirror the Apple TV to an iOS device and allow touch control... I suspect that we will eventually get that.
Click to expand...

link?
 
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