If you want a theater like experience on your Apple TV, or use it more at night, then you will love the Dark Mode feature. It is a simple little cosmetic add-on that very much enhances user experience.

Enabling Dark Mode on Apple TV will change the appearance of menus and backgrounds to black. This will help reduce the strain on your eyes when you’re browsing through the movie list at night. The icons and information will become easier to read thanks to the blackish background.

Turn on Dark Mode on Apple TV

Enabling the Dark mode is very simple and there are more than one methods to do it. By default, your Apple TV 4 running tvOS 10 will feature a Light appearance. This will make all the posters and icons pop, but will be too bright for night use.

To turn on Dark Mode on the Apple TV, open the Settings app, then navigate to General>Appearance. Here, select the Dark option. All your menus and backgrounds will have a darker appearance now. To switch back to a Lighter appearance, choose the Light option.

Another way to enable Dark mode on your Apple TV 4, is with the help of the Siri Remote. Simply press the Siri button on the remote and say ‘Enable Dark mode.’ You can also say ‘Dark mode’ and Siri will enable it for you.

If you want to go back to the Light side, then say ‘Light mode.’ And that’s how you enable the Dark mode on Apple TV 4.

Obviously, the Siri method is much faster and easier to perform. However, it would be nicer if Apple had included an Auto mode that would automatically switch the appearance according to the time of day.

So, what side are you on? The Dark side or the Light side? Let us know in the comments section. 

The post Dark Mode on Apple TV: Here’s How to Enable It appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

The older Apple TV remotes came with a replaceable battery, whereas the newest 4th gen Apple TV comes with a Siri Remote that has a rechargeable battery.

With the older remote, you will have to remove the old battery and replace it with a new one. You couldn’t check the battery life. It features a coin type lithium 3V battery (CR2032 or BR2032) and was located at the back of the remote. It is fairly easy to remove and replace the battery.

Thankfully, the latest 4th gen Apple TV Remote or Siri Remote, features a rechargeable battery, so you don’t have to replace the battery. According to Apple, a single charge should last you about a month, with normal usage. Also, you can check how much charge your Apple TV remote battery has left.

Check Apple TV Remote Battery Life

An Apple TV Remote or the Siri Remote, for the 4th gen Apple TV, takes about 2 hours to fully charge. The remote itself doesn’t feature a charge indicator, but you can find out how much charge is left.

To check the battery life of the remote, open the Settings app on your Apple TV. Head over to Remotes and Devices>Bluetooth and find the Remote section.

Over here, you’ll see your Siri Remote with the remaining battery percentage. Apple also presents a pop-up on your Apple TV when the battery is low on the remote. And, you can even ask Siri to check the battery percentage and it will be displayed on screen.

To charge your Apple TV remote or Siri Remote, simply use the included Lightning cable. You can either connect to your computer, or a wall power outlet, to charge the remote. It will not charge if you connect it to the Apple TV’s USB outlet.

The remote can be used while it’s charging, which is a good thing.

And that’s how you check the Apple TV remote battery life and charge it. For those with the Aluminium or White Apple TV remote, a battery change will be required. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to replace the battery on older remotes, by Apple.

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Apple recently released the public version of tvOS 10 for Apple TV 4 as promised and it includes some new and useful features. Here’s how to install tvOS 10 on your Apple TV.

tvOS 10 is only available for the fourth generation Apple TV, which is going to be disappointing for some. If you own an older Apple TV, it’s best you upgrade or continue using tvOS 9.2 for now.

The latest update includes several new features, improvements and bug fixes. Prior to releasing the software update, Apple released the new Apple TV Remote App. The app lets you control your TV using your iPhone as the remote. You can use your iPhone as a game controller as well.

The most important new feature in tvOS 10 is the ability to use Siri to control your Apple TV. You can launch apps, channels, search for videos and a lot more. With the new Siri Remote included in the Apple TV 4, it is super easy to search for a movie or a TV Show.

Apple has also included a new Dark Mode, which makes the background go dark and makes the movie/music posters and photos pop. There’s a new Single sign-on feature that lets you launch apps such as FXNow and HBO GO by using your credentials only for the first time. After that, it’ll automatically sign in.

Other changes with the update includes a new interface for Apple Music, which makes it easy to find music. tvOS 10 supports  HomeKit, allowing you to dim lights, lower temperature and control other HomeKit connected devices right from your Apple TV. There’s a new Memories section in iCloud Photos, which will show you new photos and videos that you haven’t looked at or forgotten about.

How to Install tvOS 10 on Apple TV 4

It’s quite easy to install the latest tvOS update on your Apple TV. If you own the latest 4th generation Apple TV and have automatic software updates enabled, then the update will be installed on its own.

If you haven’t enabled automatic updates, then you’ll need to download tvOS 10 manually. Here’s how to do it;

• Turn on Apple TV, open Settings and navigate to System.
• Now select Software Updates under Maintenance.
• Next, click on Update Software and select Download and Install when asked.
• Once the download is done, click on Update Now.

That’s about it. Wait for the update to finish and your Apple TV to reboot. You’ll now be on the latest software available for the Apple TV 4.

Let us know how you like the latest tvOS 10 software and what’s your favorite feature. 

The post tvOS 10 Now Available for Apple TV: How to Install appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Although according to the official instructions, a paid developer account is required to perform the jailbreak, there is a way to do so for free.

Here’s a complete, step-by-step tutorial on how to jailbreak Apple TV 4 using the Pangu jailbreak tool on your Mac computer.

How to Jailbreak Apple TV 4

Requirements：

• An Apple TV 4 running tvOS 9.0 or 9.0.1
• A Mac
• A USB-C to USB-A cable
• Xcode
• A free Apple ID account with sideloading privileges (see below)
• Pangu tool 1.0
• iOS App Signer

Step 1: Disable Automatic Updates on your Apple TV (Settings > System > Software Updates; turn off Automatically Update).

Step 2: Dowload and extract both Pangu tool andi OS App Signer zip files.

Step 3: Login to Xcode with an Apple ID with sideloading privileges (get it for free by visiting the Apple developer center and agreeing to the terms; to login to Xcode, go to Xcode > Preferences > Accounts and click the ‘+’ sign).

Step 4: Go to File > New > Project > tvOS > Application > Single View Application > Next.

Step: Fill out the following fields

• Product Name: AppleTVJailbreak
• Organization: <Your name>
• Organization Identifier: com.jailbreak.appletv

Click Next > Create. Your new Xcode project will open.

Step 5: Connect your Apple TV to your Mac using the USB-C cable. Wait for Xcode to finish processing symbol files.

Step 6: Change the selected build device to the Apple TV by clicking the button at the top left to the right of the play button.

Step 7: Click Fix issue to create a provisioning profile for the device.

Step 8: When asked to add an Apple ID, click Add and sign in with your Apple ID.

Step 9: Click Fix Issue once again and select your account from the list of accounts. Xcode will automatically fix your code signing issues.

Step 10: Launch iOS App Signer, click Browse and select the atvipa.app file from the Payload folder in the extracted Pangu archive. Click Open.

Step 11: Choose your Apple ID from the list of Signing Certificates and make sure Provisioning Profile is set to tvOS Team Provisioning Profile: com.YourName.AppleTVJailbreak.

Step 12: Click Start and then Save to save the atvipa.ipa file to your desktop.

Step 13: Select Devices from the Window menu in Xcode.

Step 14: Click the + button under Installed apps, and select the atvipa.ipa from your desktop.

Step 15: A Pangu app will appear on your Apple TV. Launch the app to initiate and complete the jailbreak.

That’s it. Congrats! You have successfully managed to jailbreak Apple TV 4.

You can now SSH into it  using the Apple TV’s Wi-Fi IP address.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to jailbreak Apple TV 4 with Pangu for free [Mac tutorial] appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

MrMC is the most popular app for bringing Kodi on Apple TV 4. However, it doesn’t provide a “100% Kodi experience”: it strips out all of the prohibited features that go against the terms of service for the App Store, like python add-ons, which are the basis for many of the most popular Kodi add-ons. A YouTube user Nandor, “an Apple TV 4 and Hackintosh Enthusiast”, posted a video in which he shows how to install a pre-alpha version of the “real” Kodi on Apple TV 4 using Xcode and an iOS App Signer app. This version of Kodi is supposed to let you use all your favourite add-ons, skins and other features.

This is 100% Kodi!!! You need to understand that this is an “unofficial pre pre pre alpha” release of Kodi for tvOS. So there will be bugs and not all add-ons will work right now. Unless you are able to get them to work yourself.

Downloads:

• iOS app signer
• kodi tvos.deb

You can find more tutorials on Nandor’s website.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to install Kodi on Apple TV 4 using Xcode (video) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

“Take control of Apple TV” is a book by TidBITS managing editor Josh Centers that is said to answer every question you may have about the 4th generation Apple TV. It explains how to set it up and use it to watch movies and TV shows, play music, display your photos, and run all types of apps on the big screen.

Josh walks you through cables, ports, and setup, and explains how to use gestures and spoken commands with the Siri Remote—yes, you can talk to your TV! He helps you navigate and customize the Home screen, plus describes getting-started settings such as inputting your Apple ID and enabling parental controls.

In Take Control of Apple TV you’ll read about:

• The easy Siri Remote shortcut for sleeping your Apple TV
• Checking the battery level and charging your Siri Remote
• Three ways to rewind on the Siri Remote
• Alternatives to the Siri Remote
• Connecting your Apple TV to iCloud Photo Library, iCloud Photo Stream, iCloud Photo Sharing, or to photos stored on your local computer
• Beaming the display of your Mac or iPhone screen to your TV
• Making Mac or iOS audio play through your TV’s speakers
• Ripping DVDs and Blu-ray discs
• Running iTunes Home Sharing to play media from a local computer
• Using Plex Media Server to take your media library beyond iTunes
• Essential items to pack if you’ll be giving a presentation via an Apple TV
• What you can do with Conference Room Display mode
• How to tell if an iOS app includes a free copy of its Apple TV version
• How to reset or restore an Apple TV—useful for troubleshooting or for handing your device to a new owner

The second edition of the book includes What’s New in tvOS 9.2 that discusses the most importnat features of tvOS 9.2, like support for Bluetooth keyboards, Dictation, and the capability to display your iCloud Photo Library.

The book costs $15 and is available in PDF, EPUB and mobi formats from takecontrolbooks.com.

You can also get a free sample.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post “Take control of Apple TV” – the ultimate guide appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Apple sells iOS devices that come in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB, but what about the Apple TV 4? Why only 32GB and 64GB? Apple figures most Apple TV customers will just stream content via DLNA/UPnP or use home sharing for content we purchased on iTunes. So the internal storage is to just store apps and data.

I don’t think Apple would imagine that people may want to download media to the Apple TV hard drive so that we can use the Apple TV in the car, like i did (check out: Apple TV 4 in The Car detailed) or bring their Apple TV to a friend’s house.

However, there is an app that allows you to do just that. Save your collection of movies, tv shows and music right on the Apple TV hard drive itself.

In my video (below) i give you an overview of all the media apps i use on my Apple TV and if you skip to 7:05 you will see the app that allows you to download media to the Apple TV for offline use.

I don’t want to mention the name of the app in the article. So Apple, you will just have to watch the video to find out! But please don’t pull it from the App Store.

Also check out:

• Infuse 4 for Apple TV 4: first look (video)
• Plex on Apple TV 4 explained (video)

You can find more videos on my YouTube channel AskUncleDave.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to save media files to your Apple TV 4 ‘hard drive’ for offline viewing (video) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Admit it, you’re not necessarily a fan of all Apple’s products. Some are life changers for sure – you’ll have to pry my iPhone out of my cold, dead hands. Others are maybe more, ‘meh’. iTunes falls into that latter category for a lot of people. While it was groundbreaking back in the day, these days it is more of an unkempt warehouse for Apple to cram things into. So how do you maintain your love for your Apple TV, while hating iTunes and not using it?

The big problem is that your Apple TV requires you to fully incorporate all your media (music, photos and video) into your iTunes catalog, if you want to connect that media to your Apple TV. This is easy if you’re buying all your stuff in iTunes. But if you’re like a lot of people, your media comes from a lot of different places – ripped CDs/DVDs, downloads from Amazon, friends, etc. Not all this is quickly or cleanly imported into iTunes, ignoring that many of us just don’t remember to do it all the time.

younity makes it easy to use your Apple TV for all your media, even if it is not in iTunes. When you install younity on your computer, it indexes your hard drive for all your video, music and photos. When it discovers all of it, it reads the file metadata (stuff like the artist name, album, song, movie title, etc.). If your content is in iTunes, younity will have all your library categorization, like your playlists; but for all your media not in iTunes, younity will automatically organize it into the same type of sections for Artist, Album, Songs, etc.

younity turns your computer into a personal media server, so you can stream all your video, music and photos to your iPhone or iPad without having to sync. This means you can carry all your digital content around with you, without taking up any storage on your mobile devices. When you want to access something, younity streams it from your computer to your mobile device.

Of course, younity also uses AirPlay, which means that you can stream everything on any of your computers directly to your Apple TV – with or without using iTunes. You can still browse your music library by Artist, Album, Playlist, etc., because younity will read all your media’s metadata and recreate those lists for you – no importing required.

You can also use younity to access all your computers at once , instead of one at a time, to stream any of your content to your Apple TV.

Click here to learn more about younity.

Throughout our series on hacking your Apple TV with younity we’re giving away FIVE Apple TV 4s! Enter below until 10/31 for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

younity is a simple easy and free app that enables your computer to work like a home media server, giving you access to all your media files on your computer from your iPhone or iPad.

The post How to love your Apple TV and hate iTunes, successfully (and Apple TV 4 giveaway!) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

At one point or another, we’ve all been visiting family or friends and wish we could watch a movie stored back on our home computer while we’re at their house. Or listen to a favorite playlist at someone else’s backyard party, or show off our latest GoPro video on a friend’s big screen.

While the Apple TV lets you stream video, music, and photos from your computer to your TV, what about when you want to stream stuff from your computer to someone else’s Apple TV?

This has previously been impossible because the Apple TV only connects to a computer on the same WiFi network – if your computer was back at home (on another network), it was off limits.

With younity you can take all your media with you to stream to any Apple TV, or even share your media with friends for them to stream on-demand when you’re not around. younity turns every computer you install it on into a personal media server, similar to Plex. It’s easy to set up and free.

How to install younity:

1. Install younity on each computer you want to access and let it index that content (about 5-30 minutes, depending on how much stuff you have).
2. Install the iOS app on your iPhone or iPad.

If you install younity on more than one computer, it will unify all of your files into a single list within the younity iOS app.

Not only does younity let you connect to all your computers at once, it lets you stream all your video, music and photos to your iPhone or iPad no matter where you are in the world. This means that the next time you’re at your friend’s house you can easily stream anything you have at home to their Apple TV using AirPlay.

How to stream a video to your friend’s Apple TV:

1. Start playing avideo in younity
2. Pull up the Apple menu from the bottom of your iPhone. If an Airplay-enabled device is nearby then the AirPlay option will appear.
3. Click on AirPlay
4. Select the device you want to connect to, and your video will stream.

You can also share videos, photos, and music with friends or family through the younity app. Just find what you want to share and choose your friend’s email address of Facebook account and they’ll be allowed to stream your content from your computer to their mobile device or Apple TV.

Whether it’s taking your media with you or sharing it with friends for them to watch on their TV, younity is a simple, unlimited and free way to always have access to your stuff.

Click here to learn more about younity.

Throughout our series on hacking your Apple TV with younity we’re giving away FIVE Apple TV 4s! Enter below until 10/31 for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

younity is a simple easy and free app that enables your computer to work like a home media server, giving you access to all your media files on your computer from your iPhone or iPad.

The post How to stream your content to your friend’s Apple TV (and Apple TV 4 giveaway!) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Back in May, Apple removed YouTube channel from the 1st and 2nd generation Apple TV. It was due to Google ending support for its YouTube’s Data API v2, used by older devices. Luckily, there’s FireCore and its aTV Flash (black), a little piece of software that supercharges jailbroken Apple TVs.

With the release of aTV Flash (black) 2.6, FireCore built an all-new native YouTube plugin that provides many of the most popular YouTube features that were taken away in May.

The new plugin works on any jailbroken Apple TV 2 running Apple TV 5.3 firmware version.

This new YouTube plugin allows for browsing of popular videos as well as searching for videos, channels, users, or playlists. The developers said they are also working on a few additional, “neat options” for subsequent releases.

Due to some required behind-the-scenes changes, updating to 2.6 will require re-running the aTV Flash (black) installer from a Mac or PC. Once updated, future releases can be installed through the native Apple TV menus as before. Links for the latest version can be found in your account under the Downloads tab.

If you’re new to aTV Flash (black) you can read our full review here.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post YouTube returns to Apple TV 2 appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.