The new Apple TV doesn’t feature a web browser and the developers are not allowed to create third-party browsers for tvOS. At least not officially. Forking an exisiting GitHub project posted by Steven Troughton-Smith’s, a Dutch developer jvanakker has built a native tvOS browser for Apple TV 4.

tvOSBrowser allows you to navigate pages with the Siri Remote. You can switch between cursor & scroll mode by tapping on the center of the touch area. Click the touchpad to click. Menu will navigate back. The Play/Pause button will let you input URLs.

Here’s a video showing this simplistic browser in action:

tvOSBrowser uses a private API (UIWebView), so it wouldn’t be approved on the tvOS App Store. But it can be downloaded by anyone from here.

Earlier this week the new Apple TV was hacked to enable app folders.

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• MAME emulator running on Apple TV 4
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• Official Plex app for Apple TV released
• How Apple is fixing what’s wrong with console gaming today

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doubleTwist has released a new tweak that adds AirPlay support for Google Play Music. A hack named AirPlay for Android makes use of the API in Android 4.1 which adds support for streaming devices. It is available right now on Google Play as an app, MagicPlay: AirPlay for Android for $2.99. Though publicized as a way to stream Google Play Music from Android to Apple TV, they’ve clarified that this hack will work with any music app that supports Google Chrome Casting.

In order to get AirPlay feature for your Android, you can follow this official guide:

1. Install the doubleTwist AirPlay for Android package
2. Launch the Google Play Music app and tap the Cast (streaming) button
3. Grant root access when prompted (this patches the plugin whitelist)
4. Force stop the Google Play Music app and relaunch it
5. AirPlay devices on your WiFi network should now appear when tapping Cast

Android has a built-in white list feature, which regularly checks for streaming devices and disconnects anything other than Nexus Q and Sonos, for which the API was initially designed. So you might have to restart the app now and then to shake Apple TV off this list. But if you’re already rooted, this caveat is automatically patched by the tweak and things are bright as ever.

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

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Remember that Add Site hack described by the iOS hacker David Schuetz, last fall? It was a quick trick in 5.x that enabled an Add site button on your home-screen which could be pointed to a media server and the content viewed in an Apple TV styled menu. As it turned out, the hack was revealed a bit a too late, as Apple had already patched it then in the 6.0 update. You can read more about the hack here. After a long research, Schuetz has finally found a way to make ‘Add Site’ work under Apple TV 6.x (details below), what made him wonder: Is this a prelude to wider availability of Apple TV app development? 

[…] If Apple were to open up Apple TV to general development (and they’ve certainly been fielding a lot of new applications lately), then they certainly couldn’t have done that without some kind of control in place.

That’s what I’m kind of hoping: That we’ll see, in the near future, an official way for “everyday” Apple developers to build Apple TV apps, and to distribute them via a new “Channel Store.” Maybe this will even be unveiled with the next major Apple TV update (currently rumored for April).

If Apple wanted, they could’ve completely closed down this bridge, but apparently they didn’t. Instead they made a security booth in the route which opens only to Apple’s approval. Also it is worth noting that this hack was patched even before getting exposed by the hacker. So Apple didn’t patch it to prevent its misuse but was an event already in its roadmap.

As Schuetz suggests, this might be a clue to what we can expect from Apple TV in the future. Any developer could register with Apple, upload a set of videos and start his own channel. In fact, he says that he wouldn’t be surprised to see this feature in the next Apple TV itself. With circulating rumors of a completely revamped iOS-based Apple TV 4 with a new interface, games and its own App Store, we couldn’t help but agree with him.

How to get Add Site hack working under Apple TV 6.x

After Apple patched the hack in the 6.0 software update, everyone was busy trying to find a way around this patch and to get back the Add Site button. It was found that if you add the profile in 5.3 and then update to 6.0, the profile setting would indeed be preserved. However Apple seems to check for additional icons on home-screen and hide them automatically, thereby making the provision unusable.

Schuetz is back to the rescue. He has done a deep exploration into the patch and here is the conclusion:

So the only way to make ‘Add Site’ work under Apple TV 6.x (ignoring any unfortunately-still-speculative jailbreaks) is to:

1. Retrieve the target Apple TV’s unique device identifier (udid)
2. Using your app’s Merchant ID, create the string “”
3. Get Apple to sign that string with the appropriate private key
4. Include that signature in a configuration profile that enables the Add Site application
5. Get Apple to sign the profile
6. Install the profile on the Apple TV from step 1

If you’re a developer or a coding nerd, you can see the details here.

Stick around here at Apple TV Hacks (Facebook, Twitter, Google+) for more coverage on the new Apple TV.

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This Friday, Apple revealed a major security glitch in Apple’s iOS devices, relatated to SSL implementation. Later analysts looked into it only to find that OS X and Apple TV are also affected and that it is an easily exploitable yet a seriously injurious one.

I’m not going to talk details about the Apple bug except to say the following. It is seriously exploitable and not yet under control.

— Matthew Green (@matthew_d_green) February 21, 2014

The bug seems to result in failed validation of SSL certification of sites. And for users that would mean, many data which are supposed to be secure are being transferred un-encrypted. Though domain access seems to be protected, direct SSL connections to IP addresses was found to be exploitable. So a hacker’s access to data used through Safari is unlikely, but to that through apps is possible as most of them communicates directly with their servers. And that is why Apple TV apps can also be affected.

Apple describes the vulnerability as follows:

Impact: An attacker with a privileged network position may capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS

Description: Secure Transport failed to validate the authenticity of the connection. This issue was addressed by restoring missing validation steps.

You can read more on the bug here.

But no worries, Apple is quick to seal the bleed and released new software updates for the affected devices. 7.0.6 for iOS devices, 6.1.6 for older iOS devices and 6.0.2 for Apple TV 2 and 3 are now available. You can goto Settings > General > Software update to check for and install the new firmware.

However OS X bug is still unrepaired, during the time of writing. You can quickly browse to gotofail.com to find out if any of your device is vulnerable. If yes, I recommend you guys to update immediately. Else any hacker could pose as a secure site and pull you data.

Now, though things have settled a bit for users, they are far from over for Apple. It is still uncertain as to when the bug was introduced (surely before iOS 6) and whether anybody has already been victim to unauthorized access. Many developers have explained on their blogs as to how the bug works and how it could be exploited and this could pose a great threat to those who haven’t patched it yet.

On the other hand, some are accusing this to be an intentional backdoor for NSA access while others are wondering if there are more such simple, unnoticed security breach roads. Only time will tell if Apple will shine above these dark clouds or get buried in lawsuits.

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

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Some time ago we reported on a new hack discovered by an iOS hacker David Schuetz that let us put our own apps on Apple TV. By enabling an Apple TV OS feature called Add Site, Schuetz was able to add a custom site pointing at a Raspberry Pi media server which he added to the Apple TV. The hack quickly got closed as Apple disabled the Add Site feature. In a new post Schuetz explains what exactly happened and speculates on the future of his hack.

You can go through the article for the detailed explanation of what happened with the Add Site feature, here’s the conclusion:

If your ATV is on 6.x, and it doesn’t already have the Add Site profile loaded, then you can’t add it, unless you get a profile signed by Apple. And since the Apple TV program isn’t open to the public, you can’t get that profile. So, we’re pretty much stuck.

Great for Security. Lousy for DIY Apple TV hackers. Right?

Well, there is one workaround: If your ATV is on 5.2 or 5.3, you can still add the profile (you just won’t see the button), and then upgrade to 6.0, and, boom!, the Add Site application is available, and fully functional.

Unfortunately, Apple also introduced a signature test when using the Add Site feature. How to deal with this? Schuetz promised to discuss it in the next post.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for more coverage of this topic.

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A new hack was discovered which allows custom site bookmarks to be added on pre-iOS 7 Apple TV’s. The backdoor hack comes from an iOS hacker David Schuetz who discovered a way to enable an Add Site feature which adds the ability to add custom sites to the Apple TV menu. However, it seems the hack has already been closed: it seems Apple checks for the existence of additional links placed on the Home Screen and actively disables them, so unfortunately the hack was short lived. Hopefully, Schuetz’s discovery will inspire people to figure out how to disable this check. Despite the hack being closed, here’s the details.

The hack didn’t even require a jailbreak and is compatible on version 5.x and earlier builds of Apple TV. By enabling the Add Site feature, Schuetz was able to add a custom site pointing at a Raspberry Pi Media server which he added to the Apple TV.

The process is explained in detail on this website and is shown in the below video:

Ultimately, to get this to work you have to do the following:

1. Start up a simple web server somewhere and put the .mobileconfig file there
2. Go to the AppleTV Settings app
3. Select “General” then scroll the cursor down to highlight “Send Data To Apple”
4. Press “Play” (not the normal “Select” button)
5. Enter the URL for the .mobileconfig file (don’t forget to add https://)
6. After loading, you may need to restart the AppleTV for the change to take effect

The possibilities that this opens up are endless, but it seems Apple have patched it in the 6.0 firmware. Let’s hope someone can figure out how to disable the checks Apple impose.

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

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Yesterday’s Apple TV update broke the awesome PlexConnect hack that allowed a fully-functional Plex client on non-jailbroken Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3. It seems that Apple fixed the Trailer app vulnerability. According to Cult of Mac:

Apparently, the reason PlexConnect worked was because, uniquely on the Apple TV, the Trailers channel piped all of its video over HTTP, not HTTPS. By just adding an ‘S’ to the end of that protocol, PlexConnect was seemingly broken for good.

Fortunately, a security developer Paul Kehrer posted a detailed tutorial on how to fix the broken PlexConnect hack. You will need a micro USB cable to attach to your Apple TV and the Apple Configurator (Mac) or iPhone Configuration Utility (Windows or 10.6 Snow Leopard).

You can also check the Plex forum for mas info.

Here are our tutorials on how to install Plex on Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3: Mac/Windows.

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It is always nice to get more out of our hockey pucks called Apple TV. And that, too, without a jailbreak. Cherry on top. Making this possible is a hack claiming to bring Russian subscription service Unlimovie.tv to the Apple TV. Though this Russian movie service may not be of much relevance in other parts of the world, the discovery of such exploits can open doors to providers in other countries too.

This is a simple hack. In the Trailers app, you change the automatic DNS to manual and enter their settings. And tada! You’re streaming Unlimovie. The hack is still in its beta and all the channels are presently free. The final paid version is said to be in works, for launch this September. We wouldn’t count on that as Apple will be quick to patch this in their next update.

Besides the fact that this uses a hack to get into your Apple TV, the service is legal as it holds all the rights to its content. The only downside is that you wouldn’t be able to use the official Trailers app simultaneously, until you change back the settings.

The hack currently supports the first and second generation Apple TVs and as this tweak gains popularity, many will surely stop missing their jailbreaks.

It is worth noting that, the popular media service, Plex had made it similarly into the Apple TV, couple of weeks back.

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