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.

The post Apple TV hacking: “Add Site” hack follow-up appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

With all the new apps/channels released for Apple TV recently, the interface can become quite cluttered. Luckily, as of the Apple TV 5.1 software update, you can adjust the display of icons and arrangement on the Apple TV’s main menu to suit your preference and hide those icons you don’t use.

• Rearranging Apple TV icons

Note: You cannot move or rearrange the icons in the top row (Movies, TV Shows, Music, Computers, and Settings).

To change where an icon appears on the main menu:

1. Select the icon you want to move
2. Press and hold Select on the remote
3. When the icon begins to jiggle, use the remote to move the icon to a new position
4. Press Select again to finish

• Hiding Apple TV icons

To show or hide icons:

1. Select Settings > General > Parental Controls
2. Scroll down and select either Show or Hide as desired

Note: By default, you do not need to turn on Parental Controls to show or hide these features. If you want to prevent someone from changing these settings or accessing these features, turn on Parental Controls.

Which Apps have you chosen to hide?

The post How to: arrange and hide icons on Apple TV appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

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.

The post Apple TV hacker discovered how to add custom sites, the hack gets closed quickly appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

One of the new features in iOS 6 beta 2 for Apple TV is the ability to reorder the icons on the main menu, as spotted by MacMagazine.com.br (via MacRumors):

The feature is accessed by holding down the center Select button on the remote for several seconds, after which the selected icon begins to wiggle as is seen on other iOS devices when in reorder/delete mode. The wiggling icon can then be moved by using the directional buttons on the remote, with other icons automatically adjusting to make room for the icon being moved.

One difference in icon reordering between the Apple TV and other iOS devices is that the lack of a touch interface means that only one icon at a time can be selected and moved on the Apple TV. There is also no sign yet of an ability to delete or hide unused icons on the Apple TV menu.

Is Apple preparing apps for Apple TV? CNET notes that Apple introduced a similar feature in iPhone OS in 2008, just ahead of an SDK that let developers build their own apps.

iOS 6 Apple TV update will be released this fall.

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