PRESS RELEASE June 13, 2016

New Siri Features & Functionality

  • Topic search for movies*: With the ability to ask Siri for a movie by topic or theme, you have even more ways to find the films you really feel like watching, such as “Show movies about baseball,” “Find documentaries about cars,” or “Find high school comedies from the ‘80s.”
  • YouTube search: Later this month, users can ask Siri to search YouTube, so you can say “Search YouTube for cute pug videos.”
  • Live tune-in: Ask Siri to go directly to a live channel inside a supported app, such as “Watch CBS News” or “Watch ESPN.”
  • Manage HomeKit accessories: Apple TV gives users control of HomeKit-enabled accessories so you can ask Siri to “Turn on the lights” or “Set the temperature to 70 degrees.” Apple TV also allows users to control HomeKit accessories when they are away from home or use it for home automation with the Home app on their iOS device.

Single Sign-on for Pay-TV Apps

  • Once a user is signed into one network app, any other app on Apple TV from participating pay-TV providers will automatically log the user into all other supported apps requiring authentication.
  • During the single sign-on process, customers can view a page of all the authenticated apps that a pay-TV provider offers to more easily discover, download and enjoy all of their favorite video channels.
  • Any network-TV app can take advantage of this technology to enable single sign-on and simplify the process for their viewers.
  • Single sign-on will be available on both Apple TV and iOS.
  • ReplayKit to enable developers to record and live broadcast from their apps;
  • PhotoKit to allow third-party app access to photos and videos in iCloud Photo Library and iCloud Shared Stream;
  • HomeKit to create apps to control HomeKit devices from Apple TV;
  • App badging on the Home screen, to make it easier for users to know something new for them is available inside an app; and,
  • Game Center enhancements and support for up to four game controllers at a time.

Additional Apple TV Features and Updates

  • iOS users can download the new Apple TV Remote app with touch navigation, Siri and game play support.
  • Apple Music has an all-new design, bringing greater clarity and simplicity to every aspect of the experience. The Library, For You, Browse and Radio tabs have been completely redesigned to provide an even greater sense of place, and a Search tab has been added to make finding music even easier.
  • Photos for Apple TV now supports the new Memories feature, making it easy to rediscover meaningful moments in a user’s photo library and share them on the big screen.
  • While users love the bright and fresh Apple TV interface, some may prefer a darker background to fit a home theater environment or darker rooms, so now users can select a dark background for Apple TV.  
  • Universal apps will now automatically download on Apple TV and show up on the Home screen when an app has been added to a user’s iOS device.
  • When a keyboard appears on Apple TV, one will also appear on nearby iOS devices that are logged into the same iCloud account, making entering text even more convenient.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    *Siri availability and functionality varies by country. Subscription required for some content.