Tips for navigating the Apple TV interface

Finding your way around the Apple TV interface is simple, but the lack of buttons on the remote control can sometimes be confusing. Here's our guide to navigating the Apple TV.

1) Button layout

Apple prides itself on it's minimalist remote control. You'll find the Select button in the centre, encircled by the up, down, left and right navigation buttons. Below those are the Menu and the Play/Pause buttons. That should be all the buttons you need (if you find the lack of buttons frustrating though read the section below about using alternative remotes).

2) Using the Select button

You navigate around the Apple TV menus using the left, right, up and down controls. When you see something you wish to access just press the central Select button.

3) Menu button to step back, and get straight back to the home screen

Wherever you are on the Apple TV just press the Menu button to go back a step. If you are fed up with clicking back through sub menus to get to the home screen? Rather than go back through every sub menu you opened you can get straight back to the home screen by pressing and holding down the menu button for a few seconds.

4) Browse Apple's Movies, TV Shows

Navigate to and click on Movies or TV Shows icons on the Apple TV home screen to see the selection of entertainment Apple has on the iTunes Store, including any films or TV shows you have purchased.

You can navigate around Purchased (where anything you already own will be available to download from iCloud), Top Films/TV Programmes (what's popular/new to iTunes), Genres (comedy, action, etc), Genius (recommendations based on what you have previously watched) and Search.

If you wish to step back, or access another part of that menu, press the Menu button on your Remote. If you find something you would like to watch select it with the button in the middle of the remote, and choose to Buy or Rent. (Many of these films and TV shows are also available on Netflix for a monthly subscription, more on that below).

5) Fast forward and rewind on Apple TV

When you are playing content just hold down the Right button to fast-forward; press the button again to increase the fast-forward speed (there are three speeds) – same applies for rewind, just press the Left button.

6) Slow Motion on Apple TV

To move forward or back in slow motion, press the Play/Pause button to pause the video, then press the Right or Left button. To skip forward or back in 10-second increments, press the Play/Pause button to pause the video, then hold down the Right or Left button.

7) Skip ahead on Apple TV

To skip to the next or previous chapter (if no chapter markers are present, this will skip 1/20th of the video length, or 30 second intervals whichever is longer) press the Down button, then Right or Left to skip chapters.

8) Read about what you are watching

When you are watching content on the Apple TV just press up on the remote control to view information about what you are watching.

9) How to remove channels from your Apple TV menu

You can choose which apps appear on the Apple TV's home screen. Right now you can see the following services on the UK version of the Apple TV: movie and box set streaming service Netflix; Now TV; YouTube; video community Vimeo; concerts and music documentaries from Qello; music videos and concerts from Vevo; photos from Flickr; Japanese anime from Crunchyroll; live Korean TV from KORTV (why?); business reports from Bloomberg and WSJ Live; Sky News; Sky Sports Now TV service; more sports from NHL and MLB (yawn); You Tube; and Red Bull TV, and a few other bits and bobs that you probably will never even look at.

If you want to remove any of these channels from your Apple TV home screen you can press and hold the select key on the remote until the item jiggles and then press the directional buttons to move it or press the Play/Pause button to see more options including 'Hide This Item'. This is a great way to remove all the random American sports channels, and the truely baffeling KORTV.

Apple only introduced this simple way to reorganise your home screen in 2014. Prior to that it was necessary to Settings > General > Restrictions. You'd see all the channels listed with the word "Show" next to them. Just scroll to the channels you wish to remove and select "Hide". It looks like you need to enable Parental Controls, but you don't.

10) How to rearrange icons on the Apple TV Home Screen

You can also rearrange icons on the Apple TV home screen. Press and hold the button in the centre of your remote and when the apps start jiggling you can move them around using your up, down, left and right keys. It's just like iOS on your iPad or iPhone. Press Menu when you are done.

11) Put Apple TV to sleep/stand by mode

Put the Apple TV to sleep by holding the central select button for a few seconds when on the main menu (this trick used to work but appears not to now).

Alternatively, go to Settings > Sleep Now on Apple TV.

12) Reset Apple TV

Press and hold the Menu and Down buttons for six seconds. But remember you will need to set the Apple TV up again afterwards.