Let’s be honest: the Apple ecosystem can be a little confusing when it comes to TV. You have the Apple TV (the little black box hardware), Apple TV+ (the streaming subscription service with Ted Lasso), and the Apple TV App (the software hub). Today, we are focusing on that last one—the Apple TV App.
Think of the Apple TV App as "Mission Control" for your entertainment. Whether you are using it on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, smart TV, or the Apple TV box itself, this app is designed to aggregate almost everything you watch into one convenient place. However, most people just open it to watch a specific show and close it immediately, missing out on powerful features that make streaming significantly smoother.
If you find yourself endlessly scrolling through five different streaming services just to find something to watch, or if you constantly lose track of which season you were on, this guide is for you. Let’s dive into how you can stream like a pro.
1. Mastering the "Up Next" Queue
The "Up Next" row is the heartbeat of the Apple TV App. It sits right at the top of the "Watch Now" (or "Home") tab. Its job is to keep track of every show or movie you are currently watching across supported apps like Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and naturally, Apple TV+.
When you finish an episode of a show on Hulu, the Apple TV App knows. It automatically queues up the next episode in your "Up Next" list. However, to truly master this, you need to know how to curate it manually. Sometimes you start a show, hate it, and never want to see it again. Other times, you want to save a movie for Friday night.
Here is how to take control of your queue:
- Long-Press is Your Friend: On your iPhone or iPad, tap and hold on a show’s artwork. On the Apple TV remote, hold down the select (center) button. A menu will pop up allowing you to "Remove from Up Next."
- Adding to the Queue: You don’t have to start watching something to put it in your queue. If you see a recommendation for a movie you want to watch later, use that same long-press method and select "Add to Up Next." It’s a great way to build a weekend watchlist without cluttering your brain.
- Marking as Watched: specific episode glitched and didn't mark as read? Long-press the episode and select "Mark as Watched" so the system knows to serve you the next one.
Pro Tip: Currently, Netflix is the notable holdout that does not fully integrate with the Apple TV App’s "Up Next" feature. For Netflix shows, you will unfortunately still need to go directly into the Netflix app to track your progress.
2. Unleashing the Power of Universal Search
We have all been there: You want to watch a specific movie, say, Interstellar. You open Netflix—not there. You open Hulu—not there. You open HBO—still not there. By the time you find it, you’re too tired to watch it.
The Apple TV App solves this with Universal Search. Because the app indexes content from almost all major streaming providers (including iTunes rentals/purchases), you can search for a title once, and the app will tell you exactly where to watch it.
Even better, it prioritizes the services you already pay for. If a movie is available to rent for $3.99 on iTunes but is also free to stream because you subscribe to Prime Video, the Apple TV App will show you the "Play" button for Prime Video first. It saves you money by ensuring you never pay for a movie you already have access to via a subscription.
- Tap the Search icon in the bottom right (iOS) or navigate to the Search tab (TV).
- Type in the movie, show, or even actor name.
- Scroll down to "How to Watch" to see every platform hosting that content.
Siri Shortcut: You don't even have to type. If you are on your iPhone or Apple TV, just activate Siri and say, "Where can I watch The Office?" The Apple TV App will immediately open the result page showing you which of your installed apps has it.
3. Managing Your Connected Apps
For the "Up Next" and Universal Search features to work, the Apple TV App needs permission to "talk" to your other apps. When you first download a streaming app (like Peacock or Paramount+), it usually asks, "Allow TV to connect?"
If you hastily clicked "No" in the past, the Apple TV App won't show content from that service. Conversely, maybe you share an iPad with a roommate who watches terrible reality TV on an app you don't want polluting your recommendations. You need to manage these connections.
Here is how to check which apps are feeding data into your hub:
- On iPhone/iPad: Go to your profile icon (top right of the app) > Tap "Connected Apps." Here you can toggle switches on or off for every streaming service installed on your device.
- On Apple TV Box: Go to Settings > Apps > TV App. Scroll down to "Connect to TV" to manage which apps are syncing.
By curating this list, you ensure that the "Watch Now" tab is actually personalized to your tastes, rather than just a generic list of popular movies.
4. Taking Your Library Offline
While streaming is great, we don't always have reliable internet. Whether you are hopping on a plane, heading on a road trip, or just have a spotty Wi-Fi connection in the backyard, the Apple TV App is excellent for offline viewing—but this feature is specific to the iOS/iPadOS and Mac versions of the app.
The "Library" tab in the app houses every movie and TV show you have ever purchased or rented from iTunes. It acts as your digital bookshelf. More importantly, if you subscribe to Apple TV+ channels (like Starz or Showtime inside the Apple TV app) or Apple TV+ itself, you can download that content directly.
To save data and prepare for travel:
- Find the movie or episode you want to save.
- Look for the small "Cloud with a Down Arrow" icon. Tap it.
- Once downloaded, these will appear in the "Downloaded" section of your Library tab.
Important Note: You can generally only download content from Apple TV+ and Apple "Channels" (subscriptions you pay for directly through Apple). If you want to download a show from the Disney+ app, you have to go to the actual Disney+ app to do it; the Apple TV App hub can't download content from third-party apps directly.
5. Taming the Sports Beast
Apple has leaned heavily into sports recently, and the TV App is now a surprisingly robust tool for keeping track of your favorite teams without spoiling the scores. This is perfect for the sports fan who can’t always watch the game live but wants to catch up later.
If you scroll down on the "Watch Now" page to the Sports section, you can follow specific teams. Once you follow a team (NBA, MLS, MLB, NHL, etc.), their upcoming games will automatically appear in your "Up Next" queue when the broadcast starts.
But the real pro tip here is the "Hide Scores" feature. There is nothing worse than logging in to watch a replay and seeing the final score plastered on the thumbnail.
- On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > TV > Show Sports Scores. Toggle this off.
- On Apple TV Box: Go to Settings > Apps > TV > Show Sports Scores. Toggle this off.
Now, you can browse the app safely without ruining the suspense of the game you missed.
The Apple TV App is deceptively simple, but once you start using the "Up Next" queue religiously and trusting the Universal Search, it completely changes how you consume media. It stops the endless "app hopping" fatigue and lets you get straight to the good part: actually watching the show.