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   New Ways to Control Your Apple TV in iOS 11.2.5 and iTunes 12.7.3

   Josh Centers

   AirPlay 2 isn't here yet, but with iOS 11.2.5 and iTunes 12.7.3, Apple
   snuck in new remote control capabilities for tvOS and, presumably, the
   upcoming HomePod. You may even have stumbled across these new features
   and wondered what they were!

   In the iOS Control Center, press the media platter to reveal playback
   controls. If you have a fourth-generation Apple TV or Apple TV 4K, you
   should see a new lozenge under the normal playback controls; those with
   more than one Apple TV will see a lozenge for each. (Sorry, this new
   feature doesn't work with second- and third-generation Apple TVs).
   We're guessing that the HomePod will get its own lozenge too.

   The lozenges appear regardless of whether you're playing anything on
   the associated device; they'll just say Not Playing if nothing is
   playing. Otherwise, each lozenge displays information about the media
   that's playing, and tapping the lozenge reveals media controls for that
   device.

   [1][tn_iOS-new-Apple-TV-controls.jpg]

   In iTunes on the Mac, click the AirPlay button, and you'll see a list
   of Apple TVs under the Switch To heading.

   [2][tn_iTunes-switch-to.jpg]

   Click one to make it so that the iTunes media controls manage that
   Apple TV's playback instead.

   [3][tn_iTunes-switched.jpg]

   To switch back on either platform, follow these instructions again but
   choose the device itself instead of an Apple TV.

   That's it! This new feature isn't earth-shattering, but it is a
   convenience for Apple TV users. I'll discuss these and other new
   features in my upcoming update to '[4]Take Control of Apple TV,' which
   I just submitted for editing.

References

   1. http://tidbits.com/resources/2018-02/iOS-new-Apple-TV-controls.jpg
   2. http://tidbits.com/resources/2018-02/iTunes-switch-to.png
   3. http://tidbits.com/resources/2018-02/iTunes-switched.png
   4. https://www.takecontrolbooks.com/apple-tv?pt=TIDBITS

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