This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Downloading and Managing Apps
After you find an app that appeals to you, download it. The process is fairly similar whether you’re buying it or getting a free app, but after you get an app, there’s a lot to learn.
How to Buy Apps
After you’ve browsed or searched the App Store and found an app you want to try, follow these steps to get it on your Apple TV:
On the app detail screen, use the remote to highlight and select the Get/Buy button.
You might be asked to log in to your Apple ID. If you are, do so. If you’re downloading a free app, the app begins to download. You can skip to step 4 or 5.
If you’re buying an app, this screen makes sure that you understand that you’re about to buy and download an app. If you’ve changed your mind, select Cancel. Otherwise, select Buy.
When you purchase and download the app, the Buy button on the app detail screen changes to Open. Highlight it and click the touchpad on the remote to launch the app.
When the app finishes downloading, it appears on the home screen of your Apple TV. You can launch it using Siri or the remote.
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Stop Having to Enter Your Password for Every Download
The onscreen keyboard for entering your Apple ID password can be pretty hard to use, especially if you have a long or complex password. Using the keyboard in the Remote app is easier, but not as easy as skipping typing entirely. Luckily, a setting can save you from having to do either. In fact, you can set it so that you never have to enter your password again. Just follow these steps:
Launch the Settings app.
Select Accounts.
Select iTunes and App Store.
Select Password Settings.
In the Purchases and In-App Purchases section, select the Require Password menu.
Choose how often you want to have to enter your password when you download or purchase things at the iTunes and App Stores: Always (that is, every time), After 15 Minutes, or Never. Highlight your choice and select it by clicking the touchpad.
Type in your password to authorize and save the change. Click OK.
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Delete Apps
If you’ve downloaded an app, tried it out, and found that you don’t like it or it doesn’t do what you need, you can delete it. Here’s how:
Highlight the app you want to delete using the remote and click and hold down the remote’s touchpad.
When the prompt appears at the bottom of the screen, press the Play/Pause button on the remote.
This screen ensures that you know what you’re doing. If you’ve changed your mind, select Cancel. If you still want to delete the app, select Delete.
Some games store data related to your progress, achievements, and scores in Game Center. Decide whether you want to remove all of that data from Game Center or keep it for later access. Highlight your choice and select it by clicking the touchpad.
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The app is now removed from your Apple TV. For another approach to deleting apps and other data, check out “Manage Your Storage” later in this chapter.
Requesting Refunds for Paid Apps
If you buy an app and it doesn’t work properly or you feel you were misled into buying it, you might want to request a refund from Apple. To log this request, follow these steps:
- On your computer or mobile device, open your web browser and go to http://reportaproblem.apple.com.
Type your Apple ID and password, and click Sign In.
Locate the purchase for which you want a refund and click the Report a Problem button next to it.
- Choose the reason for the refund from the drop-down menu and add any notes you want (notes are optional).
Highlight and click the Submit button to send the request.
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Manage Your Storage
Even though the Apple TV offers a lot of storage space—32GB or 64GB, depending on which model you bought—it can fill up quickly. If you cram it full of apps, games in particular, your device could run low on space. One way to free up space is to delete apps, but if you want to get a good sense of what’s taking up all that space before you start deleting, learn how to manage your storage. Here’s what you need to do:
Launch Settings.
Select General.
In the Usage section, select Manage Storage.
- The Manage Storage screen shows all the items that are taking up space on your Apple TV. This includes only apps that you’ve downloaded from the App Store, not the built-in apps that come with the Apple TV.
To delete an item from this screen, use the remote to highlight and select the trash can next to the item you want to delete.
In the screen that appears, select Delete to complete the deletion; select Cancel if you’ve changed your mind.
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Review Apps at the App Store
Do you love an app and want to give positive feedback to the developer? Are you totally frustrated by a game and feel the need to warn others? You should review it at the App Store. Your review takes the form of a star rating. Follow these steps to rate an app:
Launch the App Store app.
Search for and select the app you want to review (or find it in your Purchased menu).
In the Ratings section, highlight and click on Select to Rate.
Select the number of stars you think the app deserves by swiping across the touchpad and clicking to confirm the rating.
The app’s detail screen shows your rating applied in the Select to Rate box. Follow these steps again if you want to change your rating.
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