How to use Control Center on Apple TV in tvOS 13

By Joseph Keller
published

Control Center
Control Center (Image credit: iMore)

Starting with tvOS 13, coming this fall, your Apple TV will gain a Control Center of its own. Like the Control Center on iPhone and iPad, Control Center on Apple TV offers easy access to various control and capabilities on your device. For instance, it's how you will put your Apple TV to sleep after the launch of tvOS 13. You can also view currently playing music tracks or videos, though you can't use Control Center to jump to content.

Control Center is also used, importantly, for tvOS 13's most important feature: user switching. Using Control Center, it's just a swipe and a click, and you can change profiles on your Apple TV, bringing up your personalized content and recommendations, rather than those of your other housemates or family members.

Here's what you need to know about using Control Center on Apple TV.

How to activate Control Center on Apple TV

  1. Press and hold the TV button on the Siri Remote.
  2. Use Control Center to switch users, put your Apple TV to sleep, route audio, or search.

How to switch users with Control Center on Apple TV

  1. Press and hold the TV button on the Siri Remote to activate Control Center.
  2. Click on the profile to switch to it.

How to put your Apple TV to sleep with Control Center

  1. Press and hold the TV button on the Siri Remote to activate Control Center.
  2. Click on the Sleep button.

Your Apple TV will go right to sleep, and won't ask for confirmation.

How to change your Apple TV's audio output using Control Center

  1. Press and hold the TV button on the Siri Remote to activate Control Center.
  2. Click on the AirPlay button in the bottom-left of Control Center.

  1. Click on the new audio output you want to use, such as a stereo pair of HomePods.

How to search your Apple TV using Control Center

  1. Press and hold the TV button on the Siri Remote to activate Control Center.
  2. Click on the Search button in the bottom-right of Control Center.

  1. Type your search term using the Siri Remote, connected keyboard, or iOS device, or search using Siri dictation.
  2. Click on your search result.

Questions?

If you have any questions about using Control Center on your Apple TV, let us know in the comments.

Apple TV 4K

○ Apple TV 4K Review
○ Apple TV buyers guide
○ Apple TV users guide
○ Apple TV news
○ Apple TV discussion
○ Buy at Apple (opens in new tab)
○ Buy at Amazon (opens in new tab)

Joseph Keller
Joseph Keller

Joseph Keller is the former Editor in Chief of iMore. An Apple user for almost 20 years, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.

3 Comments
  • Can you require a passcode or PIN when switching users? I'd like to have one account for my kids and one for myself. If they can just select my account it defeats the purpose.
  • I use a harmony hub. Ever since the update the ir signal from harmony wont wake the Apple TV 4K. Once it’s woken, it controls it just fine. Is there a setting I’m missing someplace?
  • Same here - I went into Settings on the Apple TV and turned off sleep completely. Probably not the best solution but it works - even though when you now switch from another source to the Apple TV with Harmony, the first place you end up in is the Apple TV screensaver, and from there you have to press Enter to enter the Apple TV home screen. By the way: do you know how to active the new Control Center in Apple TV using the Harmony remote? I cannot find the Apple TV:s remote TV-button anywhere in the Harmony app settings, so can't map it to the Harmony remote. Which means the family have pull out the original remote every time they want to switch to their user.