10 Apple TV Tips & Tricks For Zwift

The Apple TV is a convenient, easy, and a quick way to run Zwift. Zwift has a native Apple TV app that you can download directly to your Apple TV device and run Zwift and broadcast it directly to your big screen TV without having to deal with PC issues, startup time, updates, etc. I have been using it for years and it’s my go-to way to run Zwift.

However, the Apple TV remote control can be difficult to use but it also packs a punch and there is so much you can do with the remote control. So in this post, I will walk you through different ways to use the remote control.

TV REMOTE CASE

The remote control is small and very slippery. The touch surface is made from glass and can break if you drop it. I got a protective case because I broke my first one and realized the remote itself costs $59. Plus the case makes holding the remote a lot easier especially while working out and your hands are sweaty. You can get a protective case from Amazon for about $7 and it comes in different colors.

SENSITIVITY

Navigating Zwift menus with Apple TV remote can be a little challenging. You can adjust the sensitivity of the remote control by going to:

Settings > Remote and Devices > Touch Surface Tracking

You can change it to medium or slow. Play with these settings and see which one you like. The difference might be small but might make navigating Zwift menus a little easier.

CLOSING ZWIFT

You might need to force close Zwift from time to time or any app on Apple TV for that matter. 

You can do that by double-pressing the TV icon on the Apple TV remote. And for those familiar with app switching on iOS devices, you can do the same here. Just slide your finger on the touch-pad to switch to Zwift or the app you want to close and then just slide your finger up to close it. This completely shuts down the app.

USE SIRI

Take advantage of Siri. She might not be perfect but she is good and can make certain tasks a little easier for you. You can activate Siri by pressing and holding on the microphone button and say what you want. For example, you can say “Open Zwift” and it will open the Zwift app for you.

You can also control music with Siri while Zwifting. If you press and hold the microphone button while Zwifting, you can ask Siri to play music, skip, or shuffle a certain playlist.

RESTARTING APPLE TV

Sometimes you might need to restart Apple TV to resolve certain issues. You can do that by navigating the menu system (setting > system >restart)

Or if you press and hold the Home+TV buttons for a few seconds, the Apple TV will restart.

CUSTOMIZE THE HOME BUTTON

The home button by default is programmed to go to the Apple TV app. But you can change that so it takes you directly to the home screen. The Apple TV app is Apple’s own streaming app like Hulu or Netflix. Apparently, Apple couldn’t come up with a better name so we don’t confuse it with the actual Apple TV device itself.

You can change that under settings, Remote and Devices > Home Button.

I personally prefer to have it go directly to the Home screen rather than the Apple TV app. It makes it easier and faster to get back to the home screen when you are inside another app and three or four menus deep.

You can also achieve the same thing by pressing and holding the menu button for a few seconds.

SCREEN SAVER

While you can just wait a few minutes for the Apple TV’s screensaver to come on, you can activate it manually by pressing the Menu button on the remote as long as you are in the Home screen.

ARRANGING APPS

I like to arrange my apps in a certain way. When downloading a new app, Apple TV by default drops it in the last row after all your other apps. You can move apps around by pressing down and holding the touchpad. Then the app will start to dance around. Now you can just move the app by sliding your finger on the touchpad and place it somewhere else.

If you move the app and place it on top of another app, it will create a subfolder and place both apps inside that group. You can add any other app you want inside that subfolder. This is a great option if you have a lot of apps and want to keep things neat and organized.

AUTO UPDATE APPS

Zwift releases updates very frequently. Automatic updates is usually turned on by default but you can double-check to see if it’s on in:

Setting > Apps, and set AUTOMATICALLY UPDATE APPS to ON.

If you want to force-update an app, you can go to the App Store, search for the app you want to update or find it under purchased apps. And you will see an update button if there is a new update. Click on the update and wait for it to install.

Usually, I have to do this when Zwift releases a new course overnight and I want to check it out and ride it right away.

ZWIFT POWERUPS

 When you are riding in Zwift and you get a power-up, you can activate it by pressing the play button on the remote and it will activate it.

Also, while running, pressing the play button will bring up the Goals menu.