In the first part of this series, we looked at how to use Apple’s Developer app in preparation for WWDC. Here’s how to use the version of tvOS on Apple TV.
Apple’s Developer app version for Apple TV is similar to the iOS and macOS versions, so we won’t cover all the details here. Instead, read Part 1 of this series to learn the basic functionality of the Developer app, then come back and read this article for the tvOS version.
The main differences between the iOS/macOS version of the app and the tvOS version are essentially differences in user interface and organization, but the functionality remains the same.
A big plus of the tvOS version is the larger icons and graphics, making it easier to find things when scrolling through lists of content.
Starting
To install the Developer app for Apple TV, open the App Store app on your Apple TV and search for “Developer.” Once downloaded, launch the app from the Apple TV springboard by clicking on your Apple TV remote:
Once in the app, you are presented with four options at the top of the screen:
- presented
- WWDC
- Browse
- Look for
clicking presented It displays thumbnails of recently released Apple content, as well as videos and background material from last year’s WWDC.
Scroll to a thumbnail and press the Remote button to view the selected presentation. To flip through the thumbnails, slide the surface of the remote with your thumb or finger to scroll through the content.
The “Featured” tab.
clicking WWDC displays a grid of video thumbnails from last year’s WWDC, but when this year’s conference begins on June 5, the old content will be replaced by this year’s sessions and content.
As with the iOS and macOS versions of the app content in WWDC it is arranged by theme.
“WWDC” selected.
Navigation and search
clicking the navigate The tab displays a scrollable sidebar to the left, which is similar to the iOS and macOS versions of the app, except there are only three sections:
- WWDC22 and markers on top
- Topics, which also organizes programming sessions by categories
- Events, showcasing Tech Talks, WWDC sessions from previous years, and Developer Insights.
Scroll and click the Apple TV remote on an item in the sidebar to view its content on the right. If you scroll and select the Markers item, the right side of the screen shows all the videos you have previously bookmarked to watch later.
Navigation content.
If you click on the Look for icon tab at the top of the screen, you are presented with the standard Apple TV alphanumeric interface. Move your finger or thumb on the remote to select letters one at a time while clicking the remote to select them.
As you type words into Search, the app filters all videos that don’t match that title. Once your search string is complete, only content whose titles match your search will remain.
Swipe down on the remote to scroll through the list of matches, then click the remote on an item to launch its content.
Searching all content.
add bookmarks
From within any individual video, you can swipe down and click the Add to bookmarks to add the current video to the bookmark list. The next time you visit the Markers item in the sidebar, all the videos that have been bookmarked will be listed there.
Bookmarks will also be listed with a blue bookmark icon throughout the app for any content that has been previously bookmarked.
Click the “Add to Bookmarks” button from within any video.
At the bottom of each video window are large round circles indicating which Apple topics this video falls under. You don’t need to click on them or add anything to them as the themes and each video within them are pre-defined by Apple.
In some ways, the tvOS Developer version seems smoother and easier to navigate than the iOS or macOS version. The only big glaring drawback is that larger icons and thumbnails mean there’s more scrolling to get to the content you’re looking for.
But this is a trade-off: you may have to scroll more, but larger thumbnails also make it easier to identify content more quickly as you scroll through lists.
If you don’t attend WWDC, the Developer app is a must, and if you do, it’s still an invaluable tool for finding all the content related to every development topic going back a decade.
