9 useful Siri commands for your Apple TV
Stop using the remote for everything on your Apple TV and put Siri to work.
Forget swiping around on your remote -- Siri on the fourth-generation Apple TV is the fastest way to get around.
Did I mention you can use Siri to input text, too? Goodbye, on-screen keyboard.
Most standard Siri commands for the iPhone work exactly the same with
. In addition, has its own unique navigation commands.'Play the "Friends" episode with Robin Williams'
Rather than trying to remember which episode and season an actor made a guest appearance in, just ask Siri, or tell her to play the episode.
'Play "Dexter" season 4, episode 1'
If you know where you left off in a particular TV show, you can quickly jump to a specific episode rather than thumbing through Netflix until you find the right one. Just say, "Play 'Parks and Recreation' season 6, episode 5," and Siri will present you with the episode. You can view it in the iTunes store or stream through compatible sources like Netflix.
'Jump forward 5 minutes'
If you forgot to pause a show or movie while you did something else, you don't have to worry about slowly scrubbing back to find where you left off. You can quickly jump backward and forward by telling Siri. Say, "Jump forward 5 minutes," "Skip back 7 minutes," or "Rewind 9 minutes."
'Who stars in this?'
If you're not sure who is playing a part in the movie or show you're watching, just ask. While playing the movie or show, press and hold the Siri button and say, "Who stars in this?" Alternatively, you can ask Siri who played a particular role in a film or who directed.
'What did he just say?'
When using this command, Siri will rewind whatever you're watching several seconds and automatically enable closed captioning so you can finally understand those horrible and inaudible whispers in movies and TV shows. After a short while, closed captioning will turn itself off.
'Reduce loud sounds'
Commercials are notoriously louder than the stuff you really care about. There are also quite a few films that dropped the ball on audio leveling. If this is the case with what you're watching, just tell Siri to "reduce loud sounds." This will enable its audio leveling feature and eliminate audio spikes.
'Play the live version of this song'
If you're streaming Apple Music and want to hear the live version of a song, just tell Siri. While the song is playing, say, "Play the live version of this song." If there's one available, Siri will cue it up.
'Find the YouTube app'
The App Store on Apple TV is very similar to the ones on iOS and Mac. It has categories, top charts, featured apps, your purchases or past downloads and a search function. But nothing will get you to the app you want to download faster than asking Siri -- that is, if you know what you're looking for. Just say, "Find the HBO app." You can also be less specific, such as, "Find card games," if you know what style of game or app you're looking for but don't have a specific one in mind.
'Flip a coin'
If you can't decide on where to eat for dinner or lost the dice to your favorite board game, Siri can help. Ask her to flip a coin or roll a die. You can also use Siri as a Magic 8-ball. Just say, "8-ball, should I buy a new car?"
Other useful Siri commands
If you use Siri on your iPhone or iPad, many of the commands you're used to should work fine with Apple TV. You can check the weather, look up stock market information and follow your favorite sports team's progress, all by asking Siri.
Obviously, you can't navigate, take a selfie or schedule reminders. You also can't search the Web, but don't be afraid to experiment with other commands. You might be surprised at what Siri will come up with.