tvOS 9.1 launches for new Apple TV with Siri search for Apple Music

AppleInsider · December 8, 2015 6:27PM

The new fourth-generation Apple TV received a software update on Tuesday, with the tvOS 9.1 update giving users the ability to search for music with their voice and the Siri Remote.

tvOS 9.1 can be downloaded by opening the Apple TV Settings app, choosing System, and then Software Updates under the Maintenance subheading.

tvOS 9.1 adds support for Siri searches in the Apple Music service. Release notes for tvOS updates are not provided by Apple, making the extensive list of improvements and changes unknown.

Digging around in the tvOS code, developers have also found evidence of support for app folders. As of yet, folders are not available in tvOS 9.1.

A total of three betas for tvOS 9.1 were issued before Tuesday's public release. It also launches alongside iOS 9.2 and OS X 10.11.2.

tvOS 9.1 is the second update for the fourth-generation Apple TV, which launched in late October. The previous update, tvOS 9.0.1, debuted in November with minor bug fixes.

bdkennedy1002 · December 8, 2015 6:55PM

Now why would they release an extensive list of fixes for iOS and not TVOS?

postulant · December 8, 2015 7:02PM

I just discovered that the remote app now works with the 4th gen appletv!! Yes!!

6toecat · December 8, 2015 7:15PM

Limited searching works in my movie library using Siri! The movie you want better be shown on the screen however, so it's still a FAIL for Apple.

edited December 2015

nolamacguy · December 8, 2015 7:18PM

so does this mean all the whining haters who pretended they returned theirs due to lack of Remote app will now pretend to buy them again?

edited December 2015

yoyo2222 · December 8, 2015 7:42PM

6toecat said:

Limited searching works in my movie library using Siri! The movie you want better be shown on the screen however, so it's still a FAIL for Apple.

Can you be more specific? Are you really saying Siri will only find something in my linked computer's iTunes movie library only if it is visible at the time on the ATV screen?

6toecat · December 8, 2015 8:15PM

yoyo2222 said:

6toecat said:

Limited searching works in my movie library using Siri! The movie you want better be shown on the screen however, so it's still a FAIL for Apple.

Can you be more specific? Are you really saying Siri will only find something in my linked computer's iTunes movie library only if it is visible at the time on the ATV screen?

That is correct.

orion32773 · December 8, 2015 8:16PM

I would like to see something as simple as showing the last movie I was watching in my iTunes library (home sharing) like it was with the last apple TV. As of the current update I have to scroll back down inside the library (Computers) to find my movie I was watching. Apparently they believe you are supposed to finish every movie you start. Have i been missing something or do others have the same frustration?

ireland · December 8, 2015 8:34PM

No Siri on Apple TV 4 period in my country.

zroger73 · December 9, 2015 2:01AM

AND... tvOS 9.1 broke my volume control over HDMI.

Out of the box, my ATV4 controlled my receiver's volume over HDMI perfectly. Since updating to 9.1 this evening, the ATV4 now controls the volume of the TV via IR. I can force it to control the receiver over IR, but I can no longer control either device's volume over HDMI. I've tried all combinations of settings under Settings > Remotes and Devices > Home Theater Control.

UPDATE: After power-cycling all components, control of my receiver's volume over HDMI is now working again.

edited December 2015

lolliver · December 9, 2015 9:57AM

Music search is working well for me. Haven't figured out a way to have Siri play the music video instead of just the song which would be handy. I usually only use my TV for music when I'm watching music videos.

Other commands like adding a song to up next and shuffling a playlist work great though.

tvOS 9.1 launches for new Apple TV with Siri search for Apple Music

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