- Why no browser?
- AirPlay
- AirBrowser
- tvOSBrowser hack
Why not an Apple TV browser?
Apple has chosen not to include a web browser on the Apple TV, so you can’t just use the internet with your Apple TV. Also, developers can’t make browsers for the Apple TV because Apple doesn’t allow them to use UIWebView (a private API).
There are several reasons why there is no browser on the Apple TV. First, a browser carries additional risks. By omitting the browser, Apple has more control over the security of the Apple TV. Apple also forces developers to run their apps completely natively on the Apple TV. They are therefore not allowed to make apps that load all content via a website. This choice makes apps much faster. Yet there are 3 ways to use an Apple TV browser to surf the internet and in this tip we will go through them.
#1 Use AirPlay for your Apple TV browser
With AirPlay Mirroring you can transfer the screen from your iPhone or iPad to the Apple TV. That works quite easily: while using your iPhone or iPad, you only have to select the AirPlay option and ensure that the screen is forwarded to the television. A disadvantage of this way of browsing is that you have to enter everything on your mobile device. With this you are actually looking at two screens and you cannot use your iPhone for anything else while browsing. We therefore especially recommend this method if you want to use the internet and want to show the sites you visit to other people.
You enable AirPlay Mirroring on iPhone and iPad by opening Control Center and choosing Mirroring. Holding your iPhone in landscape mode will give you the best view on the TV screen.
If you want to use AirPlay with the Mac, you have to click on the AirPlay icon in the menu bar (a square with a triangle). Then choose your Apple TV from the options shown. You may still need to enter an AirPlay code for the Apple TV you want to connect to. This is to prevent others from abusing it and suddenly showing unwanted content on your screen.
On the Mac you have the option of AirPlay Mirroring, where you also see everything on the Mac screen on the TV. This is ideal if you want to demonstrate something to others. However, if you want to use your Mac for other things, you can arrange the screens so that only the browser is visible on the Apple TV. You arrange this via System Preferences > Display. Below you can read more about using AirPlay from Mac to Apple TV.
#2 Use AirBrowser as Apple TV browser
One way to still be able to browse on your Apple TV is to install AirBrowser. This paid app for iPhone and iPad is actually a web browser that transfers the pages to your Apple TV. Your device then serves as a keyboard and trackpad.
If you have installed the AirBrowser app, you must first choose a second screen. You must have mirroring enabled for this. Choose your Apple TV within that menu and then you will see a browser on your television. You can type in web addresses on your iPhone or iPad, which will then be displayed on your TV. The advantage of this method is that you do not do double things and therefore do not see the pages you load on your iPhone. The makers promise a full desktop browser experience on your television, with the website adapted to the size of your TV screen. You can scroll, zoom and, for example, manage tabs on pages. The big difference with AirPlay is that you get to see the desktop version of a website, not the mobile version of your iPhone. AirBrowser also takes into account limitations, such as Flash. For example, a YouTube video automatically loads the HTML5 version.
#3 Apple TV browser hack: tvOSBrowser
The third option is to install a browser via a detour. The Dutch developer jvanakker already succeeded in 2015 in getting this working. This only works if you have an Apple TV with a USB-C port. It takes some work and effort, but if you install Xcode and then get the source code of the tvOSBrowser from Github, you can still use the Safari browser on your Apple TV. The code is no longer updated regularly, but if you can get it working you can still have a lot of fun with it. You also have to edit the Availability.h file on the Apple TV, so this is not for novice users.
To install the tvOS browser you need the latest version of Xcode, the source code of the tvOSBrowser, a (free) developer account and a USB-C to USB cable.
With this tvOS browser you can browse web pages and with the remote control of the Apple TV you can control everything. You use the pause and play button to enter URLs. To go back to the previous page, press the menu button. You can find a detailed explanation of all the steps here.
