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4 hidden but useful features of tvOS 9.2 for Apple TV

tvOS 9.2 is one of the biggest "dot" releases (i.e. between major releases) ever released by Apple for Apple TV, new or old. The new Apple TV got a lot of great features with this update, including dictation for search, usernames and passwords, and home screen folders for your apps.

SummaryVideo cleaning has changedConference room displaySearch the App Store with SiriFamiliar multitasking 4 hidden but useful features of tvOS 9.2 for Apple TV

While these are super welcome additions to tvOS, we think you might benefit from some of the new features in tvOS 9.2 that didn't quite pass Apple's big marketing push. But they're still here, so check out these four new tvOS 9.2 features and improvements you might not have known about.

Video-cleanup has changed

This first feature is more of an improvement than new in tvOS 9.2. If you've updated to the new software and started watching a video, you may have noticed that scrolling doesn't work like it used to.

4 hidden but useful features of tvOS 9.2 for Apple TV

This is because in tvOS 9.2, Apple TV requires you to first pause the video before you can rewind or fast forward. Too many people were apparently accidentally browsing by sliding the remote or sitting on it, myself included. So from now on, click on the trackpad first, then swipe.

Conference-room display

The conference room display is aimed at business users, but it really could be used by anyone. It is a feature of AirPlay that when enabled, displays a message with the screensaver telling others how to connect to AirPlay for this device. It displays the Wi-Fi network so you can connect to the same and the name of the Apple TV.

4 hidden but useful features of tvOS 9.2 for Apple TV

Whether you're in a business meeting with several people who need to give a presentation or just at home with a company and friends stopping in on what to watch, the conference room display can be useful.

4 hidden but useful features of tvOS 9.2 for Apple TV

Tip: The conference room display is enabled or disabled through the Settings app. Select Airplay , then select Conference Room View to display the options. You can even type (or dictate) your own custom message to display instead of Apple's. Just choose Custom Message to do this.

Search in the App Store with Siri

So yes, tvOS 9.2 officially adds the ability to search the App Store with Siri. Hold down the Siri button on your remote, name an app, and Siri will pull it up and take you to the App Store page.

4 hidden but useful features of tvOS 9.2 for Apple TV

However, before tvOS 9.2 for some reason I noticed that it was working inconsistently for me anyway. Either way, at least now it's an Apple-confirmed feature, so it should work consistently. Additionally, you can now perform broader searches such as "Search games in the App Store". This should make it easier to find new apps.

Multitasking familiar

Whether or not this change is an improvement is up to you, but tvOS 9.2 brings the familiar style of multitasking we first saw in iOS 9. When you double-click the Home button on your remote, your open apps will appear in a stack that you can swipe like on the iPhone and iPad.

4 hidden but useful features of tvOS 9.2 for Apple TV

Some say it makes multitasking smoother while others prefer the old multitasking UI. So far it definitely seems a bit slower on my Apple TV and harder to land on the app you wanted.

READ ALSO: 3 Useful Apple TV Features You May Not Know