Apple is making the iPhone’s built-in Apple TV Remote more useful in iOS 27 by adding two shortcuts that let users launch apps and find something to watch without navigating the television first.
The changes appear in the iOS 27 Release Candidate, starting with a new four-square button in the top-right corner of the virtual remote.
Tapping it opens a list of apps installed on the Apple TV. Pick one, and it launches directly on the television, skipping the usual process of returning to the Home Screen and finding the app with the remote.
Apple is also bringing Top Shelf to the iPhone. Dragging down from the top of the virtual trackpad reveals the familiar carousel of shows and movies, including titles from a user’s watch list and things they’ve already started watching.
Together, the additions make the iPhone remote less dependent on what’s currently displayed on the TV. Instead of using the phone simply as a replacement for the physical remote, users can choose where they want to go directly from the iPhone.
Still hidden for now
There’s one catch: neither feature is enabled by default in the Release Candidate.
Both are currently locked behind feature flags, meaning the software is present, but Apple hasn’t made it available to regular users.
Their late appearance in development suggests they could be enabled around the public release of iOS 27 on September 14, although there’s no guarantee they’ll be available on day one.
iOS 27 also restores the ability to add the Apple TV Remote directly to the iPhone Home Screen, an option that disappeared in earlier software versions.
Previously, the remote was limited to Control Center. Beta users can find the Home Screen version by searching for “remote.”
The timing is notable because Apple is also expected to refresh the Apple TV 4K later this month or in October.
Earlier software references pointed to an upgraded Siri Remote being developed alongside the new model, although exactly what Apple plans to change remains unclear.
There’s no evidence yet that the new iPhone controls are tied to the upcoming hardware. But their arrival suggests Apple is giving the broader Apple TV remote experience some attention ahead of its next hardware refresh.
