Apple has updated the design of the Apple TV Virtual Remote for the iOS 27 Release Candidate, which was released yesterday, and two new features have been added to the iPhone app interface.
First, Apple added a new button to the upper right corner of the Remote UI with a glyph showing four squares. Pressing the button brings up an app menu similar to the Apple TV home screen that lets you quickly select an app and launch it.
Second, you can now swipe up from the top of the virtual trackpad to reveal the Apple TV’s top shelf carousel, where the shows on your watch list are displayed, as well as the shows you’ve started so you can continue watching.
The two new features, hidden behind feature flags, were discovered by Woozad and later demonstrated on X (Twitter) by code detective “pdfu”.
Apple TV Remote is about to get a lot more useful. iOS 27 RC introduces an updated design and two new features, both currently hidden behind feature flags:
1. An app launcher to open apps on your Apple TV.
2. Top Shelf content from the selected app on your Apple TV, with… pic.twitter.com/aOFoToCnrR
– pdfu (@itspdfu) September 9, 2026
The next-generation Apple TV 4K will come with an improved Siri Remote, according to previously discovered macOS 26.7 code findings. We don’t know what these upgrades will be, but these two new features in the Remote app could hint at what’s to come. The new Apple TV 4K is expected to be revealed later this month or in October.
Starting with iOS 27, the Apple TV virtual remote can also be added to the iPhone home screen again, so it is no longer limited to the Control Center. If you’re using the iOS 27 beta, you can find it by swiping down on the Home screen and searching for “remote.”
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