Once upon a time, my iPhone and Mac dominated my screen time. I’d use the former for texting, social media scrolling, listening to music, and so on, while the latter would handle work tasks, movie streaming, and long web-browsing sessions. But a few years ago, everything changed—when a less-popular Apple product unexpectedly joined my workflow.
When someone mentions the Apple TV, you immediately think of Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Max, and the like. All of these services offer native tvOS apps, making the streaming box the perfect hub to house them. Its utility, however, extends beyond streaming platforms, as the device excels at a wide range of tasks. At this point, my Apple TV wakes up the moment I do and only hibernates once I’m in deep sleep.
Fit to instruct
I’ve been using Apple Fitness+ since the service launched in late 2020. At this point, you can play the guided workout videos on an iPhone or iPad—even if you don’t own an Apple Watch. While its mobile availability makes Fitness+ more accessible, I find it hard to concentrate on the coaches’ moves on the small screens.
I start my mornings with 20-30 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT)—a workout that involves a lot of jumping and dashing around the room. The Fitness app on my Apple TV makes it manageable to keep up with the trainers, as no matter where I stand I can still see the content clearly on the large screen.
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Tunes that fill the room
After my Apple TV completes its fitness instruction duties, it moves on to music. According to my Replay 2024, I spent over 97,000 minutes listening to music last year. That’s an average of 4-5 hours of continuous playback every single day. Whether I’m having coffee, getting house chores done, or taking a shower, I enjoy having music playing in the background.
What I especially love about Apple Music on tvOS is the live lyrics perk, which displays the verses in real time. Even if I’m sparing my neighbors’ ears and not singing along with the dedicated karaoke mode, having animated lyrics on the big screen makes the listening experience livelier.
When I go to bed, I also play (with the TV screen off) the Sleep radio, which offers soothing melodies for Apple Music subscribers. I ask Siri to automatically stop playback an hour later, and I’ve surprisingly never experienced any issues with this particular request.
So, coupled with a HomePod mini stereo pair, the Apple TV has become my go-to device for any kind of indoor music streaming.
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First choice for a second screen
Beyond fitness and music, my Apple TV assists me at work. Thanks to Apple’s tight ecosystem integrations, the streaming box doubles as a wireless external monitor for my MacBook Air. This lets me move specific app windows to the larger screen for reference, while I work with the built-in display. No dongles, no HDMI cables, no struggles. The Apple TV also supports regular AirPlay receiving, which lets me conveniently mirror videos from my iPhone when a native tvOS app is unavailable.
Stream machine
It goes without saying that the Apple TV also serves regular TV purposes. So, when I’m eating in the evening, I tend to watch Apple TV+ shows or movies on Mubi. I also rely on it to catch up on the latest Macworld Podcast episodes on YouTube and to stay updated on occasional news. With support for 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos, the Apple TV truly delivers a cinematic viewing experience.
Play isn’t just a remote button
That’s not all. Paired with a Sony DualSense controller, my Apple TV also happens to be my game console of choice. The game quantity and quality are certainly limited when compared to the extensive libraries on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PC. Nevertheless, there are some solid titles on the App Store and Apple Arcade that are ideal for casual gamers like me.
Some of my personal favorite tvOS games include The Binding of Isaac, Dead Cells, Sneaky Sasquatch, and Pac-Man Party Royale. Although I sometimes long for real games, it’s a compromise I accept for the convenience of an all-in-one device.
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FullScreen FaceTime
My Apple TV’s final duty is connecting me to my friends via FaceTime, especially when there are lots of topics to discuss. The TV box connects to my iPad Air’s microphones and front-facing camera to transmit my audio and video streams. It also supports the Center Stage feature, so I remain in frame even when getting stuff done and walking around the room during long chat sessions.
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An iPod, a TV, and a fitness coach
Growing up, TVs didn’t play a major role in my life—I spent most of my childhood reading novels instead. Even as an adult, movies and series don’t appeal to me much, as I often find their plots repetitive. That’s why it took me a while to justify buying an Apple TV. After all, why would I need one?
Today, the streaming box has become by far my most-used Apple device and one of my favorite investments in my setup. My Apple TV is now an all-day digital companion. We wake up together, exercise, work, listen to music, binge shows, connect with friends, play video games—you name it. And when I lose interest in gaming or watching movies from time to time, it still comes in handy when performing other daily tasks. It may not be the flashiest Apple product, but it never sits idly or loses its purpose in my household.
Author: Mahmoud Itani, Contributor, Macworld
For a decade, Mahmoud has rigorously evaluated Apple hardware and software. His current technological arsenal features an iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, MacBook Air M2, iPad Air M1, AirPods Pro 2, AirTag, Apple TV 4K 3, and HomePod Mini stereo pair. Outside of work, you’ll likely find him jogging at a park, swimming in open water, brainstorming at a coffeehouse, composing poetry on a rooftop, or merely lost in nature.