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Q. I have been binge-watching more shows now because I’m at home as much as possible to stay away from COVID. I’ve signed up for more streaming services and added apps to my Apple TV for those streaming services. But I want to arrange the apps on my Apple TV home screen so the ones I use most are at the top.
I also need to delete some apps from my Apple TV that I no longer use.
Can you do an article at The Wonder of Tech to show me how to rearrange the apps on my home screen and delete unwanted apps from my Apple TV? Thanks!
A. Yes, it’s very helpful to customize your Apple TV home screen so you can easily access the apps you use most and delete the apps you no longer use. By taking a few minutes to arrange your apps and delete unused apps you can save time and frustration trying to navigate to your favorite apps.
Using the Remote App
First, I encourage you to try the Remote app on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The Remote app is handy to use if you’re not a fan of the Apple TV remote control that comes with the Apple TV (could Apple have put a light on the buttons or an easy way of telling whether you’re holding the remote upside down?).
You also might enjoy using the Remote app when you can’t find your Apple TV remote or when its battery isn’t charged. If you always have easy access to your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, you’ll find the Remote app much more convenient to use than the Apple TV remote control.
Note that your iPhone and/or iPad must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV is for the Remote app to connect to your Apple TV.
The Apple TV Remote app is available free in the App Store.
How to Move Apps on Your Apple TV Home Screen
Note => these instructions are for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD.
To move an app on your Apple TV home screen, swipe the touch pad on the Apple TV remote or on your iPhone or iPad using the Remote app to highlight the app you want to move.
Press and hold until the app wiggles (similar to moving the apps on your iPhone home screen).
Note => Although you can use the Remote app on your Apple Watch to control your Apple TV, you can’t move or delete apps on the Apple TV home screen using the Remote app on your Apple Watch, as of this writing.
Move the app up or down, and right or left, until it’s in the position you’d like it to be. Then tap the remote to place the app in that spot. The app should stop wiggling.
Repeat until you have all of the apps in the positions you’d like them to be.
Moving Favorite Apple TV Apps to the Top Dock
You can move your favorite apps to the dock in the top row of your Apple TV home screen, similar to the dock at the bottom of the screen of the iPhone and iPad, to access them more easily.
When you’re on the home screen, tap the Menu button on the Apple TV remote or on the Remote app to move to the top dock instantly.
How to Delete Apps from Your Apple TV Home Screen
If you’re no longer using an app, you can delete it from the home screen of your Apple TV.
To delete an app from your Apple TV home screen, highlight the app. Press and hold either the touch pad of your Apple TV remote or the Remote app on your iPhone or iPad until the app wiggles.
Press the Play/Pause button 
to reveal choices Delete or Cancel. Choose Delete. You’ll be asked to confirm your choice.
After you delete the app, it will no longer appear on your Apple TV home screen. If you change your mind later you can add it back to your Apple TV.
Syncing Your Apple TV Home Screen Between Multiple Apple TV’s
After you have rearranged your Apple TV apps into the ideal positions on your home screen, you may want to replicate that arrangement on other Apple TV’s you may own.
Instead of going through the steps of rearranging the apps on other Apple TV’s, you can change the settings on your Apple TV so that every Apple TV you own shows the same home screen. Also, with this setting turned on you can delete an app from all of your Apple TV’s by deleting it from just one Apple TV.
To make all of your Apple TV home screens appear the same, go to:
Settings => Users and Accounts => iCloud
Turn on One Home Screen.
With One Home Screen turned on, all Apple TV’s that use your Apple ID will show the same home screen.
Your Thoughts
Are you binge-watching more shows these days? Have you organized your apps on your Apple TV and deleted unused ones? Have you synced the home screens of your Apple TV’s? Do you use the Remote app on your iPhone, iPad, and/or Apple Watch to control your Apple TV?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Jonathan Ive (Apple designer) should be tarred and feathered for his design of the physical Apple Remote. I have that thing. So glad he left Apple.
Hi Ann, The remote for the Apple TV is a design disaster. Most people use it in the dark, yet the buttons have no light. It’s also difficult to distinguish which side is up in the dark. And don’t get me started about no battery indicator.
The Apple TV Remote app is much better and my preferred way of interacting with the Apple TV.
Thanks for this article. It worked!!
Hi Alisha, That’s great! So glad this article was helpful to you. Arranging your Apple TV apps can mean more time enjoying videos and less time hunting for your favorite apps.
Great!!
This article is very useful to arrange my apps properly on my Apple TV and it is briefly explained that the methods of arranging and deleting the apps are so helpful. Hope it will helpful for those who are like me trying to delete some unwanted apps and arrange the apps orderly.
Hi Victor, I’m glad you found this article helpful. With so many people streaming videos and binge-watching during the pandemic, there’s a need for many people to re-arrange the apps on their Apple TV’s so the most-used ones are handy at the top of their home screen.
Would have been better in the video form. Thanks!
Hi Dan, Excellent point. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us.
This article is very useful to arrange my apps properly on my Apple TV
Hello Jack, I am glad you found this article helpful. I hope using your Apple TV is much more convenient after you’ve arranged your apps.
Hi Ann,
The Apple TV remote control has no light and has no anatomical shape so it is difficult to know which side is pointed.
Today I use the Apple TV Remote application, I found it easier to use, I feel improvements in it.
I thought it would be good to follow another recommendation here in the comments which is to reorganize the applications, I believe it became easier to use …
Have a great week ahead. Thank you.
Hi Lu, Yes, the Apple Remote app is not only much easier to use, it’s more convenient. We usually have our phones with us and charged, whereas the Apple TV remote is easy to lose and has no battery meter on it to show when it needs to be recharged.