The iOS 27 release candidate includes a redesigned Apple TV Remote – and two features that Apple is keeping disabled for now. These features are only visible via developer switches in the code. For regular users of the virtual remote, this means that for the first time in years, more than just a directional pad will be displayed.
Apple released the iOS 27 Release Candidate on September 9th; the final version will follow in a few days. In this version, the Apple TV Remote has received a new look. Two additional features, however, remain inactive in the code and can only be enabled via so-called feature flags – switches that developers use to selectively activate individual components of an app. These features were discovered in Apple's own code and demonstrated by the user "pdfu" on X.
Key Facts at a Glance
- The iOS 27 release candidate brings a redesigned look to the Apple TV Remote.
- Two other features are present but disabled: an app menu and a carousel with running content.
- In iOS 27, the remote control can once again be placed on the home screen as a separate icon.
- Whether Apple will activate the two features is uncertain – feature flags are not a promise of release.
- The work coincides with a phase in which there are increasing indications of a new Apple TV 4K.
An app menu directly on the remote control
The first hidden function is located in the upper right corner of the interface, marked by four squares. Tapping it opens a menu that mimics the Apple TV home screen. From there, an installed app can be launched directly.
Apple TV Remote is about to get a lot more useful.
— pdfu (@itspdfu) September 9, 2026
iOS 27 RC introduces a refreshed 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
This eliminates the need to use the directional pad: Previously, users had to return to the home screen on the TV and then navigate tile by tile to the desired app. The iPhone menu eliminates this on-screen navigation.
A carousel of what's currently on
The second function displays the so-called Top Shelf, the top row of the Apple TV screen showing suggestions from the selected app. It's accessed by swiping down on the virtual trackpad. This displays your watchlist and any titles you've started, which you can then resume.
Both functions share the same approach: The virtual remote stops simply replicating the physical one and instead utilizes the capabilities of a touchscreen. A software-based directional pad remains a directional pad – unlike the real Siri Remote, which doesn't offer a selection list.
The remote control is back on the home screen
The redesign began earlier in the cycle. With iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, the Apple TV Remote can once again be dragged to the Home screen as a standalone icon; this was already noticeable in the first beta in June. It can be found via the search function on the Home screen or in the App Library. This standalone version had been unavailable since 2020.
The existing method remains the same: Apple describes in its support document for the Apple TV Remote how the remote control can be accessed and supplemented via the Control Center.
Four discoveries in four weeks
The attention surrounding the remote control app comes at a remarkable time. Three months have passed between the first iOS 27 beta and the release candidate, during which a number of code discoveries related to Apple TV have surfaced – three of them in the last four weeks alone.
| Time | Find |
|---|---|
| June 2026 | Remote app returns to the home screen in iOS 27 |
| August 19, 2026 | Hints in the tvOS 27 code regarding Siri AI for the box |
| September 8, 2026 | The model identifier indicates the A19 chip generation. |
| September 10, 2026 | Two disabled features in the remote in iOS 27 RC |
Evidence of Siri AI for the Apple TV was found in the tvOS code, and the model identifier of the upcoming model points to the A19 generation. Our overview of the upcoming Apple TV 4K compiles which features will be included in which device. A new Siri Remote is also rumored to be part of the package; however, this has not been confirmed.
Why a feature flag is not yet a function
The discovery itself is reliable: The code is present in a released version, and the functions work as soon as the switch is flipped. What this doesn't imply is a release date. Apple regularly leaves components in the code that only appear months later or not at all – the situation was the same with the recently discovered camera functions in iOS 27.
In practical terms, this means that the remote will look different after the update this coming weekend, but probably won't offer any additional features. Those waiting for the app menu and carousel should keep an eye on the smaller updates rather than the major release – and, if in doubt, consider the new Apple TV, which could definitely use such features as a selling point.
Would you use your iPhone as a remote control more often if you could launch apps directly with it – or is the physical Siri Remote still your first choice? Tell us in the comments how you control your Apple TV.
