Make each screen fit its space.

Start with the right TV.

1. Open its settings

   In the management app, open TVs or select the TV on the dashboard. Confirm the name, site and linked Apple TV before changing anything.

2. Find Content & Setup

   Use the quick actions for common changes. Expand the setup controls with the gear icon to find the detailed groups below. Labels and placement can vary with app version and screen size.

3. Save the parent form

   After choosing an option or selecting Done in a dialog, use Apply Changes or Save & Exit on the TV form. Then check the connected screen.

For several screens, use a TV group and review its current members before confirming shared changes. A mixed value means the selected TVs do not all have the same setting.

Choose the content and its order.

In Slides & Playlists, open Playlist or Playlists and choose the playlists this TV should use. See assigning multiple playlists for the full workflow.

Open Order of Slides to choose the Content Display Order:

Select Apply in the ordering dialog, then save the TV form. Reordering files and playlist slides is a separate step. A playlist order cannot make an out-of-schedule item eligible, and a shuffled TV setting can change the sequence you expected.

Choose whether news belongs on this screen.

In the News group:

• News Categories: select the categories appropriate for the audience. With no categories selected, the TV does not show curated news.
• Number of News Items: choose a count from 0 to 100. Set it to 0 to stop curated news on this TV.
• News Text Visibility: choose Visible or Hidden for the news text. Hiding text is different from disabling news.

Save the TV and review the mix with your own slides. For a specific source rather than the built-in selection, use a feed slide.

Set the location, time and weather view.

Open Location and Weather → Location. Search for the intended place, select and confirm it in the picker, then save the TV. A manual location is useful when device location access is unavailable or was suppressed during managed deployment. Check the physical Apple TV’s date and time zone as well when investigating a schedule.

Under Weather Layout, choose Do Not Show, Mini Overlay, Full-size Overlay, As a Slide, or As a Slide and Mini Overlay. Choose a layout that leaves enough room for the main message. Use Temperature Unit for Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Check the location and reading size on the actual display. A weather overlay can obscure product detail or fine text if the creative has not left room for it.

Add a persistent announcement.

In Announcement, open Edit Announcement and enter the text you want to keep visible, such as a short welcome message or guest-network instructions intended for public display. Choose Done, then save the TV.

To remove it, clear the text and save again. An announcement is a persistent screen element, not a scheduled playlist slide. Use a scheduled slide for a time-limited promotion and alert controls for an urgent message.

Match the orientation and transition to the display.

Under General Settings → TV Orientation, choose the landscape or portrait orientation that matches the mounted display, including the flipped orientation when needed. Prepare the media in the right shape; see cropping an image.

The display app rotates its output. This does not change the physical mounting or all tvOS screens. Remote-control directions can feel rotated on a portrait setup, so check on-site navigation before leaving it unattended.

Use Transition Effect to choose Slide, Fade In/Out, or Cut. Keep transitions quiet enough that visitors can follow the message. Save the TV and review several changes between items.

Give each item enough time.

The Auto Advance quick action controls whether the screen moves on automatically. In General Settings → Per Slide Duration, choose the normal pacing for this TV. When auto-advance is disabled, the screen needs input to move to the next item.

A non-default duration on an individual slide can override the TV’s general duration. Video items also have their own loop and custom-duration controls. Check all three places if content advances too quickly or a video stops before the part you expected.

Duration controls how long something plays. Scheduling controls when it is eligible to appear.

Set sound for the room.

Use the Audio quick action or General Settings → Audio Setting to choose Muted or Not Muted. Save and check the actual speakers at a suitable volume. The TV, Apple TV and room audio equipment have their own volume and mute settings.

For background video, music, themes and audio ducking, follow the background audio and video guide. A remote screenshot does not establish whether people in the room can hear the intended sound.

Set up Conference Room Mode.

Enable General Settings → Conference Room Mode to show a message with the Apple TV device’s name. It uses the name set on the Apple TV, which may differ from the TV record’s name in the management app.

This message helps people choose the right AirPlay destination. AirPlay availability and access still depend on the Apple TV and network settings. Disable the mode and save when the message is no longer useful.

Keep playback and physical power separate.

For planned blank-screen periods, use Power Controls and Power Off Schedules. Those controls manage the app’s off-hours behavior, not a guaranteed physical TV power switch.

Older instructions mention a separate Keep TV On setting. That control is not exposed in the current management interface. If your older installed version has it, do not confuse its screensaver behavior with a power-save schedule. For an unexpected black screen, also check the Apple TV’s screensaver/sleep settings, the display’s power timer and HDMI input on the actual installation.

Check the result before repeating the change.

Use remote screen captures for a content check, and inspect the real display when testing orientation, sound, transitions and physical power.