Apple TV remote app for iOS to get Siri features in 2016

Apple just released tvOS 9.1 for the new fourth-gen Apple TV this week, not only allowing users to take advantage of the Siri Remote's voice capabilities for searching music, but also making the device compatible with the Remote app for iOS. The latter means that users can enter text and navigate menus on the Apple TV from their iPhone or iPad. However, since Siri is already built into the iPhone, what about an iOS Remote app that took advantage of voice input just as the Apple TV's physical remote does?

Well, according to Apple Senior VP Eddy Cue, that's exactly what they're working on for a release in the first half of next year. Speaking to BuzzFeed, Cue said that Apple is "working on a new Apple TV remote app that will give you the full functionality of the Siri Remote on your iPhone."

Once that app is released, it could give users the ability to forgo the physical Siri Remote altogether, and instead just use the iPhone to search for movies, TV shows, and music, as well as control playback. Not to mention that the app could be a lifesaver in the event the little black and silver remote gets lost.

Cue also talked about how well the new Apple TV model is doing since its launch in late October, with over 2,000 apps already available and a lot of interest from both developers and customers. As for the Apple TV's future in the year 2016, we now know that it's highly unlikely to involve the much-rumored subscription TV service.

SOURCE BuzzFeed