Hi, pascal1974.
Thank you for posting in the Apple Support Communities.
We were sorry to read that you weren’t as keen on the Apple TV app as we were. It sounds like you have a few questions about the best way to navigate the app interface, and we’re happy to see if we can help enhance your experience. We’ll try and respond to each of your numbered concerns to make sure we’re don’t miss anything important, and we'll focus our replies as if you were using the Apple TV app on the Apple TV since this is the section of your choice. Most of the information is relative to the Apple TV app on any device, but if you're using a different device or have questions, please make sure to let us know.
- To search for content from within the Apple TV app on your Apple TV, you should be able to swipe up and click on the magnifying glass in the menu across the top. Your paused shows are in your Up Next section. This will be your first or second row, depending upon how you have it customized at Settings > Apps > TV > Top Shelf. If you’re looking to resume a show, you should see your last paused show(s) in this row readily available to start playing again with minimal to no scrolling.
- Look for a row from within the the Apple TV app that says “Channels”. On our Apple TV it’s the third row, just under Up Next and What to Watch. You can click the Apple TV + app icon in this row to find content only available with your Apple TV + subscription.
- Keep in mind that the Apple TV app is a control center for several different streaming services. When you select a show that you want to watch, it opens up in the app that offers that show when you click on it. Features available for each show are determined by the content available in that app, not the Apple TV app. If you’re looking for a feature like this with Apple TV + content, you’ll find it in the “Related” section on each individual show page. It appears between “Bonus Content” and “Cast & Crew” for us.
- Referencing our response to #1, the Up Next section is where you’ll be able to quickly and easily find content that you would like to continue watching.
- Keeping in mind our earlier explanation about the Apple TV app being a landing space for all of your other apps, the “Up Next” section is also a landing space for your “My List” or “My Stuff” or “Watch Next” sections for those various apps. For example, when you add a show to your lists in Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime they will all collectively show in the Up Next section of the Apple TV app.
- Notifications do run a little differently, depending upon the device. You have more ability to manage notifications for the Up Next and New Features categories on an iPad or iPhone than you do on your Apple TV.
The great thing about the Apple TV app is that it works with all your favorite streaming services to allow you to access everything all in one place. We love it because we don’t have to move from app to app to watch our favorite shows. If you have any questions about the best ways to manage the Apple TV app on any of your devices, please let us know. Our goal is to make sure you're happy.
In the interim, this is a great resource for using the Apple TV app on your Apple TV:
Apple TV app at a glance - Apple Support
If you were simply looking for ways to let Apple know your suggestions on how they might make the Apple TV app more user-friendly, we encourage you to leave feedback for them here:
Feedback - Apple TV App - Apple
Warmest Regards.
