Home Sharing Removal from Apple TV

Can someone from Apple support please provide reasoning why the home sharing feature (for all networked computers) was removed from the Apple TV OS? I have a 2009 iMac that I use primarily for collecting all of my media and now the last remaining functional feature that tethered this older device with my newer ones has been terminated without warning. I wouldn’t have updated the Apple TV if I had been notified this feature would be removed—effectively ushering in obsolescence for a perfectly functioning older device. How is this sustainability? #Agbogbloshie

Apple TV HD, tvOS 14

Posted on Oct 1, 2021 3:37 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 2, 2021 1:22 PM

Thanks for posting in the Apple Support Communities tritonm_,


We understand you have questions about Home Sharing. The feature remains available, including for Apple TV. Check out the "Use Home Sharing on your Apple TV" section of the following page for more info: Use Home Sharing to share media from a computer to other devices


As mentioned there, the option will appear on Apple TV, when you're signed in with the same Apple ID as the computer and connected to the same Wi-Fi Network, so be sure to review those settings.


Should you need further assistance, contact Apple Support.


Cheers!

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 2, 2021 1:22 PM in response to tritonm_

Thanks for posting in the Apple Support Communities tritonm_,


We understand you have questions about Home Sharing. The feature remains available, including for Apple TV. Check out the "Use Home Sharing on your Apple TV" section of the following page for more info: Use Home Sharing to share media from a computer to other devices


As mentioned there, the option will appear on Apple TV, when you're signed in with the same Apple ID as the computer and connected to the same Wi-Fi Network, so be sure to review those settings.


Should you need further assistance, contact Apple Support.


Cheers!

Oct 11, 2021 11:11 AM in response to igirl1

I solved it. Unlike the instructions that say use the MUSIC app - don't.

Use the TV app instead.

It also doesn't tell you that you how to add external files into your library. While the process does not reveal the "my library" drop down shown by Apple above - it does fix it.


While there still seems to be no Home Sharing folder - I was able to drag (location pointer copy only) the files at their locations from my external drive into the "TV" app right hand side window. A dialog appears "copying" the files. The default sees everything as "Home Video" but select all/option allows changing of everything to Movie (in my case) - With Home sharing on now I can again see everything on the Apple TV 4 Computers App. (It's no longer inactive)

Oct 3, 2021 2:37 PM in response to tritonm_

Thank you for your response Nicholas_B2, that said this does not address the feature that I referenced in my original post. Up until the latest update there was "home sharing" [or what is now called "public sharing" for iTunes library to iTunes library communication] available for all computers simply on the same network [no shared Apple ID login required] to share media content via the "Computers" tile on the Apple TV.


Needless to say, but not everyone in the household uses the same apple account credentials and therefore with this truly unnecessary change our respective media libraries are siloed from one another and the family shared Apple TV device—barring a third party workaround.


Oct 10, 2021 4:04 PM in response to tritonm_

I thought it was a MacOS problem - but you're saying the AppleTV OS also eliminated Home Sharing? The "Computers" app on the AppleTV4 seems to be dead.


With iTunes in OS X gone, I'm trying to figure out how to restore the Home Sharing Folder - is it in the Music or TV program in Catalina - or something else? Home Sharing video files used to be available to link to in iTunes and viewable on Apple TV computers/library/localmedia.


My personal media movie/video library is on EXTERNAL HDD (important to note) - the files were never copied to my internal - only linked without copying as they are roughly 4TB of data. We used to be able to just drag link-only-copy from the external and have them show up in iTunes - but this feature is either gone - or hidden. I can not copy them to my 1TB boot SSD. Too much data!!


Can anyone explain the solution to link external video files to play in the new "improved" OS X and across my home sharing network??

Oct 11, 2021 8:08 AM in response to turingtest2

I never said the TVOS/Computers app was missing... It currently does nothing however.


As far as OS X Home Sharing - with SystemPrefs/Sharing/MediaSharing OK and HomeSharing ON... Whilst signed in to the account.


There is no My Library, no Home Sharing, No Username Library in the Music Program - no Media Library or Eject either.. Only the following -

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Home Sharing Removal from Apple TV

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.