I changed 12 settings on my Apple TV to instantly improve the performance

By default, the Apple TV tries to output HDR everywhere it can -- but that also means it might juggle the format when you navigate menus or try to load SDR content, possibly resulting in stutters and annoying black-screen flashes. Try locking the device to SDR. You still get true HDR for your movies and shows if you leave "Match Content" enabled (which I'll get to next), but now your menus and apps will render smoothly every time.

How to enable 4K SDR on Apple TV:

1. Go to Settings > Video and Audio.
2. Select Format.
3. Choose 4K SDR (or 1080p SDR on non‑4K TVs).

Shows and movies are mastered at specific frame rates (24 Hz, 30 Hz, etc.) and dynamic ranges (SDR vs. HDR). If your Apple TV forces everything into one output mode, you might notice an overly smooth, hyper-realistic appearance (called the "soap‑opera effect") or other issues such as washed‑out colors on SDR video.

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Enabling Match Dynamic Range and Match Frame Rate makes your box automatically honor each title's native specs, allowing you to watch the content as originally intended and avoiding a poor viewing experience.

How to match content on Apple TV:

1. Go to Settings > Video and Audio.
2. Scroll to Match Content.
3. Toggle on Match Dynamic Range.
4. Toggle on Match Frame Rate.

Chroma subsampling refers to how color information is compressed for HDMI transmissions. The default 4:2:0 setting down-samples color data to improve signal reliability, but at the expense of text sharpness and UI vibrancy. If your TV and HDMI cable support it, switching to 4:4:4 preserves every bit of color detail -- great for crisp menus, on-screen graphics, and subtitles.

How to change Chroma subsampling on Apple TV:

1. Go to Settings > Video and Audio.
2. Tap Chroma.
3. Pick 4:4:4.

If you run into signal instability, such as flickering or black screens, especially when connected to a projector or using long HDMI runs, you might need to switch back to 4:2:0.

Without getting too geeky here, just know that your HDMI output setting controls color space and works hand-in-hand with Chroma. On Apple TV, you can choose RGB High, RGB Low or YCbCr -- and YCbCr is almost always the best choice. If you stick with RGB, your TV or receiver, which typically natively supports YCbCr, must convert that signal, often poorly, resulting in crushed blacks or oversaturated colors.

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Switching to YCbCr aligns with your display's native format, giving you deeper blacks and more accurate hues.

How to switch your HDMI output on Apple TV:

• Go to Settings > Video and Audio.
• Choose HDMI Output.
• Select YCbCr.

Factory TV presets rarely get color accuracy right out of the box. Apple's built-in Color Balance tool uses your Face ID iPhone's sensors to read on-screen test patterns and generate a personalized calibration profile. The result can be more natural skin tones, richer greens, and deeper reds.

How to calibrate color balance on Apple TV:

1. Go to Settings > Video and Audio > Calibration.
2. Tap Color Balance and follow the prompts using your iPhone.

Now that I've covered picture tweaks, let's talk audio -- it's half the experience, after all.

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Can't hear quiet dialogue or find sudden explosions jarring? Enable Enhance Dialogue to boost midrange frequencies and clarify subtle speech. You can also turn on Reduce Loud Sounds to apply gentle compression during your late-night viewing sessions. Finally, I suggest leaving Audio Format and Audio Mode both on Auto, so your system automatically selects Dolby Atmos or the best available codec without any manual fiddling.

How to apply audio tweaks on Apple TV:

1. Go to Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Format > Auto.
2. Go to Audio Mode > Auto.
3. Scroll to Enhance Dialogue and Reduce Loud Sounds, then toggle on/off.

From this menu, you can also turn Navigation Clicks off to silence UI beeps.

By default, your Apple TV shares data like analytics, Siri voice snippets and even your location to "help improve" the platform. If you'd rather not give this information to Apple, disable Share Apple TV Analytics, Improve Siri and Dictation, and Location Services. Then enable "Allow Apple to Ask to Track" so that third-party apps must request your permission before tracking you across other apps and websites.

How to adjust your privacy settings on Apple TV:

1. Go to Settings > General > Privacy.
2. Toggle off Share Apple TV Analytics, Improve Siri and Dictation, and Location Services.
3. Toggle on Allow Apple to Ask to Track.

I'm getting into some accessibility stuff now, but honestly, you'll thank me after implementing this one.

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On a packed Home screen, it's easy to lose track of which app icon or menu is currently selected. Quite a few times I've accidentally launched the wrong app. But if you enable the High Contrast focus style in Settings, it wraps a much bolder white border around the selected tile, making navigation more foolproof even at a glance.

How to enable High Contrast on Apple TV:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display and Text Size.
2. Select Focus Style > High Contrast.

Let's be honest: Bright white menus in a dark room are a surefire way to strain your eyes. Dark Mode switches Apple TV's UI to a dark background with light text, cutting glare during late-night binges.

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You can even set it to toggle automatically with sunrise and sunset.

How to set up Dark Mode on Apple TV:

1. Go to Settings > General > Appearance.
2. Choose Dark (or Automatic for day/night switching).

Ever wanted to watch a movie while keeping a sports game running in the corner? Apple TV's Picture-in-Picture mode -- available in its own apps and via AirPlay -- lets you shrink any compatible video into a movable window.

How to use Picture-in-Picture on Apple TV:

1. Play a show or movie.
2. Tap the touchpad on your remote (don't click) to bring up the on-screen controls.
3. Swipe up from the bottom to see all the buttons, then click the Picture-in-Picture icon.
4. The video will shrink down to the right corner of the screen and start playing in a small window.

This is less of a setting and more of a must if you want an organized Home screen. Otherwise, your Apple TV can get cluttered with dozens of streaming icons. Repeat after me: Folders are your friend. You can group similar services -- "Kids," "Live TV," "Sports," or whatever -- so you can easily find and launch what you want.

How to create an app folder on Apple TV:

1. Highlight an app > press and hold Select until it jiggles.
2. Press Play/Pause > Move to Folder > choose New Folder or an existing one.

Next, let's change your keyboard layout. It won't improve your Apple TV's performance, but it will improve the experience. The default linear keyboard forces you to scroll through rows of letters -- switching to Grid arranges characters in a matrix, cutting navigation swipes in half. It's a game-changer for long searches or password entry.

How to change keyboard layout on Apple TV:

1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard Layout.
2. Select Grid.

Last but not least, you can -- and should -- check how much storage space is being used by apps and data on your Apple TV. From there, you can delete or offload apps no longer in use. Offloading an app keeps its data but removes the app itself. You can always download an app again later if you want it back -- easy peasy. 

How to manage your storage on Apple TV:

1. Go to Settings > General > Manage Storage.
2. You can delete apps you no longer use or offload them to free up space.