Apple TV users feedback that since the November 2022 installation of tvOS 16.2 Beta, a huge new banner has appeared at the top of the redesigned “Watch Now” page, which automatically plays video and audio content with no user control over its options Apple TV users have been using it since last November.
Apple TV users reported this problem to Apple last November, and Apple listened and made some adjustments. But those tweaks didn’t make Apple TV users happy.
In the first improvement to the Watch Now page, Apple added a new “Featured” row to the home page, which meant that the more frequently used “Up Next This meant that the more frequently used “Up Next” was moved off the front page and users had to scroll down to see it.
After another objection from Apple TV users, Apple made another improvement. While the “Featured” row is no longer displayed, “Up Next” has been moved back to the top of the home page for easier access. But Apple has put an aggressive banner at the top that cycles through the so-called “Featured” content.
This “Featured” content appears to be an editorial selection. That means you’ll see content from apps that are integrated with the TV app, like HBO Max and Hulu …… and of course Apple TV+.
Worse, you’ll even see a lot of banners showing what you’ve already watched. There is no system to hide the previews of what you have already seen.
This banner not only plays video previews of “Featured” TV shows and movies, it also plays audio. If you allow the tvOS cursor to hover over this banner area for a second, the preview video and audio will start automatically.
The previous “Watch Now” tab was designed to highlight your “Up Next” queue without any banner ads or featured content.
This is a very disappointing change. While it’s encouraging that the company listened to feedback and didn’t push the “Up Next” queue all the way to the bottom of the page, this new design is still a major step backward.
In the new design, the “Up Next” queue is essentially sandwiched between the massive banner preview above and the Apple TV+ content-only section below. This makes it easy to overlook, which is surely an intentional design on Apple’s part in this redesign.
