It is possible to make some kind of backup of your Apple TV. When you buy a new Apple TV or repair the current one, you always have to manually restore the apps and layout. Thanks to the ‘one home screen’ option, this is a thing of the past and you can synchronize the layout of apps with iCloud.
The function is not only useful when purchasing a new Apple TV, it is also a useful function if you have several copies at home. With the touch of a button, you can have all Apple TVs show the same home screen with the same layout. Please note that this function requires the same iCloud account.
Sync Apple TV home screen with iCloud
- Open Settings on your Apple TV
- Go to the ‘Users and accounts’ option
- Open the standard user account
- Navigate to ‘iCloud’
- Enable the ‘One Home Screen’ option
tvOS will immediately sync and store all data in iCloud. If you have multiple Apple TVs at home, you must use the same iCloud account to start the synchronization. Effective immediately, tvOS will enable the option on all other Apple TVs with the same iCloud account and take over the home screen.
This feature is also used when setting up a new Apple TV. After you have installed the new model, synchronization ensures that everything is transferred in the same order.