Apple may have just solved your worst flu with a Soundbar

If you use your Apple TV as your primary streaming device and connect it to a TV with an external speaker system (whether it’s a soundbar or an AVR system), you may encounter this issue: when you adjust the volume (using Apple TV remote) or press a button or knob on the soundbar or AV receiver), it will work, but no visual indication will appear on the TV screen.

This isn’t the biggest problem, but it can be annoying. For example, when the volume is low (or off) and you quickly press the volume up button, the volume seems to go from 0% to 90% in a split second, and your ears are blown… no one wants that. .

The good news is that Apple recently rolled out an update to Apple TV via tvOS 17.1 that aims to address this issue. Specifically, it adds volume OSD (On Screen Display) options. All you need to do is turn it on – here’s how:

How to open volume OSD

1. Open the Settings app on your Apple TV.
2. Select your remote and device.
3. Scroll down to the Home Theater Controls section.
4. In the screen volume display options, make sure Show is selected.

With the volume OSD turned on, an extra vertical volume slider will pop up on the side of the TV screen every time you adjust the volume. Whether you do this using the Apple TV remote, your current TV remote, or the volume controls on your soundbar or AV receiver, you’ll get a visual indication of how much you’re increasing or decreasing your system’s volume.

Admittedly, this is a rather annoying solution, and probably a bit redundant – sometimes you’ll see two indicators, a horizontal bar and a vertical bar. It’s not perfect, but it’s ultimately a decent solution for Apple TV owners frustrated by the lack of a visual volume indicator on their TVs.

For a more in-depth look, check out this Reddit thread about the tvOS 17.1 update.