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When the new Apple TV launched last fall, the biggest complaint users had was the inability to easily enter text. Most notably, entering user names and passwords using the onscreen keyboard and the Siri Remote’s trackpad was a tedious, cumbersome process.
With the release of tvOS 9.2, Apple has greatly improved upon this experience by enabling Siri dictation. Meaning, you can now use your voice to spell out your username and password, or any search term you’d like.
Enlarge ImageScreenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
After updating to tvOS 9.2 on your Apple TV, the first time you navigate to a search or log-in field, you’ll notice a new microphone icon in the text box. Press and hold the microphone button, and approve the prompt asking if you want to enable dictation. Alternatively, if you’ve recently set up the Apple TV as a brand-new device, you’re asked to enable Siri and Dictation during the setup process.
When using dictation in a search field, you can talk as you normally would. For example, you can search YouTube for “Stampylonghead” without having to spell out the term. (For the curious, Stampy creates some fantastic Minecraft videos that my kids absolutely love.)
Enlarge ImageScreenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
The process of entering a username or password is different, however. Instead of saying your email address or password, you spell it out. Using the email address “[email protected]” as an example, you would speak each letter individually (ex. “t” “e” “s” “t”).
Enlarge ImageScreenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
For uppercase letters, you can say “uppercase x” or “capital y” and Siri will dictate it properly I was able to spell out “PassW0!rd” without any complications, despite having a mixture of letters, numbers, and punctuation. If Siri mishears you, “backspace” or “delete” will remove the last letter dictated.
This seemingly simple addition goes a long way in improving the overall experience of the Apple TV.
