How to put the Apple TV into retail Demo Mode

Apple TV Retail Demo Mode

A few days ago, we showed you how to access the Apple TV’s “Advanced Settings” mode. That particular option is geared towards Apple employees. Today, we’re going to show you how to place the Apple TV into Demo Mode.

Demo Mode, according to Apple, is a special setting that locks down many Apple TV settings to keep Apple TV “fresh” for each customer interaction. Each time the Apple TV comes out of the screensaver, the Home screen layout will reset to present the default interface.

In a nutshell, Demo Mode is what you see when looking at an Apple TV while in an Apple Store or other big box retail store. Have a look at the rest of this post to see how to enter Demo Mode on your own Apple TV.

How to get into retail Demo Mode on Apple TV

Step 1: Open Settings

Retail Demo Mode Apple TV 1

Step 2: Click General and highlight About

Retail Demo Mode Apple TV 2

Step 3: Press the Play/Pause button 4 times

Retail Demo Mode Apple TV 3

Step 4: Click the Demo Mode panel and select Apple Store or Channel to set the retail demo mode type

Retail Demo Mode Apple TV 7

Step 5: Click Apply Changes to enable Demo mode

Retail Demo Mode Apple TV 8

To turn off demo mode, simply follow steps 1-4 and choose the Off option.

Demo mode Lock Down Apple TV

In Demo Mode, many settings are greyed out an inaccessible

Demo Mode allows you to do things like restrict video playback to a specific duration, locks down settings, and establish a custom screensaver asset URL. The URL will point to an Apple created screensaver that will download in the background and play after applying changes. The screensaver will repeatedly loop while the Apple TV is in demo mode, just like you’d see at a retail store. You could even, in theory, provide your own custom URL to play your own custom screensavers.

What do you think?