How to watch Channel 4 on Demand (4OD) on Apple TV

All 4 Airplay not working

Update: November 28th 2021: Please note, it is no longer possible to Airplay from an iOS device to an Apple TV as the All 4 (C4) App has been updated to disable this feature…. that said, it isn’t necessary now as there is a native Apple TV C4 App (4 on demand app) which you can install from the Apple TV App Store.

We are leaving the old content below in place as it is still useful for a number of other apps – but not needed for C4 any longer.

Update: December 24th 2018: As a Christmas present for 2018 Channel 4 have just released their brilliant All4 App on the Apple TV.  I’ve watched a few programmes on it so far. I’m really impressed with the picture and sound quality, ease of use and can’t fault it. So well worth the wait and thanks C4. I’ve now got loads of programmes to catch-up on.

The previous version of this post:

If you are looking for the Channel 4 app for the new Apple TV then this blog post is for you. We explain how to use your Apple device to watch Channel 4, 4 On Demand, 4E, More 4, Film 4 etc using the All 4 App.

Currently Channel 4 don’t have a native iOS App for Apple TV but the good news is that they do have a really good iOS App for the iPhone, iPad and iPod. It’s easy to port these apps to the Apple TV so it should only be a matter of time before they get around to supporting the Apple TV as well. Luckily in the meantime the iPhone, iPad and iPod App works really well with the Apple TV 3rd and 4th generation.

You’ll need to install the 4OD App on your iPhone/iPad. You can find this in the App Store on your device by just searching for 4OD.

You will then need to start the app and register if you don’t already have a user id and password with C4.

You can then search for and play the programme you want to watch.

When the programme starts to play you just need to swipe up from the bottom of the screen. You will then see the control panel shown below.  Press the AirPlay icon.

Now pick your Apple TV from this list of AirPlay devices. Your programme will now start to play on your Apple TV.

How do I get 4 On-Demand (4OD) on my TV?

Most TV sets sold in the last five years have some way to connect to the Internet and then download apps which allow you to view on-demand services such as Four On-Demand and BBC iPlayer. This is perhaps the easiest way to get access to 4OD, however in my experience the Apps which are built into TV sets themselves and the online functions in TV sets are poor quality, slow and difficult to use. The processor, memory and operating system in TV sets tends to be the equivalent of a ten-year-old mobile phone – at best!

I recommend the Apple TV box for access to online services from your TV. This has many advantages. Apple really focuses on ease of use and security. As far as I am aware there have been no reports of an Apple TV ever being hacked or affected by malware whereas even TV sets from some big-name manufacturers have been proven capable of spying on you in your own home.

The Apple TV is really easy to set-up. You just plug it into the mains, connect it to your TV using an HDMI cable and then if you have an iPhone you can tap the phone on top of it and it will copy over all your WiFI and Apple iCloud settings.

Once you have this up and running you can just pop into the App Store and download the Channel Four On Demand App.

If you have any questions about which Apple TV to buy for your requirements or how to get it set-up do please leave a question below and I’ll be pleased to help.

Click here to find the latest pricing and availability on Amazon for the Apple TV.