Two years ago, I wrote about how you can take screenshots of the Apple TV. At the time, you needed to connect the device to a Mac and use Xcode – Apple’s developer environment – to capture what’s on your TV screen.
This has become a lot simpler lately: you can now do this without wires. This means you can leave your Apple TV in the living room, and take screenshots from any Mac on the same network.
If you do need to take screenshots of the Apple TV – something that generally only developers and journalists need to do – here’s how.
First, make sure your Apple TV is awake, and your TV is on; you’ll need to view it briefly.
Next, fire up Xcode, then choose Window > Devices & Simulators. Click your Apple TV in the Discovered sidebar, then click Pair with your Apple TV. You’ll see a screen asking you to enter the six-digit code displayed on your TV; go to the other room and get the code, then enter it.
You’ll next see a screen like this:
You can now click Take Screenshot to capture the screen. Of course, you still need to go back to where the Apple TV is located to navigate through menus and select items, since Xcode can’t (unfortunately) display what the Apple TV is showing in real time.
Screenshots are saved to your Mac’s Desktop.
h/t Rob G..