The Apple TV 4K offers a cool feature where you can use your iPhone to calibrate the colors on your TV. With this feature promising to make your TV look as good as it possibly can, you might be wondering exactly how to use it.

This article will give you the lowdown on how to use your iPhone to calibrate your Apple TV's colors.

How to Calibrate Your Apple TV With Your iPhone

Before you get started, there are a few requirements that you need to meet. Your iPhone needs to be running iOS 14.5 or later, and your Apple TV needs tvOS 14.5 or later.

The iPhone you use also needs to support Face ID (any iPhone X or later without a Home button).

Also, Apple recommends that you put your TV into the standard picture mode before attempting the calibration. If Dolby Vision is turned on for the Apple TV, you'll need to switch the format to 4K HDR in Settings, though Dolby Vision is likely to offer better picture quality so there's really no need to calibrate.

If your gear meets the requirements and want to try calibrating your Apple TV with your iPhone, follow the steps below to do so.

Using the remote, head to the Settings app on your Apple TV. Click on Video and Audio to open up these particular settings. Scroll down and click on Color Balance. You'll then see the Adjust Color Balance prompt appear on screen.

Photo of the screen to start adjusting colors on the Apple TV

It's time to move over to your iPhone.

Unlock your iPhone to see the matching prompt appear on the screen (or lock and unlock again if you can't see the prompt). Tap on Continue and then turn your iPhone screen so it's facing the TV screen.

Screenshot from the iPhone telling you to turn your iPhone around to begin the process

When the frame appears on your TV screen, make sure that you position your iPhone within it. The Color Balance calibration will happen automatically, but continue to hold your iPhone to the screen until its complete.

Aim to hold your iPhone within one inch of the TV screen.

Once completed, you can take your iPhone away.

Click on View Results to see what the new image looks like. The Apple TV will show you a sample of the image with and without calibration, so you can choose the version you prefer.

Click on Use Balanced to save the new settings or Use Original for the old ones.

What Is Color Calibration?

Color calibration is the process of measuring the colors that a screen produces and adjusting them slightly to meet preset standards. This makes sure that the colors a screen produces are as accurate as possible.

For example, your screen might show whites with a blue tint, but color calibration would fix this issue.

Typically, to calibrate a display you'd need to use traditional methods. These include displaying colored bars on the display and using your own eye to make sure the screen is calibrated properly. Or a small device you can hold up to the screen that detects colors and automatically adjusts the display settings.

An image showing the typical color calibration screen
Image Credit: Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock

The process of color calibration can be fairly simple with simpler methods such as the color bars, but is often not as accurate as when it's professionally done. For this reason, many people may not have heard of calibrating their display before.

It's important to calibrate your displays properly to make sure you're seeing the best image possible.

Related: Monitor Calibration Made Easy With These Online Tools

Does the Apple TV Color Calibration Work?

After going through the process of color calibration, there is a noticeable difference between the original and calibrated images. Of course, when deciding on picture settings for a display, it's always down to personal preference.

However, when comparing the calibrated image to the picture when Dolby Vision is enabled, you'll probably struggle to notice much of a difference. The calibrated image looks great if your TV doesn't support Dolby Vision, but makes barely any difference otherwise.

Read More: Dolby Vision vs. HDR10 vs. HLG: The Best HDR TV Screen

Apple Aims for Perfect Viewing Every Time

Packing in a calibration feature to the Apple TV helps to make sure users get a better image every time. With better-looking content coming from the Apple TV, those who picked up the device are sure to be happy.