ICloud – How should I configure AppleTV in a shared space/living room

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I have an Apple TV in a shared space with roommates/friends. I don't want my personal photos to be shared or accessible there.

I do like the idea of sharing some purchases and other apps in that space.

Since Apple TV doesn't have the concept of "multiple users", and as of the latest iOS10 beta, that still seems to be true… what is the best way to configure Apple TV to preserve my privacy?

In particular I'm referring to the

  • App Store account
  • The iCloud account
  • Gaming accounts.

I'm not terribly interested in restricting content / movies, but I simply don't want people to be able to see my personal photos.

I also don't like the theoretical sharing of the iCloud keychain, which could put my account & PII at unnecessary risk in case of device theft.

Best Answer

  1. Require password to buy - this keeps you in control of spending money
  2. Don't sing in to iCloud for Photos - you can AirPlay photos from another device when you wish to show your photos.
  3. There is no interface for reading keychain contents from the Apple TV - so unless you are worried about sophisticated hackers reverse engineering and decrypting keychains - your threat model would be one to not worry about keychain syncing for WiFi credentials.

If you're worried about game center - then you might have to not allow the device to run when you're not present. I don't think there's any control there if you leave that signed in.

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