Explore the hidden search features inside your streaming device

One of the best ways to discover new things to watch on your smart TV or streaming device is also one of the least obvious.

I’m referring to the search menu, which does more than just search for specific movies and shows. On most streaming devices, the search section functions as its own little TV guide, with recommendations from across your different streaming services. Some individual apps, such as Netflix and Max, have similar discovery features built into their own search menus.

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If you only think of the search menu as a way to track down specific titles—as I’m admittedly guilty of doing—you’re missing out. Here’s an overview of the search menus on the major streaming platforms and how you can make the most of them.

Apple TV

Jared Newman / Foundry

Jared Newman / Foundry

Jared Newman / Foundry

While the TV app on Apple TV is helpful for sifting through streaming options, the separate search menu is worth a look as well. Here you’ll find an entire grid of genre-based categories, including some unexpected ones such as “Dystopian Futures” and “Hilarious Duos.” It’s great for scratching those particular itches that you wouldn’t even think to search for.

If you’re already inside the TV app, you’ll find these options by scrolling up to the search box in the left sidebar. Otherwise, look for the search icon inside the Apple TV’s app launcher menu, and consider bumping it up to the top of your home screen.

Fire TV

Jared Newman / Foundry

Jared Newman / Foundry

Jared Newman / Foundry

Scroll over to the search tab on Fire TV devices, and you’ll see quick links to various content categories. The “Movies” and “TV Shows” filters that once lived on the home screen now reside in the search menu, for instance, and you’ll also find recommended categories for things like Comedies and Action Movies. It’s one way of taming the chaos of Amazon’s Fire TV home screen.

Google TV

Jared Newman / Foundry

Jared Newman / Foundry

Jared Newman / Foundry

Google doesn’t do much with its search menu—most of the screen is dedicated to the actual search function and tips on how to use it—but the bottom of the menu does include a row of genres to scroll through. It’s an extensive list that includes things like “Cooking TV Shows” and “Classic Movies,” most of which don’t appear on the main home screen.

One notable factoid about these genre menus: Within each one, you’ll find a row of recommendations from Netflix, which otherwise doesn’t put original programming on the Google TV home screen. Going through the search menu gives you a more holistic view of your streaming options—including those from Netflix.

Roku

Jared Newman / Foundry

Jared Newman / Foundry

Jared Newman / Foundry

Scroll past the on-screen keyboard in Roku’s search menu, and you’ll get a bunch of useful sections to browse through, including recent searches, recommendations based on your searches, popular content, and submenus for various genres. You’ll also find collections of popular franchises such as Marvel, Rocky, and Lord of the Rings.

While Roku does offer a separate “What to Watch” section on its home screen that ostensibly serves the same purpose, it’s far too aggressive about pushing free content from the Roku Channel. The search menu’s recommendations don’t feel as biased.

Individual apps

Jared Newman / Foundry

Jared Newman / Foundry

Jared Newman / Foundry

Streaming apps also have their own search menus, and in many cases they can do more than just look up individual titles. Take a look, and you might find some more ways to sift through their catalogs:

• Amazon Prime has genres and collections tucked away in its search menu.
• Disney+ has shortcuts to its various collections in the search menu, including “Princesses,” “Disney Junior,” and “The Muppets Collection.”
• Netflix includes a dense list of recommendations in its search menu, based on what you’ve been watching. You’ll also find quick links to different genres.

I could go on, but the point is that if you’re not sure what to watch, look to the search menu. It’s a useful starting point even if you have nothing specific in mind.

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