How to Use the YouTube App's New Voice Search Feature When Casting to a Smart TV - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

How to Use the YouTube App's New Voice Search Feature When Casting to a Smart TV

by

The official YouTube app for iOS has gained a new voice search feature that aims to make searching for content easier when you're casting YouTube video to a smart TV.

youtube app voice search
Once you've connected your iPhone or iPad to a smart TV, you can search with your voice via the mobile app, as well as use it to pause, play, and adjust the volume on your TV. Here's how it works.

  1. Download and launch the YouTube app on your iPhone or ‌iPad‌.
  2. Tap the Cast button at the top of the Home tab.
  3. Launch the YouTube app on your smart TV.
  4. If you haven't connected your iOS device to your smart TV before, select Link with TV code and then tap LEARN NOW under "Learn how to get a TV code." Otherwise, tap YouTube on TV to connect.
    youtube

  5. When your iOS device is connected to your TV, you'll see an overlay on your device's screen with a volume slider, a Remote button, and the new Voice search button – tap it.
  6. Tap the red microphone icon, and when you hear the audible prompt, say the word or phrase that you want to search on YouTube.
    youtube

You should see the results of your voice search appear on your TV. And don't forget, you can use the Remote option in the YouTube app's mobile interface to navigate and select the content that shows up on your TV.

According to German site SmartDroid, YouTube is currently working on improving the remote interface for controlling YouTube casting. The updated controls are said to include quicker access to captions and playback quality settings, but there's no word on when we can expect them to roll out for the iOS YouTube app.

Tags: TV, YouTube

Top Rated Comments

John.B Avatar
86 months ago
Giving the YouTube app unfettered access to my iPhone microphone, what could go wrong? 🤣
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
86 months ago

Giving the YouTube app unfettered access to my iPhone microphone, what could go wrong? 🤣
Exactly my thoughts.
So little to gain, so much to lose.

Be aware setting up your Spanky brand new TV, deny all instead of opting in into the so called "do you want your TV experience to be improved", it's just a different way of them saying " we are tracking all your time on your TV set, what you're watching, how many times, how long and what more...".
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canadianreader Avatar
86 months ago

Giving the YouTube app unfettered access to my iPhone microphone, what could go wrong? 🤣
Macrumors should add a privacy note when they give these kind of advice.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

General YouTube Feature Redux

Apple Responds to Lawsuit Filed by Three YouTube Channels

Thursday July 2, 2026 7:47 pm PDT by
Earlier this year, three YouTube channels sued Apple, alleging that the company violated the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by unlawfully accessing and scraping millions of copyrighted YouTube videos to train its AI models. In a class action lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in April, the owners of the YouTube channels...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
imac video apple feature

Apple Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever This Year

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:03 pm PDT by
Apple this year acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019. Q.ai...

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors