Swipe up from the bottom or tap the expand icon to enter full screen

On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen while a show or movie is playing. On Android phones using the Apple TV app, tap the expand icon (a small square in the lower right corner of the video player). Either action fills your phone's entire screen with the video and hides the playback controls and app navigation.

The full-screen view removes the black bars at the top and bottom on most content, though some shows and films are shot in a wider aspect ratio and will still show bars. This is normal — the bars exist because the original content was filmed that way, not because your phone is displaying it incorrectly.

To exit full screen, swipe down from the top of the screen on iPhone or tap the collapse icon on Android. You can also tap anywhere on the screen once to bring back the playback controls, then tap the collapse button.

Key Takeaways

  • On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go full screen; on Android, tap the expand icon in the lower right corner of the video player.
  • Full-screen mode hides the app's navigation and playback controls to maximize video size on your phone's display.
  • Some shows and movies will still have black bars at the top and bottom because they were filmed in a wider aspect ratio than your phone's screen.
  • Swipe down from the top on iPhone or tap the collapse icon on Android to return to the normal player view.

Why full screen doesn't always fill your entire phone

Many films and television shows are shot in a cinematic aspect ratio — usually 16:9 or wider — which is different from the shape of your phone's screen. When you go full screen, the app displays the entire image without cropping it, so black bars appear above and below the video to preserve what the filmmakers intended you to see.

You cannot remove these bars without cutting off parts of the picture. If you want to fill every pixel of your screen, you would have to zoom in, which would crop the top and bottom of the image. Apple TV does not offer a zoom option in full-screen mode on phones, so the bars are the correct behavior.

Rotating your phone to landscape for a larger picture

Turning your phone sideways into landscape orientation makes the video larger on your screen because landscape is closer to the cinematic shape of most films. When you rotate your phone, the app automatically switches to landscape full screen on both iPhone and Android.

If your phone does not rotate, check that rotation lock is off. On iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center and tap the rotation lock icon (it looks like a lock with an arrow) to turn it off. On Android, go to Settings, search for "rotation" or "display", and turn on automatic rotation.

Using picture-in-picture on iPhone

Picture-in-picture lets you shrink the video into a small window and move it around your screen while you use other apps. On iPhone, start playing a video, swipe up to go full screen, then swipe down from the top to go back to the app. The video will shrink into a small box in the corner that you can drag anywhere on your screen.

You can resize the picture-in-picture window by pinching in or out with two fingers. Tap the window to pause or play, or tap the X to close it. This feature is useful if you want to watch while texting, browsing, or using another app at the same time. Android phones do not have picture-in-picture in the Apple TV app.

Troubleshooting full-screen problems

If full screen is not working, first make sure you are using the latest version of the Apple TV app. On iPhone, open the App Store, tap your profile icon in the top right, scroll down, and look for Apple TV in the list of apps with available updates. On Android, open Google Play, search for Apple TV, and tap Update if one is available.

If the app is up to date and full screen still does not work, close the app completely and reopen it. On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher, find Apple TV, and swipe it up to close it. On Android, go to Settings, tap Apps, find Apple TV, and tap Force Stop. Then reopen the app and try again.

If you are using an older phone, full-screen mode may be slower or cause the video to stutter. Closing other apps running in the background can help. Also check that your internet connection is strong — a weak connection can cause playback issues that make full screen appear broken.

Controlling playback while in full screen

Once you are in full screen, tap the center of the video to bring up the playback controls. You will see a progress bar at the bottom, volume and brightness sliders on the sides, and buttons to pause, skip forward or backward, and exit full screen. Tap anywhere else on the screen to hide the controls again.

On iPhone, you can also use the volume buttons on the side of your phone to adjust volume while in full screen. Swipe left or right on the video to skip forward or backward by 10 seconds — this works without bringing up the controls. On Android, the same swipe gestures work, and you can also use your phone's physical buttons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my video have black bars even in full screen?

The show or movie was filmed in a wider aspect ratio than your phone's screen shape. Full screen displays the entire image without cutting anything off, so bars appear to fill the empty space. This is correct — removing the bars would crop the picture.

Can I zoom in to remove the black bars?

The Apple TV app does not have a zoom feature for phones. If you zoom in manually by pinching, you will crop the top and bottom of the image. The black bars are the intended way to watch the content.

Does full screen work the same way on iPhone and Android?

The result is the same, but the gesture is different. iPhone uses a swipe up from the bottom; Android uses a tap on the expand icon. Both hide the app controls and fill your screen with the video.

Can I watch in full screen while using other apps?

On iPhone, use picture-in-picture to shrink the video into a movable window while you use other apps. Android's Apple TV app does not support picture-in-picture, so you would have to switch between apps.

What should I do if full screen is not working?

Update the Apple TV app to the latest version, then close and reopen it. If the problem continues, check your internet connection and close other apps running in the background. Older phones may have slower performance in full screen.