If you’re a regular Prime Video user, you probably know that there’s a fantastic feature called X-Ray. It lets you know the names of the actors who are present in real time in the scene you’re watching. Imagine that Apple has just “copied” the feature, it’s called “On Screen” and it’s available on all Apple TV+ content!
How to access the “On Screen” feature
You may have already watched a series or a movie and had a crush on an actor that you have already seen elsewhere. However, who is this actor? Rest assured, thanks to the “On screen” feature available on iOS 18, Apple gives you all the information you are looking for on this talented actor who caught your attention!
For copyright reasons, Apple removes the image from the content if a screenshot is taken.
How does it work?
If you have an iPhone updated to iOS 18, the feature is already available. The principle is simple:
- Open the Apple TV app on your iPhone
- Go to the “Apple TV+” section
- Launch Apple Original Content
- At the bottom of the screen you will have “Info”, “On screen” and “Up next”
When you tap “On Screen”, Apple will directly show you the actors who are present in the scene. As soon as you change scenes, the list automatically adapts according to the actors present on the screen.
This feature has two advantages: when you tap on the actor’s name, Apple shows you other content where the actor is present in the cast. The weak point is that it is not possible to obtain more information about the actor, for example we would have liked to have specific information such as his age, in how many films and series he has appeared… In short, information like AlloCiné or Wikipedia, but for the moment, the “On screen” feature does not go that far.
Among other things to know about this new feature, it is also available on Apple TV+ content from tvOS 18 and iPadOS 18. The bad news is that for the moment “On Screen” only concerns original Apple content, you will not be able to enjoy it on films or series purchased/rented on the Apple TV application.
To display information in “On Screen,” Apple uses Gracenote, a platform known worldwide for helping media and entertainment companies “connecting their audiences to the content they love”. Apple also uses internal information to redirect Apple TV+ subscribers to other content when they tap on the actor’s name.
