QR Authentication
Typing passwords on a TV is no fun. Arrivals Board lets you sign in to social accounts by scanning a QR code with your phone instead.
Step-by-step flow¶
1. Choose a source¶
Navigate to Settings > Sources > Add Source and select the source you want to sign in to -- for example, Mastodon.
2. Scan the QR code¶
A QR code appears on the TV screen. Open your iPhone or iPad camera and point it at the code. Tap the banner that appears to open the link in your browser.
3. Sign in on your phone¶
Sign in to your account and authorize Arrivals in your phone's browser. Once you tap "Authorize," the browser shows a confirmation page.
4. Done¶
Your Apple TV picks up the completed sign-in automatically. You will see a confirmation on screen and messages will begin appearing on the board.
Quick and easy
The entire process typically takes under 30 seconds. No typing on the TV required.
Manual fallback¶
If QR scanning is not working -- for example, if your phone cannot reach the Apple TV on the network -- you can sign in manually:
- On the Apple TV, select Enter Manually below the QR code.
- Use the on-screen keyboard to type your instance URL (e.g.,
mastodon.social). - The TV will direct you to open a specific URL on your phone's browser.
- Sign in and authorize the app on your phone. The browser will display an authorization code.
- Enter the authorization code on the Apple TV using the on-screen keyboard.
Use Universal Clipboard
You can copy the authorization code on your phone and paste it on the Apple TV if both devices are signed in to the same iCloud account with Handoff enabled.
Source availability on Apple TV¶
Some sources can be set up directly on Apple TV, while others are easier to configure on iPad and sync over.
| Source | Set up on Apple TV? | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Mastodon | Yes -- QR or manual sign-in | -- |
| RSS / Atom | Yes -- enter URL directly | -- |
| Bluesky | Coming Soon | Set up on iPad, syncs via iCloud |
| Threads | Coming Soon | Set up on iPad, syncs via iCloud |
| MQTT | Coming Soon | Set up on iPad, syncs via iCloud |
| Calendar | Coming Soon | Set up on iPad, syncs via iCloud |
| Weather | Coming Soon | Set up on iPad, syncs via iCloud |
Set up once, display everywhere
The easiest approach is to configure all your sources on iPad -- where you have a keyboard and browser -- and let iCloud sync carry everything to your Apple TV.