Apple TV 6.1 update makes it easier to hide unwanted channels

A new Apple TV software update was issued on Monday, giving users the ability to reduce the plethora of channels on the device's home screen if they so choose.

Users could previously hide channels from the Apple TV home screen through the device's Settings application. But Apple TV Version 6.1 now allows this to be accomplished in a simpler fashion, direct from the home screen.

After updating, users can hide icons by holding the select button, causing icons on the screen to jiggle. Once activated, users can press the play/pause button on their remote to bring up a menu that allows users to hide the icon.

After a channel has been hidden, users can reactivate it through the Settings application.

The new Apple TV update arrives alongside the new iOS 7.1 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. That update added CarPlay support, various bug fixes, and improved Touch ID responsiveness with the iPhone 5s.

Apple has been steadily adding new channels to the Apple TV set-top box over the last year, giving users a number of new ways to view streaming content on their television. Recent additions include the WWE Network, TV4, and Red Bull TV.

Apple recently revealed that its streaming set-top box, which the company has famously referred to as a "hobby," topped $1 billion in sales last year, making it the company's fastest growing hardware. Total sales are estimated to have grown by 80 percent in 2013, reaching around 10 million units for the calendar year.