iOS 6 beta for Apple TV allows customizable app icon layouts

Similar to the long press used to move icons on the iPhone and iPad, users simply hold down the select button on Apple's remote while an icon is selected. Once this is done, the selected will begin to wiggle, and it can be dragged to a custom location on the TV screen.

In current, public builds of the Apple TV operating system, holding down the select button will put the device to sleep. Icons on the screen are also displayed in a static grid and cannot be moved.

Only one icon can be moved at a time with the new feature found in the second beta of the Apple TV. The feature was demonstrated in a video created by MacMagazine.com.br (via MacRumors).

Apple issued the second beta of its next software update for the Apple TV set-top box to developers on Monday, alongside iOS 6 beta 2 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The software is scheduled to publicly launch this fall.

The redesigned Apple TV user interface debuted earlier this year with the launch of a new 1080p-capable model of the device. Apple executive Eddy Cue portrayed the update as a simplified design that makes it easier for users to access features on their Apple TV.

The grid-like layout with application icons brought the Apple TV interface even closer to its iOS-based iPhone and iPad counterparts. The forthcoming addition of a customizable icon grid could be seen as making the Apple TV one step closer to receiving its own App Store with downloadable third-party software designed for HDTVs.