The Apple TV remote is very pretty, but admit that you have lost it under the couch or between the cushions and spent hours looking for it. But did you know that the Apple TV remote is not the only thing that allows you to control the Apple TV? You can also do it with your iPhone. So in this guide, we will show you how to control your Apple TV with an iPhone.
Access Apple TV Remote from iPhone Control Center
The first step in the process is to add the Apple TV remote tile to your phone’s Control Center. This will give you quick access to the remote shortcut and you can quickly bring it up without having to dig into Settings. Here’s how to do it.
- On your iPhone, swipe down from the top-right corner to reveal Control Center. (On devices with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom.)
- Long press on an empty space, then tap Add a control.
- Now scroll down to the “Remote Control” section and tap the icon Remote tile.
This will add the Apple TV remote shortcut to the iPhone Control Center. Another way to access it is to search for “Remote” in Spotlight search. Don’t confuse it with the Calculator shortcut like I kept doing.
Set up Apple TV remote on iPhone
Now that you have added an Apple TV shortcut to your iPhone, it is time to connect and set up the Apple TV with your iPhone so that it can function as a remote control. Here are the steps to follow.
- Make sure your iPhone and Apple TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Next, launch Control Center and tap the Remote tile.
- Here, press Choose a TV and select the option that appears.
- A 4-digit code will appear on the TV screen. Enter this code on your iPhone.
This will connect your iPhone to Apple TV. If you have multiple TVs in your home, tap Choose a TVand select the other Apple TV device.
You can easily switch between them from here. If you can’t connect both devices, restart them both and try again.
Control your Apple TV on iPhone
Once you have the remote fully set up on your iOS device, you can use it to control your Apple TV. It mimics the commands of the Siri Remote, allowing you to easily navigate your Apple TV and access the contextual menu. Here’s a look at some of the key commands.
- Touch zone: This is the large square area for navigating apps and content. Simply swipe left, right, or up/down within the touch area to navigate the UI.
- Back button: Press the Back button to return to the previous screen.
- Home button: This button is located below the trackpad and has a TV icon. It takes you back to the Apple TV home page. You can also double-tap it to open recent apps.
- Play/Pause button: You can use the Play/Pause button to play and pause the audio/video.
- Power button: Long press this button to turn off Apple TV and all connected devices.
- Mute button: Press this button to mute the sound coming from your Apple TV.
- Launch Siri: Press and hold the power button on your iPhone to launch Siri on your Apple TV.
Well, that’s how you can use your iPhone to control Apple TV. As you can see, the iPhone remote app can do pretty much everything that Siri Remote and Apple TV Remote can do. You can use it to search for content, launch Siri, adjust the volume, and more. So, which do you prefer to use? The Apple TV remote or the iPhone remote app? Let us know in the comments. Also, did you know that you can use your iPhone to color balance your Apple TV? Check it out and get even better-looking content on your TV!
