Troubleshooting Guide for Apple TV Remote Issues

For any TV, the remote remains the heart and soul of everything you do with it. So, realizing that the remote is paired with your Apple TV will be nothing short of shocking. Ideally, an Apple TV remote should last you for several years, supporting multiple TV models in the meantime. It can only stop working if it runs out of power, its battery dies, encounters temporary glitches, or encounters a hardware issue. If your Apple TV remote is not working, not registering button presses, or is experiencing connection failures, the following article should help you fix the issue once and for all.

Fix Apple TV Remote Not Working Issue

These are the solutions that you can try to fix the problem of a non-working Apple TV remote. Make sure to follow them in the same order as the first ones can fix minor issues and get your Apple TV remote working with minimal effort.

Method 1: Make sure the Apple TV is within range of the remote

The first thing to do when your Apple TV remote isn’t working properly is to make sure the remote is within an acceptable distance of the TV. Apple recommends that in order for your remote to work as expected, it should be within 20 feet (6 meters) from your Apple TV.

It is important to check if there is anything blocking the passage between the two devices. If you have placed the TV in a cabinet, we suggest you take it out and place it in the open air, so that its receiver is facing you.

Method 2: Plug the Apple TV remote into a charger

Ideally, an Apple TV remote can hold enough charge to last several months with normal use. If you’ve recently noticed a low battery alert on your Apple TV, it’s time to plug the remote into a charger.

To help you know if you need to charge your remote, Apple offers a way to check its battery level. You can do this by visiting Settings > Remote controls and devices > Remote.

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If the battery is below 10%, you need to charge the Apple TV remote on a wall adapter via a USB-C or Lightning cable. Apple recommends leaving the remote plugged in for at least 30 minutes to start using it and about 3 hours to fully charge the device.

If your Apple TV still shows a low battery on the remote, you can try a different charger or replace its battery. While newer models don’t come with replaceable batteries, you can replace them on the remotes that came with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation Apple TV models. Depending on the model you’re using, you’ll need a BR2032 Or CR2032 lithium button cell replacement.

Method 3: Restart Apple TV

Before you try to troubleshoot your remote, we suggest you first make sure that no bugs or temporary glitches are causing your problem. You can perform a simple reboot by going to Settings > System on your Apple TV and selecting Restart.

If this doesn’t fix the problem, you can also try unplugging the TV from its power outlet for about 6 seconds and then plugging it back in. Once the TV has restarted, check if your remote works as before again.

Method 4: Reset your Apple TV remote

If restarting your Apple TV doesn’t fix the problem, you can now reset the remote. To reset an Apple TV remote, press and hold the TV Control Center/+ Volume Down for up to 5 seconds. The remote will be disconnected first, then automatically reconnected to your Apple TV after a successful reset.

We have prepared a dedicated guide on how to reset Apple TV remote to help you with the detailed process in case you need help.

Method 5: Re-pair your remote with Apple TV

In ideal circumstances, the remote that came with your Apple TV model should automatically pair with the TV box as soon as it starts up. If the buttons on your remote aren’t registering any inputs, or if the remote continues to display “Disconnected” on the Apple TV, you can try re-pairing it manually. Here’s how:

1. Turn on Apple TV and place the remote 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) from the TV.
2. On your Apple TV remote, press and hold the Back + Volume + for up to 5 seconds. If you’re using a 1st generation Siri Remote, long press the Menu + Volume Up press the buttons for 2 seconds instead.

1. In some cases, the TV will ask you to place the remote on top of the TV to complete pairing.
2. Once pairing is successful, a “Remote connected” notification appears at the top right of your TV screen.

Method 6: Configure Volume Control Settings

In some cases, only certain buttons, including the volume control, may not work as expected on the remote. An easy way to fix this is to adjust the volume control settings on your Apple TV. Here’s how to do it:

1. On your Apple TV, go to Settings > Remote controls and devices.
2. Here, select Volume control.
3. On the next screen, select IR television instead of “Auto” as a different volume control setting.
4. Now you can check and see if the volume buttons on the remote are working now.

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Method 7: Pair a universal remote with your Apple TV

As an alternative to your own remote, Apple lets you use an infrared (IR) remote or universal remote with Apple TV. To set up the universal remote with your TV, follow these instructions.

1. On Apple TV, open the Settings application.
2. Now go to Remote controls and devices > Learning remotely.
3. You can then follow the on-screen instructions to pair the remote with your Apple TV.
4. Once configured, you can check if the universal remote is able to navigate menus and control TV playback and volume.

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If you are having trouble controlling the volume, you may need to program it manually. To do this, go to Settings > Remote controls and devices > Volume control > Learn a new device then configure it by following the on-screen instructions.

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Method 8: Use Apple TV Remotes on Your iPhone

If your Apple TV remote isn’t working, you can try using your iPhone instead. Apple offers a native Apple TV remote through Control Center on any iPhone running iOS 12 or newer. With this tool, users can navigate the TV with their iPhone, and Apple TV will automatically switch to a user’s profile when remotes are used from iOS Control Center.

The Apple TV Remote on iOS lets you turn on an Apple TV, adjust volume, control playback, switch TV devices, search, dictate, navigate, and turn on subtitles right from an iPhone. To learn how to set it up and use this feature, see our guide to Control Apple TV with iPhone.

Method 9: Schedule an Apple TV Remote Repair

Since you’ve tried all of the above solutions and your Apple TV remote still fails to register input or continues to behave erratically, the only thing left to do is get your TV remote repaired. Fortunately, Apple offers repair options for the Apple TV remote, which you can check out by clicking the Apple Support link at the bottom of this article. Web page.

You can schedule a remote repair at your nearest Apple service center and indicate your issues if necessary. The cost of the repair will depend on the type of hardware issue present on your remote.

Method 10: Get a replacement Apple TV remote

If your Apple service provider was unable to repair your remote, the only solution is to get a replacement Apple TV remote. The device we recommend here is the Apple Siri Remote (3rd generation), which is compatible with a multitude of Apple TV models, dating back to 2015.

So you can use it on Apple TV 4K (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation) and Apple TV HD. The remote has a USB-C connector for charging, a microphone for Siri, an IR emitter for better controls, and Bluetooth 5.

These are all the possible solutions to fix the “Apple TV remote not working” issue. Being stuck with a remote that doesn’t respond to your button presses in the middle of a movie can be a pain. So, we hope you were able to fix the issue on your Apple TV. If you have any concerns regarding this issue, let us know in the comments.