Apple TV Remote Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It

For any TV unit, the remote remains the heart and soul of everything you do with it. So, realizing that the remote that’s paired with your Apple TV will be nothing short of shocking. Ideally, an Apple TV remote should last you several years, supporting multiple TV models in between. It may only cease to function if it’s out of charge, a dead battery, temporary glitches or a hardware issue. If your Apple TV remote is not working, not registering button presses, or faces connection failures, then the following post should help you resolve it once and for all.

Fix Apple TV Remote Not Working

Here are the fixes you can try to resolve a non-functional Apple TV remote. Ensure that you follow them in the same order, as the first few ones may fix minor issues and get your Apple TV remote working with minimal effort.

Method 1: Make Sure Apple TV is Within the Remote’s Range

The first thing you need to do when your Apple TV remote isn’t working properly, is to ensure that the remote is within acceptable distance from the TV unit. Apple recommends that for your remote to work as intended, it should bewithin 20 feet (6 meters)of your Apple TV.

One thing to keep in mind here is to check if anything is blocking the path between the two devices. In case you’ve placed the TV unit inside a cabinet, we suggest you get it out and place it in the open, where its receiver is facing toward you.

Method 2: Plug in Apple TV Remote to a Charger

Ideally, an Apple TV remote can carry enough charge to last you several months on a typical usage. If you recently spotted a low battery alert on your Apple TV, it’s time to plug in the remote to a charger.

To help you know whether you need to charge the remote, Apple offers a way to check its battery level. You can do so by heading over toSettings>Remotes and Devices>Remote.

If the battery is under 10%, you must charge the Apple TV remote into a wall adapter via a USB-C or Lightning cable. Apple recommends keeping 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 displays 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 it on remotes that came with the Apple TV 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation models. Depending on the model you’re using, you’ll need aBR2032orCR2032lithium coin battery as a replacement.

Method 3: Restart Apple TV

Before you try troubleshooting your remote, we would suggest you first make sure there aren’t any temporary bugs or glitches that’s causing your problem. You can do a simple restart by navigating toSettings>Systemon your Apple TV and selectingRestart.

If this doesn’t resolve the issue, you can also try unplugging the TV unit from its power socket for about 6 seconds and then plugging it back again. Once the TV reboots, check whether your remote now functions like before.

Method 4: Reset Your Apple TV Remote

If restarting your Apple TV doesn’t do the job, you can now go ahead and reset the remote. To reset an Apple TV remote, press and hold theTV/Control Centre + Volume Downbuttons for up to 5 seconds. The remote will first get disconnected and then re-connected to your Apple TV automatically after a successful reset.

We’ve prepared a dedicatedReset Apple TV Remoteguide 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 the latter boots up. If the buttons on your remote aren’t registering any input or the remote continues to show as “Disconnected” on the Apple TV, you can try re-pairing it manually. Here’s how:

Method 6: Configure Volume Control Settings

In some cases, only some of the buttons, especially volume control, may not work as intended on the remote. As easy way to fix this is by adjusting volume control settings on your Apple TV. Here’s how you can do it:

Method 7: Pair a Universal Remote With Your Apple TV

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

If you’re having difficulties controlling volume, you may have to program this manually. For this, navigate toSettings>Remotes and Devices>Volume Control>Learn New Deviceand then set it up by following the on-screen instructions.

Method 8: Use Apple TV Remote Controls 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 controls via the Control Center on any iPhone running iOS 12 or newer versions. With this tool, users can navigate the TV with their iPhone and Apple TV will automatically switch to a user’s profile when remote controls are used from the iOS Control Center.

The Apple TV Remote controls on iOS lets you turn on an Apple TV, adjust volume, control playback, switch TV device, search, dictate, navigate, and toggle closed captions directly from an iPhone. To learn how to set it up and use this feature, check out ourControl Apple TV with iPhoneguide.

Method 9: Schedule a Repair for Apple TV Remote

Considering you tried all of the above fixes and your Apple TV remote still fails to register an input or continues to behave erratically, the only thing left is to get your TV remote fixed. Fortunately, Apple offers repair options for the Apple TV remote, which you can check out by clicking on the Apple Support link at the bottom of thiswebpage.

You can schedule a repair for the remote from the nearest Apple Service Center and state your problems if required. The cost of repair will depend on the kind of hardware issue that’s present on your remote.

Method 10: Get a Replacement Apple TV Remote

If the Apple Service Provider wasn’t able to fix your remote, then getting a replacement Apple TV remote is the only way out. And the device we recommend here is Apple’s own Siri Remote (3rd generation), which is compatible with a multitude of Apple TV models, as old as 2015.

So, you’ll be able to use it on the Apple TV 4K (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation) and Apple TV HD. The remote comes with USB-C connector for charging, microphone for Siri, an IR transmitter for better controls, and Bluetooth 5.

That’s all the ways you can 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 get the issue resolved on your Apple TV. If there are any concerns regarding this issue, let us know in the comments.

Ajaay Srinivasan

Ajaay’s love affair with technology started young, with the Nokia N-Gage piquing his interest. Since 2016, he’s channeled his passion for tech into crafting explainers and guides on iOS, macOS, Android, social media, privacy & cybersecurity, and AI. When it’s time to unplug, Ajaay enjoys playing EAFC, unwinding to music on a pair of open-backs, building his dream audiophile gear, or watching Arsenal struggle to keep a clean sheet.

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