How to Fix If Apple TV Not Responding to Remote?

How to Fix If Apple TV Not Responding to Remote?.

When you turn on your Apple TV, the remote should connect automatically after 3-5 seconds. If it doesn’t, keep pressing the power button until the “Remote connection” notification appears on the screen.

If your Apple TV is not responding to remote inputs, the following troubleshooting tips will help get your remote working again.

1. Move the Remote Closer to the Apple TV

First things first: make sure your Apple TV and its remote control are within range of the connection. The Siri Remote (2nd generation) communicates with compatible Apple TV devices via Bluetooth 5.0 – works best within a 40-meter connection range. Siri Remote Gen 1 with Bluetooth 4.0 has a maximum range of 10 meters.

White and aluminum Apple Remotes with removable batteries have a shorter range (5-6 meters) because they use IR transmitters.

Move your Apple Remote or Siri Remote closer to your Apple TV and make sure they are within their respective connection ranges.

We should also mention that electronic devices, appliances, or furniture can block remote signals from your Apple TV remote. For example, someone on this Apple community forum solved input lag issues by moving their Apple TV a few inches away from the surge protector. A network filter was interfering with the Bluetooth signal from the Siri Remote.

Don’t hide your Apple TV behind a concrete wall, TV, or set-top box. Similarly, make sure your remote is in line of sight with your Apple TV.

2. Use a Shielded HDMI Cable

Using an unshielded or poorly shielded cable with your Apple TV 4K can interfere with Wi-Fi networks and remote Bluetooth signals. Switching to Apple’s shielded high-speed HDMI cable can fix Apple TV remote lag issues and Wi-Fi connectivity issues. It worked magic for many Apple TV 4K users on this Apple community forum.

3. Use the Siri Trick

Another trick we found (on this Reddit thread) is to use Siri to bring an unresponsive Siri Remote back to life.

Press and hold the Siri button on the remote control, ask Siri a random question, and then release the Siri button.

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Your Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K should now detect and respond to your remote. Press the back button or the TV/Control Center button to close Siri.

4. Charge the Remote

The Apple TV remote should last several months on a full charge. You will be notified to charge the remote when the battery level drops below 20%. Your Apple TV won’t detect or respond to keystrokes if the remote’s battery is low or damaged.

Before charging the built-in battery or installing a new battery, check the battery level of the remote control. If your Apple TV is paired with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, use the Apple TV Remote app in Control Center to check the battery status of the remote.

Open Control Center, tap the Apple TV Remote icon, and wait for the app to automatically detect your Apple TV. Otherwise, tap the “Select TV” drop-down menu and select your Apple TV.

Then go to Settings > Remotes & Devices > Remote on your Apple TV and check the “Battery Level” on the remote.

If your Apple TV uses the Siri Remote, charge it for at least 30 minutes using the USB-to-Lightning cable. Then disconnect the remote from the charger and press the power button.

Use an original Apple certified cable, preferably the USB cable that came with your Apple TV.

Fake or counterfeit cables cannot charge the remote control. Even worse, it can damage the remote or its batteries.

For Apple Remotes with a removable battery, remove and replace the old/depleted battery. You’ll find the battery compartment on the bottom or back of the Apple Remote.

For detailed instructions, see Apple’s official guide to replacing the Apple Remote battery. Contact Apple Support or visit your nearest Apple Store for technical assistance.

5. Restart the Remote

Keep your Apple TV on, make sure the remote is charged, and follow these steps:

Press and hold the Control Center/TV button and the Volume Down button together for at least five seconds. Keep an eye on the Apple TV status light as you do this.Release the buttons when the Apple TV status light starts flashing. You should see a “Lost remote connection” notification appear in the upper right corner of your Apple TV screen.

After about 5-10 seconds, the “Remote connection” message should reappear in the same location.

6. Reconnect the Apple TV and Remote

If your Apple TV is still not responding to remote input, unplug the remote and plug it back in from scratch.

Reconnect Siri Remote to Apple TV

Here’s how to connect your Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote with Siri back to your Apple TV:

Bring the Siri Remote closer than 8 to 10 cm (8 to 10 cm) to your Apple TV. If possible, place the remote on the Apple TV. Press and hold the Back and Volume Up buttons for at least five seconds. On the 1st generation Siri Remote, press and hold the menu button and volume up button instead.

Release both buttons when the Siri Remote pairing message appears on the screen. Reconnect Apple Remote to Apple TV

If your Apple Remote (aluminum or white) doesn’t support Siri, here’s how to reconnect it to your Apple TV:

Press and hold the Menu button and the Left button for at least six seconds. This will disconnect or disable the remote from the Apple TV.

Release both buttons when the Apple TV displays a broken chain icon over the remote control icon.Press and hold the Menu button and the Right button on the remote for at least six seconds.

Release the buttons when you see the linked chain icon above the remote control icon on the TV.

7. Restart Your Apple TV

Turn your Apple TV off and on again if your streaming device still doesn’t respond to remote inputs after you’ve tried every possible troubleshooting solution.

Unplug the Apple TV power cord from the wall outlet and wait at least six seconds. Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet and see if your remote responds quickly.

8. Update Apple TV

Updating tvOS can resolve performance issues such as connectivity issues, remote input lag, and app crashes on Apple TV. Open the Apple TV Remote in your iOS device’s Control Center and do the following:

Open the Settings app and select System > Software Updates > Update Software. Wait a few seconds while your Apple TV checks for new tvOS updates. Select Download and Install to continue.

Don’t turn off or unplug your Apple TV during an update. Also, check out our guide to updating tvOS on Apple TV for more on the do’s and don’ts. You’ll also find troubleshooting solutions for potential issues you may encounter when updating tvOS.

Time for a New Remote

If your Apple TV is still not responding to it, the remote is partially or completely damaged. You can buy a new Apple TV remote from Amazon or the Apple website. The Siri Remote is $59 and the regular Apple Remote is $19.