Change What The Home Button Does
The Home button on the Apple TV remote was strictly meant as a true Home button, just like that on the iPhone or iPad. However, with the addition of the TV app, users have been able to map the Home button as an actual Home button or as shortcut to the TV app.
Head to Settings > Remotes and Devices, and then select the Home Button option to change what the Home button does.
Continue Setup With Your Ios Device Or Set Up Manually
To automatically add your Apple ID and Wi-Fi settings to your Apple TV, choose Set Up with Device. Then unlock your iOS device, hold it next to your Apple TV, and follow the onscreen steps on your iOS device and Apple TV.
If you dont want to set up your Apple TV with your iOS device, choose Set Up Manually. Then follow the onscreen steps on your Apple TV to connect to your home Wi-Fi network and sign in with your Apple ID.
If you dont have an Apple ID, you can create one. If you forgot your Apple ID, learn what to do.
Use Same Wifi Network
First of all, make sure that your iPhone is connected to the same WiFi network that the Apple TV is connected to:
- On iPhone: Open Settings and tap on Wi-Fi. Check the name of the network that is currently used.
- On Apple TV: Open Settings and go for Network. Does it show the same WiFi network as your iOS device?
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Use iPhone As A Remote
Youre not just limited to using AirPlay to Mirror your Screen, you can also easily control the Apple TV with an iPhone through the Control Centers Remote Feature.
- For iOS 12 or later models and iPadOS 13 or later, the Apple TV controls get activated automatically if it detects that youve established the connections.
- If you dont see the Remote icon in your iOS devices Control Center, youll have to manually add the Apple TV controls to the Control Center by going to Settings > Control Center.
- Under the Customize Control menu, click the + button next to the Apple TV to activate the Apple TV controls on the Control Center.
- Once added, you can swipe up to open the Control Center and click on the remote icon to open up the Apple TV Remote.
- Turn on the Apple TV and connect it to the Internet using an Ethernet Cable.
- You can now configure your Wi-Fi by going to Settings > Network > Wi-Fi and selecting your Wi-Fi network from it.
- Follow the instructions to initialize the setup and enter the four-digit PIN onto your iPhone or iPad to complete the process.
Rearrange And Delete Apps On The Home Screen
Just like on iOS, the Apple TV lets you rearrange apps how you see fit. Just hover over the app you want to move, and then click and hold down the trackpad. The app will begin wiggling, and from there you can swipe on the trackpad to move it to where you want it.
While in this mode, you can also click on the Play/Pause button to bring up more options for the selected app, such as deleting it or moving it into a specific folder.
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Control Your Television With The Apple TV Remote
The Volume buttons on the Apple TV remote dont do anything out of the box. Theyre meant to control the volume of your TV so that you dont have to use a separate remote, but you have to set that up.
Go to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Volume Control, and then use the options there to set it up. We have a great guide that takes you through the whole process.
Furthermore, if your TV supports HDMI-CEC, you can have your TV turn on and off every time you put your Apple TV to sleep. And, we have another great guide for this.
How To Manually Reset An Apple TV Remote
If you have a first-generation Siri Remote, follow these steps:
If you have a second-generation Siri Remote:
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Use A Homepod Or Homepod Mini As Speakers
Anyone with an Apple TV can take a big step up from the usual poor sound quality coming from a TV using something that you might already have around the housea HomePod or HomePod mini.
With an Apple TV, you can use just a single HomePod to get better sound from your movies and TV shows. And with a two of Apple’s smart speakers, you can create an even better stereo pair.
What Is The Apple TV Remote App
This app runs on your iPhone to simulate the experience of using a Siri Remote with a few extra perks. Like the Siri Remote, it offers touch-based navigation, a button for talking to Siri, and play/pause controls. The app isn’t limited to these options, however: can become a simple gamepad, digital keyboard, and video or music scrubber. About the only thing the app can’t do is adjust your Apple TV’s volume.
If you have a second- or third-generation Apple TV, the remote app’s basic functionality will work for you as well, minus a Siri button or two.
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Use A Bluetooth Keyboard:
You might not know, but your Apple TV does come with a remote interface. It has a huge touch area, and you can swipe around for navigation purposes and select the apps and lists on the Apple TV.
For instance, you can use volume buttons for volume control, a menu button can be held for opening the home screen. Also, you can activate Siri by tapping on the Mic button.
To connect to the WiFi, you can use a Bluetooth keyboard. You can connect a Bluetooth keyboard and configure your WiFi connection.
Try These Steps First
If your remote still isn’t working as expected, follow the steps for your type of remote. After each step, see if you still need help.
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Make Quick Effort Of Keyboard Input
While I highly recommend using Siris voice-to-text feature when inputting text on the Apple TV, you can still type things manually. There are also a couple of tricks for making this easier.
If you click the Play/Pause button during keyboard input, it quickly switches between upper and lowercase letters. If you click and hold down on the trackpad, it brings up alternative characters, as well as quick access to the backspace key.
How To Set Up And Use The Apple TV Remote App
If you have an Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K, you’ll likely be familiar with the Siri Remote the company’s slender iPod nano-sized black remote with built-in Siri capabilities and a touchpad. Whether you love or loathe the Siri Remote, however, there’s another option for your Apple TV browsing and gaming needs: Your iPhone.
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How To Use Control Center’s Apple TV Remote In Ios
In iOS 11 and later, it’s possible to add an Apple TV Remote interface to the Control Center that will allow you to quickly navigate and control playback on your 4K Apple TV or fourth-generation Apple TV using your iPhone or iPad. It’s a great solution if you just can’t get on with Apple’s Siri Remote, and doesn’t require you to install an app. In this article, we’ll show you how to set up the Apple TV Remote on your iOS device and explain how to use it once you’ve done so.
Before continuing, make sure that your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is updated to the latest version of iOS: Open the Settings app, tap General -> About, and look for the version number. If you need to update, tap back to Settings, select Software Update, and follow the onscreen instructions, then meet us back here when installation is complete.
Easy Smart Home Interaction And Control
The Apple TV is a critical part of any Apple-centered smart home. Most importantly, the Apple TV acts as a Home Hub that will allow you to interact and control HomeKit accessories with Siri and the Home app when away from home.
But when youre on the couch, the Apple TV itself also offers a great way to control all of your smart home devices. One of the best ways to control locks, lights, and more is with just a Siri command just like on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.
Using the Control Center on the Apple TV, you can select the Home tab. There, you can see a live video feed from a security camera and even run a favorite HomeKit scene.
When viewing a camera feed, you can even control accessories in the same room.
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Move The Remote Closer To The Apple TV
First things first: Make sure your Apple TV and its remote are within connection range. The Siri Remote communicates with compatible Apple TV devices via Bluetooth 5.0works best within a 40-meter connection range. The Bluetooth 4.0-powered 1st-generation Siri Remote has a maximum connection range of 10 meters.
The white and aluminum Apple Remotes with removable batteries have a shorter connection range because they use IR transmitters.
Move your Apple Remote or Siri Remote closer to the Apple TV and ensure the distance apart doesnt exceed their respective connection ranges.
We should also mention that electronic devices, appliances, or furniture may block remote signals from your Apple TV remote. For instance, someone in this Apple Community forum resolved input lag issues by moving his Apple TV a few inches away from a surge protector. The surge protector was interfering with the Bluetooth signal from the Siri Remote.
Dont hide your Apple TV box behind a concrete wall, TV, or TV console. Likewise, ensure your remote has a clear line of sight to the Apple TV.
How To Set Up The Apple TV Remote App
Before you do anything else, make sure you’re on the same Wi-Fi network as the Apple TV you wish to control.
Tap the Add Apple TV button.
Enter the pairing code displayed on your Apple TV.
With that, you’re all set. You can use your iPhone to control your friend’s Apple TV, or set up a secondary iPhone or iPad to do the same.
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The 8 Best Apple TV Features
If you’re in the market for an Apple TV, here are some of the streaming device’s standout features to consider.
If youre firmly entrenched in the Apple ecosystem and are looking to cut the costly cable cord, the Apple TV is a great choice.
While more expensive than other options, Apples streaming box brings a number of advantages to your living room.
Were highlighting some of the best features of the Apple TV.
How To Reset Your Siri Remote
If your Siri Remote has become unresponsive or glitchy, you can reset and re-pair it with your Apple TV.
You’ll see a message pop up in the top-right corner of your TV telling you that the remote is paired or pairing.
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How To Control TV Volume With The Apple TV
This requires the 4th Gen Apple TV and Siri Remote or later. Start by connecting your Apple TV to your TV via HDMI. Your Apple TV should automatically detect the type of TV you have and configure the remote to work right away.
If it doesnt, go to Settings on your Apple TV and choose Remotes and Devices.
Then, go to Volume Control.
It should be set to Auto via IR . If its not, set it to that and give it a whirl. If it is already, then select Learn New Device
The AppleTV will walk you through the rest of the setup steps.
Once you have it set up, keep in mind that the Apple TV volume control uses infrared to communicate. So, unlike the Apple TV itself, which uses Bluetooth and WiFi, youll need to have a line of sight with your TV and the Apple TV remote to control volume.
How To Rename Reconfigure And Remove Your Ir Remote
If there are any hiccups in the functionality, feel free to return to Settings > Remotes and Devices where the remote, with the profile name you provided, will be listed under Learned Remotes. There, you can rename it, run through the basic and advanced button configuration to iron out any playback issues, and delete the profile if you no longer need it or get a new remote control.
Thats all there is to it. By investing a few minutes of time you can program any IR-based remote to control your Apple TV.
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iPhone Not Connecting To Apple TV
This issue has been reported by Trisha:
iPhone Apple TV remote app not working. Stuck on connecting. What can I do?
Ive also found similar reports on Reddit:
Anybody having issues with iPhone refusing to connect to Apple TV or just straight up failing to recognize its there?
While some of the complains come from users running iOS 15.2 beta versions on their devices, others confirm the same issue occurring on the public iOS 15.1.1 release.
Configure A Universal Remote
Not interested in buying a replacement Apple Remote? You can control your Apple TV with almost any existing infrared remote control. The only catch is that youll need a working Apple Remote, iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to get you into the Apple TV settings.
Heres where to add a third-party remote:
Step 1: Select and press down on the Touch Surface to open the Settings app.
Step 2: Select Remotes and Devices.
Step 3: Select Learn Remote.
Step 4: Select Start to begin and follow the on-screen instructions.
If you own a Logitech Harmony universal remote, you can even download the remote codes for your Apple TV without needing to use the Learn Remote function.
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How To Sign In To Cable TV & Apps Like Directv
If you’re paying for cable or an app like DirecTV, Hulu, or Sling you’ll need to go through a few steps to access that content on your new Apple TV. You’ll only be able to sign in with one provider at a time on your Apple TV. To begin:
- Navigate to Settings, then Accounts, then TV Provider, then Sign In.
- From here you’ll be able to search for your cable provider or streaming tv service.
- Once you find your provider and select it, choose the email you used when you signed up for your cable or streaming subscription if the email address isn’t there, select Enter New and enter the email address.
- Now you’ll be prompted to enter your password, then select Sign In.
- You’ll need to repeat this process for each cable or streaming provider you’re subscribed to.
If the cable provider you’ve chosen supports Apple’s single sign-on program , you can automatically access apps for channels provided in your cable package. Be sure to look for your cable provider’s app in the App Store as well there may be on-demand or live event features offered.
Follow this link to find a list of cable providers who support single sign-on and this link for a list of apps that support the feature.
If your cable or streaming service doesn’t support single sign-on, you won’t have to search for your provider each time you want to watch their content, but you will need to log in to each app for affiliated channels.
Add The Apple TV Remote To Control Center
- If you have the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, the Apple TV Remote is automatically added to Control Center.
- If you have an earlier version of iOS, manually add the Apple TV Remote to Control Center. Go to Settings > Control Center, and tap Add next to Apple TV Remote.
To use the Apple TV Remote with an AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV, add your smart TV to the Home app and assign it to a room.
The Apple TV Remote in Control Center works with Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, Apple TV , and AirPlay 2-compatible smart TVs only.
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