Why Is My Apple TV Remote Not Working? – Reasons & Fixes

It is common to find “Apple TV remote not working?” even though your Apple TV remote is worthy to rely on. The Apple TV has moved on to Siri remote after the 4th generation model, which was released in 2015. Hence, you may find this article helpful in solving Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD issues.

Before starting to reset Siri remote, you can try to plug it in with a lightning cable to check the battery life of the remote. If the remote is non-responding, we suggest unplugging the TV from your wall, holding on for a few seconds, and then again plugging in. If the problem still exists, you can go for other alternative options to fix “Why is my Apple TV remote not working?”

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What Is The Reason Behind My Apple Tv Remote Not Working?

Generally, battery or connection problems are the primary cause of Apple TV remote not working. Weaken battery and technical glitches in your remote is the leading cause of the Apple TV remote not working correctly. If your remote does not cooperate with Apple TV, the signals are blocked from the remote to the TV. Also, the major problem is the remote’s hardware failure, leading to an Apple TV remote not working. 

Here are the 9 solutions to rectify your Apple TV remote not working:

#1. Charge The Battery

The sheltered life of the Apple TV will last for months when it is charged fully. You will be notified to recharge your battery when its level declines below 20%. Physical damages or a complete drain in the battery level may cause your Apple TV remote not working.

Before recharging your Apple TV remote control, check the battery level. If the battery is too low, use a cable or insert the new battery. You can examine it by pairing your Apple TV with iPhone,iPad, or iPod touch and track the battery status.

Here are the steps for viewing the remote’s battery status on your device:

• Open Control center
• Click the “Apple TV remote icon.”
• Wait for a few seconds to find your Apple TV
• Select “Apple TV” from the drop-down menu and tap “Choose TV.”
• After this step, move to the “Settings” option
• Choose “Remote and Devices” → “remote” on your Apple TV
• Now, examine the “Remote’s battery level.”

Using the lightning cable, charge the Apple Siri remote for at least 30 minutes. The charging cable should be a verified Apple cable or the one with Apple TV. If you are using other cables, it doesn’t charge your device and damages the remote or batteries. 

If your Apple TV remote is designed with a removable battery, replace the old/dead batteries with new ones. You can see the battery compartment at the bottom or backside of your TV remote.  

#2. Restart Your Remote

If you have observed the Apple TV remote not working, try resetting your remote. The process for resetting Siri’s first and second-generation remote are more similar.

You can reset your Apple TV remote by the following steps: 

• Simultaneously press and hold the “TV and Volume down” button for 5 seconds in your Apple TV box 
• The status light will blink on and off. It is seen on the front of the box 
• When the remote is resetting, your TV notifies you with a “Connection lost” message
• Release those buttons and wait for 10 seconds
• After resetting the remote, your TV prompts the connection notification for using your remote

#3. Restart Apple TV

Power cycling your Apple TV is an effective way to make your remote work properly. Unplug the power cord of your Apple TV from its outlet and hold for a minimum of 10 seconds. Plug the battery into the outlet again and recheck your remote’s functionality.

Remove the power cord from the power outlet to restart your Apple TV. Wait a minute and again plug the power cord back into the outlet. Now, check if your TV remote responds to the device correctly.

#4. Move Closer To Apple TV

When your Apple TV remote is not working, ensure that your Apple TV and its remote should be in a specific range. You can connect the Apple TV through Bluetooth 5.0 and initiate communication with the Siri remote (2nd generation). The maximum connection range is about 10 meters for Siri’s remote Bluetooth 4.0 powered 1st generation.

IR transmitters (Infrared transmitters) are used for white and aluminum Apple remotes with removable batteries. It results in a shorter connectivity range of 5-6 meters between your Apple TV and remote. Therefore, ensure that any furniture, electronic device, or appliance, blocks the Apple TV remote signals. Also, try to operate the remote and TV within the range of connectivity.

#5. Use Siri Trick

To bring back the remote’s response, we have tried an alternative way by using Siri. As it is a virtual assistant that uses voice query and control by gestures, it would be an easy technique to make your Apple TV remote work. Follow the simple ways of using Siri. 

• On your remote, press and hold the Siri button
• Ask a random question to your Siri
• Now release the buttons
• Your Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K detects and responds to the question
• Close “Siri” by pressing the back or TV/Control center button

#6. Using Shielded HDMI Cable

Wifi networks and Bluetooth remote signals interfere with your Apple TV 4K if you use an unshielded cable. In such a case, you can switch to a high-speed shielded HDMI cable to fix your Apple TV remote and wifi connectivity problems. 

#7. Update TV

Verify your updates on your Apple TV OS so that it can control connectivity issues, slight lag, and specific app malfunctions on your Apple TV. On your iOS device control center, open “Apple TV remote” and follow these simple steps

• Tap “Settings” app
• Move to “System”
• Choose “Software updates.”
• Then, click “Update software.”
• Wait for a few seconds and allow the Apple TV to check for tvOS update
• If there are any updates available on your device, download and install it
• While updating your device, don’t turn off or unplug your Apple TV

#8. Pairing The Apple TV And Remote

If your Apple TV remote not working, seek ways to unpair and pair the remote again to your TV. Usually, your Apple remote connects automatically with your Apple TV, but when your remote shows no response, you have to connect the TV with your remote manually.

Here are the two different methods for connecting your remote to the Apple TV.

Link Apple TV To Siri Remote

Pair your Siri remote or Siri supporting Apple TV remote on the device by the following steps:

• Navigate the Siri remote near your Apple TV. It should be placed at a distance of 3 to 4 inches (8-10 cm)
• Locate the remote on your Apple TV box (if possible)
• Long press to hold the “Back and Volume up” buttons for 5-10 seconds
• On your 1st generation Siri remote, press to hold the “Menu and Volume Up” buttons
• When your screen successfully shows that the Siri remote is paired, you can release those buttons

Link Apple Remote To Apple TV

When your Apple remote (aluminum or white) doesn’t support the Siri feature, follow the steps to pair your remote with Apple TV

• Click and hold the “Menu and left” button for a moment. It disconnects your remote from Apple TV
• When you notice “Broken chain image above remote control icon,” you can release those buttons
• Now, click and hold the “Menu and right” button on the remote for a couple of seconds
• When you notice “Linked chain image above a remote control icon” on your TV, release those buttons

Conclusion

We hope this blog explains the reasons and solutions for “Why isn’t my Apple TV remote working?” You can try those tips to solve your Apple TV remote not working. Your remote might be fully or partially damaged if it doesn’t solve. In such cases, buying a new Apple TV remote control is suggested to enjoy your streaming experiences!