By Jonny Evans
Apple TV Expert
Did you know the average TV viewer will spend over two weeks looking for lost remote controls during their lives?
The biggest flaw your sophisticated Apple TV Siri Remote shares with any other remote control is that it might also get lost from time to time. It could be:
- Trapped under the sofa
- Down the back of the chair
- Accidentally left hidden behind that book
- Perhaps it fell in the trashcan?
- Perhaps it got chewed or hidden by the dog?
Whatever the cause, what should you do when your Apple TV remote has been broken, become lost, perhaps never to be found again?
You already know you’ll probably need to cough up the cash for a replacement unit eventually, but finding the funds ($79)
or even the time to sort this out may take a while, so what should you
do today to prepare yourself for losing your Remote tomorrow? Because
most of the solutions you can use in the event of losing your Siri
remote need to be put in place while you’ve still got the controller
around!
Use The Remote App
If you use an Apple TV
there’s a good chance you also use an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, all
of which can run the free Remote app. So long as both devices are on the
same Wi-Fi network you can use the app to control your Apple TV. Once
you’ve installed the app on your iOS device you should tap the Setup
Home Sharing button and enter your Apple ID and password.
Your Apple TV should appear listed in the app
If it does not appear, then you should check on your Mac or PC to make sure Home Sharing is turned on in iTunes (File>Home Sharing>Turn On Home Sharing).
Use an Old TV or DVD Remote
Apart from the loss of Siri and
touch sensitivity, one snag with using another TV or DVD remote to
control your Apple TV when you lose your official remote control is that
you will need to set this up before such loss takes place. Given that
everyone loses the remote from time to time it may make sense to plan
ahead now for such an event and program your old remote control before
things go awry.
To set up an old TV or DVD remote you should open Settings>General>Remotes& Devices>Learn Remote on
your Apple TV. Hit the Start button and you’ll be walked through the
process of setting your older control up – don’t forget to choose an
unused device setting before you start.
Your Apple TV will then let you assign six buttons to control your TV: Up, Down, Left, Right, Select and Menu.
Give your Remote a name. Now you can also map additional controls such as fast forward and rewind.
Use an Older Apple TV Remote
If
you own one, you can also use an older silver grey Apple Remote to
control your Apple TV 4. That’s because the box includes an infrared
(IR) sensor that works with the old Apple TV remote. To pair your Apple
Remote with your Apple TV go to Settings > General > Remotes and
then, using the silver-grey remote you want to use click on Pair
Remote. You’ll see a small progress icon at top right of the display.
Use Your Gaming Controller
If you play games on Apple TV it’s likely you already own a gaming controller – it’s the best way to unlock gaming on the platform.
To connect a third-party games controller you’ll need to use Bluetooth 4.1:
- Turn the controller on
- Press and hold its Bluetooth button
- Open Settings>Remotes & Devices>Bluetooth on Apple TV.
- Your game controller should appear in the list.
- Click it and the two devices should pair.
Use a Bluetooth Keyboard
You can use the same pairing sequence as above to connect a Bluetooth keyboard
to your Apple TV. Once you’ve created a link between the two devices
you’ll be able to naviate the Apple TV menus, pause and restart playback
and flip between apps and pages using the keyboard, though you won’t
enjoy access to Siri (but typing will be a lot easier than the on-screen
virtual keyboard).
Use Your Apple Watch
You can also use Apple Watch as an Apple TV controller using the set-up instructions previously published here.
This will let you swipe around the watch display to navigate the Apple
TV screen, play and pause content and more, but does not provide Siri
support.
Set Up a New Siri Remote
Eventually
you’ll probably bite the bullet and invest in a replacement Siri
Remote. When it arrives it should automatically pair with Apple TV, but
if its battery dies or you need to pair a new remote you’ll need to
follow these steps:
When you first click a button on the new Siri
Remote you should see a dialog box appear in the upper right corner of
the screen. This will tell you one of two things:
- Remote Paired: You should be able to use your new remote straight away
- Pairing Remote: You may be asked to bring your new Siri Remote closer to your Apple TV for pairing to proceed.
If
neither of these appears you should connect your new Siri Remote to
power for some time (perhaps an hour) and then try again. If that
doesn’t work simultaneously press the Menu and Volume Up buttons on the
Remote for three seconds, it should reset and return to pairing mode.
