How to Fix Apple TV Remote not Working

This article is directed to all Apple TV users who are struggling to provide solutions to their Apple TV remote not working. Apart from the fact that the Apple TV across all generations is one of the most expensive Smart TV when you check out the Smart TV price chart in your local store.

It’s probably not going to be news if you are told that the Apple TV remote will be among one of the few most expensive smart TV remotes. So, if the remote stop working when you are not ready for a change, it is a wise decision to check out how to repair or fix your Apple TV remote instead of dipping your hands into your savings to buy a replacement remote.

Before your Apple TV remote will stop working or stop responding you will probably notice some strange change in the TV remote such as the TV not taking command from the TV remote, pressing the remote buttons with all your energy before the receiver [TV] will respond to the command.

If it has gotten to a point that the Apple TV remote no longer respond whenever you press any of the buttons or the remote light does not come up when you click on the remote button, then, this article will help you through with the step to take to restore your Apple TV remote to its working state without buying a new remote.

If you have a Firestick and you would love to know how you can pair a new remote with it when the old one is still paired do check out this article.

How to Fix Apple TV Remote not Working

Here, we are going to discuss various approaches that you can take to fix your Apple TV remote not working whether the Apple TV remote is a Siri remote that is chargeable or the normal Apple TV remote that uses battery.

Apple TV Remote not Working

Check your Apple TV Remote Battery

Have you checked your Apple TV remote battery? The first thing to do whenever your TV remote is not working, especially, Apple TV is to check the battery. Therefore, we are going to take you through the first step to take to fix the Apple TV remote not working by checking your Apple TV remote battery.

  • Turn on your Apple TV.
  • Open the TV “Settings.”
  • Scroll down to and select “Remote and Devices” under “Settings.”
  • Under this option, you will see information about your Apple TV remote battery whether it’s full or not.
  • Click on the “Remote” option to get to see the information about the battery

This should give you a premonition about the state of your Apple TV remote battery. If the battery percentage is low, your remote will probably not work but if the percentage is reasonable enough and the remote is still not working, then, the reason why the remote is not working is not about the battery.

Charge Or Replace your Apple TV Battery

The first precaution to take when you want to fix your Apple TV remote not working lead to this. If the battery is low then you need to charge the battery if the remote is a Siri remote. But, if the battery is a mere Apple TV remote, then you need to change the battery.

If your Apple TV is either the Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, then, your TV remote will be chargeable. Therefore, we will walk you through both approaches here.

How to Charge Apple TV Siri Remote

Follow the steps below to learn how to charge your Apple TV Siri remote if the battery is low and the battery is not working or responding as expected.

  • Connect one end of the Siri remote charger Lightning cable to the Lightning port on the bottom of the Siri Remote.
  • Connect the other end of the Siri remote charger to a computer USB port or to an Apple USB power adapter or other devices with a USB port that can be used to charge the remote.

Once the charging has been completed, point the remote to the Apple TV with the Siri remote and see whether the remote will function perfectly.

How to Change Apple TV Batteries

For a non-Apple TV Siri remote, you need battery replacement if your Apple TV remote not working is what you are trying to fix. Although most Apple TV models come with a Siri remote, if you are using the old model with the option to replace the Apple TV remote battery here is what you should do.

To do this, you only need to interact with the remote casing, remove the batteries and fix another set of batteries. And here is how to replace your remote batteries if you find it difficult to do.

  • Use a metallic object such as a coin to turn the batteries in a counterclockwise direction.
  • Remote the battery. For a white Apple TV remote, the battery is located at the bottom.
  • To slide the battery out of the battery tray, use a paper clip to press the battery release button or a similar object to remove the battery from the tray lock.
  • Meanwhile, when replacing your Apple TV battery, you want to take note of the battery model. But in some cases, you can replace the aluminium remote battery with a CR2032 or BR2032 lithium 3V coin battery. Meanwhile, always ensure that your Apple TV remote battery is replaced with a new battery.
  • In your white Apple TV remote you will find the CR2032 battery model.

Once you have replaced the Apple TV remote battery, confirm whether the remote not working has been fixed or the not responding error you are getting on the device is now fixed.

Reset your Apple TV Remote

Another option you want to consider when your Apple TV remote is not working is to reset the TV remote. Although this will override your preconfigured Apple TV at the same time, it can help you figure and fix the error your Apple TV is undergoing.

Meanwhile, there are various approaches you take to reset your Apple TV remote. So, here we will visit each of the known methods to see whether the Apple TV remote problem will be fixed.

Power Cycle your Apple TV

This is probably the easiest approach to soft reset both your Apple TV and the remote. The TV soft reset approach won’t affect your personalizations rather it reset the device to default without deleting personal pre-configuration.

  • Unplug your Apple TV plug from the power outlet.
  • Hang on for about 10 to 30 seconds.
  • Plug the TV into the power outlet again.
  • Turn on the Apple TV.

Once the TV is on, confirm whether the remote is working perfectly or not.

Reset your Apple TV Siri Remote First-Gen.

The steps below work to reset the Apple TV Siri remote first-generation. So, if you have one, follow the steps below.

  • Press and hold the Apple TV Siri remote “Menu” & “Volume Up” buttons at the same time.
  • After about 3 to 6 seconds, a pop up will appear on the Apple TV screen.
  • To pair the Siri remote, move the remote closer to the Apple TV pair remote.

This should reset the Apple TV Siri remote first-generation not working. Although, the second generation has a different approach.

Reset Apple TV Siri Remote Second-Gen

To reset and repair your Apple TV Siri remote second generation when the TV remote is not working is discussed below.

  • Press and hold the “Left” and “Menu” buttons together.
  • A pop up appears on your TV screen showing a remote with two angled ovals.
  • Once the pop up has appeared, release the left button press the “Right and “Menu” buttons instead simultaneously.
  • Release the buttons once the remote is pairing. To confirm this, the angled ovals will overlap.

With this, the Apple TV Siri remote will be reset and repaired. Now, you can point the remote to the TV to send a command to the TV to know whether the remote is working or not.

Turn your iPad/iPhone into your TV Remote

If you haven’t set up the Home Sharing on your Apple TV and your iPhone or iPad are not on the same Wi-Fi this might not work for you. However, if both the Apple TV and your iPhone/iPad are on the same Wi-Fi and you have set up “Home Shared” then you learn how to turn your iPhone/iPad into your Apple TV remote.

  • Download and install the Apple TV remote app on your iPhone/iPad.
  • Connect your iPhone/iPad and Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi.
  • Power on your Apple TV.
  • Go to the “TV Settings”
  • Scroll to and select “General.”
  • Select “Remote” and choose “Remote App.”
  • Type the Apple ID  and Password that you are using for your Home Sharing.
  • Launch the Apple TV Remote app on your iDevice [iPhone/iPad].
  • Go to “Settings >> Apple TV.”
  • Done.

Just after a few moments, the Apple TV will pair with your iPhone/iPad and the remote app on your iDevice can hence be used to control your Apple TV if the TV remote is still not working.

With this guide, you should be comfortable enough to fix the Apple TV remote not working. 

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