Pairing and Unpairing the Apple Remote with Apple TV
Summary
The Apple Remote works with the built-in IR receiver on Apple TV. You can set Apple TV to work only with the included remote by pairing Apple TV and the remote. (By default, the included remote comes unpaired.)
Why pair the included remote with Apple TV?
Pairing Apple TV and the remote, ensures that Apple TV will be controlled by only one remote. (For example, maybe you have one or more IR-capable devices in the same room, and Apple TV would respond to multiple remotes.)
Products Affected
Apple TV
To pair Apple TV with the included remote
- Choose Settings > General > Remotes from the Apple TV main menu.
- Choose Pair Apple Remote.
You can also press and hold the Menu and Next/Fast-forward buttons for 6 seconds to pair Apple TV and the remote.
When you’ve successfully paired your Apple Remote, Apple TV displays a chainlink (
) symbol above a picture of a remote in the setting menu. Apple TV now works only with the paired remote.
Why would I need to unpair Apple TV and my remote?
If you lose the Apple Remote that you paired with Apple TV, a replacement remote will not work until you unpair Apple TV from the lost remote. You can use any Apple Remote to unpair Apple TV from the lost remote by pressing and holding the Menu and Previous/Rewind buttons for 6 seconds.
To unpair Apple TV with a previously paired remote
- Choose Settings > General > Remotes from the Apple TV main menu.
- Choose Unpair Apple Remote.
When you’ve successfully unpaired the lost remote, Apple TV displays a broken chainlink (
) symbol above a picture of a remote. You can now pair Apple TV with a new remote.
Additional Information
See these articles for more information:
Plus and minus on Apple Remote do not control Apple TV volume
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