When you set up a new Apple TV and power up the set-top box, the Apple Remote that comes in the box should pair automatically as soon as you press one of the buttons. If the Apple Remote stops working, it's probably out of juice and needs charging for 30 minutes via a USB to Lightning cable connected to a USB outlet.

apple tv siri remote charging
But if that doesn't fix the problem, your best bet is to re-pair the device with your Apple TV. This article shows you how. The following instructions will also come in useful if you need to pair a new replacement Apple Remote in the event that the one that came with your Apple TV stops working completely or is damaged beyond repair.

In addition, at the end of this article we've included a quick tip for pairing your Mac with an Apple TV Remote, for controlling things like iTunes, VLC, and Keynote.

How to Pair an Apple Remote with Apple TV

  1. Make sure your Apple TV is powered on.
  2. Point the Apple Remote three inches away from the set-top box, then press and hold the remote's Menu and Volume Up buttons for five seconds.
    apple tv remote pair

  3. If you see a notification on your television screen asking you to bring the Apple Remote closer, place the Remote on top of the Apple TV.
  4. If you don't see Remote connected notification on the television screen, unplug your Apple TV from the wall power outlet, wait at least six seconds, then plug it back in.
  5. If necessary, repeat steps 1 to 3.

How to Control Your Mac With an Apple Remote.

Apple used to include a small white or silver infrared remote control with some Macs, which allowed Mac users to control things like Keynote presentations and iTunes media from afar.
apple tv remotes first second gen
When newer Macs no longer included an IR receiver (indicated by a black line of the front edge of the body) Apple stopped including these remotes, but Apple TV owners can optionally use their Apple TV Remote to control their Mac, thanks to a free third-party Bluetooth macOS utility called SiriMote by Eternal Storms Software.

SiriMote isn't available in the App Store, but you can download it directly from the Eternal Storms website [Direct Link]. After downloading SiriMote, drag it from your Downloads folder to your Applications folder, then launch the app and follow the onscreen instructions to pair your Apple Remote with your Mac.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

iapplelove Avatar
64 months ago
I would buy an Apple TV in a heartbeat, if the remote was actually decent.
I just use my phone.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Juicy Box Avatar
64 months ago
No.

I came to that conclusion based on your posts. You hate everything.
You must of missed this one, it was right under the one you quoted:

This is true, the Apple TV can use just about any IR remote using the Remote Learning feature that a lot of people do not know about.

The Remote Learning feature has been around for over a decade, but many people, including long time ATV users did not know it was there.

It is in the settings, and the Remote Learning feature is really easy to use, and takes less than 30 seconds to do.

Also, I have not found a IR remote that would not work with it. I was even able to use my space heater IR remote and my Roomba remote to control an ATV.
It doesn't look like I stated I hated the Remote Learning feature, actually it would seem I quite like it. Looks like you are wrong about me.

Never had to "learn" or program anything, it just worked from day 1.
This is a great solution if everything is compatible. I have a series 6 TCL that it doesn't work.

One good thing about the Remote Learning feature is that you can use any IR remote, including old universal remotes that have all the playback buttons that most modern remotes do not have, like Skip, Step, FF, RW.... It makes it very useful when watching videos.

One thing that it obviously does not do for older remotes, but might for modern universal remotes with a Mic is do Siri. Does anyone know if this works?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iapplelove Avatar
64 months ago
You came to that conclusion because I prefer physical buttons over a touch screen?
No.

I came to that conclusion based on your posts. You hate everything.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
martyjmclean Avatar
64 months ago
I would buy an Apple TV in a heartbeat, if the remote was actually decent.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Juicy Box Avatar
64 months ago
Well, the black line was only on certain laptops (unibody aluminium MacBooks and Pros, and on the first Air body style). Non-unibody MacBooks has a pill shaped one and non-unibody MacBook Pros as well as Mac minis had round ones. iMacs had them hidden in the Apple logos. The silver remotes were never included with any Mac (though they were designed to match the new iMacs released at the same time (the first 21 and 27 inch models in 2009). The white remotes were indeed included with some Macs (starting with late 2005 iMac G5 with iSight camera). The remote was also designed to match it, and could magnetically stick to the side. The remote was subsequently also included with all Macs that had IR ports until they were no longer included with early 2008 models (or possibly even some late 2007 models).
Thanks, I was wondering what Macs had IR. It looks like more than I thought.
[doublepost=1545235646][/doublepost]
[doublepost=1545211978][/doublepost]how can you say, he hates everything. ('https://wiseshopping.in/semi-automatic-washing-machine/')
I am not sure how @iapplelove came to this conclusion, I guess they took a peek at my posting history.

Although, I am sure that for every post of mine stating my dislike for something, there is one or more post about something that I enjoy.

Maybe it was just a knee jerk reaction to someone disliking something that they like.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

M3 Chip Apple Event Slide

First Benchmark Results Surface for M3 Chip in New Macs

Wednesday November 1, 2023 7:53 am PDT by
The first benchmark results for the standard M3 chip surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database today, providing a closer look at the chip's CPU performance improvements. Based on the results so far, the M3 chip has single-core and multi-core scores of around 3,000 and 11,700, respectively. The standard M2 chip has single-core and multi-core scores of around 2,600 and 9,700, respectively, so the...
iOS 17

Apple Preparing to Release iOS 17.1.1 Update for iPhone

Thursday November 2, 2023 1:22 pm PDT by
Apple appears to be internally testing an iOS 17.1.1 update for the iPhone, based on evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs this week. iOS 17.1.1 will almost certainly be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues the update will address. The update could include the same fix for Wi-Fi connectivity issues that Apple rolled out in the first iOS 17.2 beta,...
m3 pro chip

Apple M3 Pro Chip Has 25% Less Memory Bandwidth Than M1/M2 Pro

Tuesday October 31, 2023 3:11 am PDT by
Apple's latest M3 Pro chip in the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro has 25% less memory bandwidth than the M1 Pro and M2 Pro chips used in equivalent models from the two previous generations. Based on the latest 3-nanometer technology and featuring all-new GPU architecture, the M3 series of chips is said to represent the fastest and most power-efficient evolution of Apple silicon thus far. ...
AitTag New Firmware

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirTags

Tuesday October 31, 2023 11:26 am PDT by
Apple today released a new firmware update designed for the AirTag item trackers. The firmware features a build number of 2A61, up from the 2A36 firmware that came out last December. It has been nearly a year since Apple updated the firmware on the AirTags, and there is no word yet on what might be included in the update. Today's firmware release will be rolling out on a staggered basis....
M3 Max Chip

M3 Max Chip Around as Fast as M2 Ultra in Early Benchmark Results

Wednesday November 1, 2023 7:27 pm PDT by
The first benchmark results for Apple's M3 Max chip surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database today, providing a look at CPU performance. Based on the "Mac15,9" model identifier shown, the results appear to be for the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. The highest multi-core score for the M3 Max with a 16-core CPU is currently 21,084 as of writing. If this early result is accurate, this means the M3 Max is ...
10 New Features With iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Coming Later This Year With These 10 New Features for iPhone

Friday November 3, 2023 1:23 pm PDT by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers and public beta testers last week, and the software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we have highlighted 10 of these new features and changes. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in December. Once available, the update can be installed in the Settings app under General → Software...
Pro Display XDR Red

Macs With M3 Chip Still Officially Support Only a Single External Display

Thursday November 2, 2023 7:41 am PDT by
Macs equipped with the standard M3 chip still support only one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz, according to Apple's tech specs. So far, the chip is available in the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 24-inch iMac. This limitation has existed since the first Apple silicon Macs with the M1 chip were released in 2020, but users can connect multiple external displays to...
apple music voice plan feature blue green

Apple Music's Lower-Priced Voice Plan Being Discontinued

Wednesday November 1, 2023 11:51 am PDT by
The lower-cost Apple Music Voice Plan is being discontinued this month in the U.S. and all other countries where it was available, according to an Apple support document. Brazilian website MacMagazine was first to alert us to this news. "Beginning in November, Apple will discontinue the Apple Music Voice plan," said Apple. "We are focused on delivering the best, most robust music experience...