How to Pair and Unpair Apple TV Remote [Definitive Guide]

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Apple TV, just like iPhone and iPad, is also an intelligent and versatile digital media player. However, either Apple TV or Apple remote may run into issues at unexpected times. In case your Apple TV remote stops working, you may need to unpair and pair Apple TV remote to get out of the trouble.

Normally, your remote will connect to your Apple TV automatically, but if that isn’t the case you need to pair your remote manually. Although there are different types of Apple TV remotes, they pair with the Apple TV in a similar way.

In this article, we will give you the most detailed steps to pair Apple TV remote and unpair it.

Types of Apple TV Remotes:

There are two types of Apple TV Remotes:

  1. The regular Apple TV Remote (Non-Siri) – The Apple Remote puts you in complete control of your Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation).
  2. The Siri Remote – The Siri Remote (2nd generation) brings precise control to your Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD. Its all-new touch-enabled click pad lets you click titles, swipe through playlists, and use a circular gesture on the outer ring to find just the scene you’re looking for. And with Siri, you can find what you want to watch using just your voice.

How to Pair Apple TV Remote

If you are looking to pair your Apple TV Remote with your Apple TV, there are two methods for this:

Method 1: From the Apple TV Menu

  • For this method, make sure your remote is in close proximity to your Apple TV.
  • Go to the Settings app and then tap on General.
  • On the main menu, select Remotes and then Pair Apple TV Remote.
    how to pair apple tv remote
  • When the pairing process starts, you can see a message right above the remote icon on your Apple TV.
  • Now, once the pairing process is done, your Apple TV will accept commands from the paired remote.

Method 2: Using the Remote

For white and aluminum remote (Apple TV 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Generation):

  • Press and hold the Menu and Right buttons for six seconds.
  • Once paired, a message should appear on the screen of your Apple TV indicating that the remote is connected.

For black/Siri remote:

The Siri remote comes automatically paired with the Apple TV. If, for whatever reason, the remote gets disconnected, or you’ve purchased a replacement remote, you will need to manually pair it with your Apple TV.

how to pair apple tv remote

To do this, follow along:

You can pair a Siri Remote with only one Apple TV at a time. When you pair a remote, all the other paired remotes will be unpaired.

  • Place the remote over the Apple TV for completing pairing.
  • For Siri Remote (1st Generation): Press and hold the Menu and Volume Up/+ buttons for about 2 seconds.
  • For Siri Remote (2nd Generation): Press and hold the Back and Volume Up/+ button for about 2 seconds.
  • When the Siri Remote is paired successfully, an On-Screen message will appear.

How to Unpair Apple TV Remote

In some cases, if Apple TV remote is not working as intended, you may need to unpair the remote and then repair it.

To unpair the remote, follow these steps in any of the two methods mentioned below:

Method 1: From the Apple TV Menu

  • Go to the Settings app.
  • Tap on General.
  • On the main menu, select Remotes.
  • Choose the one that you wish to unpair and then click Unpair Apple TV Remote.
  • When the unpairing process starts, you can see the broken chain-link icon over the remote icon on your Apple TV.

Method 2: Using the Apple TV Remote

For white and aluminum remote (Apple TV 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Generation):

Press and hold the Menu and Left buttons for six seconds.

For black/Siri remote:

We’re sorry, but this remote cannot be unpaired.

However, you can run through the steps of pairing to reset it. That’s all about on how to pair and unpair Apple TV Remote.

You May Also Like – How to Charge Apple TV Remote

If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment in the comments section below. Also, share with article with your friends and family, this may answer their questions about their Apple TV.

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AUTHOR.

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Shaikh Adil

Adil is a writer at ytechb. He started caring about technology after he got his first iPhone. He likes to help others by posting tips & tricks and providing solutions regarding iOS problems. When not at work, he enjoys playing football, watching movies, watching tech videos on YouTube, listening to music and podcasts and playing video games.

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