If your Apple TV remote has unresponsive buttons or keeps disconnecting from the device, restarting it can solve the problem. Restart is the best way to refresh the software completely and remove all the technical glitches on the Apple TV remote. Whether you have a remote of an old Apple TV (1st gen) or the latest Apple TV 4K (3rd gen), this article will show you the steps to restart it in detail.
Steps to Restart the Apple TV Remote
The following restart steps will be applicable for remotes that come with Apple TV 4K (1st generation) or above. Ensure your Apple TV device is turned on before beginning to restart the Apple TV remote.
1. With your Apple TV remote on hand, press and hold the Control Centre/TV and the Volume Down button for 5 seconds.
2. Release the buttons once the LED light on your Apple TV remote turns off and on immediately.
3. After 10-15 seconds, a Connection Lost (Remote Disconnected) notification will appear on your TV screen.
4. Wait patiently for a few seconds until your Apple TV remote restarts.
5. Once your remote restarts, a Connected notification will appear on your TV.
This confirms that your Apple TV remote has been restarted successfully. Now, you can use your remote to control your Apple TV without any issues.
Steps to Restart the Old Apple TV Remote
If you have an old Apple TV model like the Apple TV 1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation, it will not have a TV button on its remote. So, you cannot perform the above restart steps on these Apple TV remotes. Hence, you can restart these old remotes by unpairing and repairing them with your Apple TV.
1. To unpair your Apple TV remote, you need to keep your Apple TV device turned on as a first step.
2. Point your Apple TV remote towards the TV. The distance between your Apple TV and the remote should not be more than 10 cm while doing this process.
3. Long press the Left Arrow and Menu buttons on your remote for about 2 – 5 seconds.
4. A message will appear on your Apple TV indicating that your Apple TV remote is unpaired.
Repeat the same process again to re-pair the Apple TV remote to Apple TV.
Apple TV Remote Not Working After Restart? Try this!
If restarting your Apple TV remote does not solve the problem, try restarting your Apple TV. There are three possible ways to restart your Apple TV. Hold the TV button and Left arrow or Menu button on your remote until the LED on your Apple TV blinks fast. Alternatively, you can restart the Apple TV via settings. To do so, head to Settings on your Apple TV → Select System → Tap Restart.
You can also restart your Apple TV without using the remote control. To do that, unplug the cord of the Apple TV from the electrical outlet and wait for five seconds. Now, plug back the power cord and reconnect it to restart your Apple TV.
Still, if you are facing issues with your Apple TV remote, it is better to contact Apple TV customer support for further guidance.
