How To Fix Apple TV Remote App Not Working

What better way could absolute convenience be defined apart from being able to control your Apple TV from your iPhone with a built in remote app. With the remote control app, you will never be stranded when you loose the normal hardware remote as you’d immediately have something to fall back on.

You also enjoy a sleek interface that you’re never confused on how to control your Apple TV using the remote control app. However, even as good as it sounds, a lot of users have not stopped complaining that they’re unable to use their remote app as it wouldn’t connect with their Apple TV and it’s such frustrating thing to experience.

 

How To Fix Apple TV Remote App Connection Issue

It seems to me that the remote connection issue is prevalent more among IOS 13 and 15 users. But that’s also not to say that other users running on other recent IOS versions may not encounter such issues. However, whatever be the case, I have put together a couple of fix for you and believe you’ll  have your remote app connecting with your Apple TV again.

1. Update iOS and tvOS

For the most part, many of the issue several users have encountered with connecting their iPhone remote app with Apple TV have been hinged on the IOS or tvOS version. While updating one device might just as well solve the problem, however to be on a safe side, it’d recommend you update both devices.

First, to update your iPhone IOS, do the following;

• Head onto settings
• Tap on general
• Select software update
• It’ll scan for available updates
• Tap on download and install afterwards

To update your tvOS doesn’t vary too much from the way you’d normally update IOS. Do the following;

• Find the settings app from the Apple TV home screen
• Click on it
• Click on system
• Open software update
• Tap on update now
• Your Apple TV a while to update to the current available tvOS
• Your TV will reboot to come on again running on the latest tvOS

 

After updating both device, try to reconnect the emote app again, it should work now.

 

2. Apple TV Should Share Same WIFI Network With iPhone

One way your Apple TV uses to maintain connection wirelessly is through network sharing. For your iPhone remote app to connect, you have to ensure that both devices are sharing the same WIFI network, otherwise connection between the devices will never be established.

To double check if the devices in question are sharing the same WIFI network, do the following;

 

• First on your iPhone
• Open WIFI in settings
• Check the name of the network you’re connected to
• Secondly on your Apple TV
• Open settings
• Open network setting
• Confirm that the network name you find is consistent with the one you found on your iPhone
• If consistent, move onto the next step on this list, otherwise reconnect your Apple TV to the right WIFI network.

 

3. Turn WIFI Off And On

Reconnecting your iPhone to the WIFI network can help solve connection issues between your iPhone and Apple TV. To restart WIFI, do the following;

• If you’re using iPhone X and other recent IOS versions, open the control center by swiping down from the upper-right side of your screen.
• To open the control center if you’re running on IOS 11 downwards, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
• With the control center open, tap the WIFI icon to turn it off
• Wait for at least 8 seconds.
• Tap the WIFI icon again to reconnect to the network.

Verify that the issue has been solved by trying to reconnect the remote app with your Apple TV.

 

 

4. Remove Remote TV App From Control Center

Newer versions of IOS will have the remote control app automatically added to the control center, however it can be removed and added manually as well. If you already have the remote app added to the control center, removing and adding it back again can help reset the remote app. To do this, follow the below steps;

• Open settings
• Tap on control center
• On the control list, remove Apple TV remote
• You can verify that its gone from by opening the control center, the remote TV app will be gone
• To add it back again, tap on ‘more’ in the control center
• Tap on the plus sign near the remote TV app

Try again to reconnect the remote with your Apple TV, it should be working now.

 

3. Restart Apple TV And iPhone

This can help resolve quickly software issues in either your Apple TV or iPhone. First, to restart your Apple TV, do the following;

• If you have your hardware remote.
• Head onto settings on the TV
• Click to open system
• Click on restart
• If you do not have your hardware remote, maybe it was lost or spoilt
• Turn off the power source where your TV is connected, wait for some 60 seconds and turn it back on.

To perform same restart on your iPhone, do the following;

• Press and hold the side power button
• The power off slider will appear
• Push the slider button to off
• Your phone will go off
• Turn back on again by pressing and holding the power button until the Apple logo appears.

Verify that this solves the issue by reconnecting your remote app and Apple TV.

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4. Include Apple TV To Your Home Kit

This troubleshooting step has shown to have solved the connection issue in most case. You might want to try it too. To add Apple TV to home kit do the following;

• Open Accounts from Apple TV setting
• First verify that you’re signed in on your Apple TV with the same Apple ID on your iPhone
• Log into iCloud.
• Your Apple TV will automatically be set as a home kit since it bears an identical Apple ID with your iPhone.

 

Is There An Apple TV Remote App For iPhone?

Yes. It has always been there, however you may need to manually add and activate by adding it to the control centers. It was only until IOS 13 that Apple began to add the remote TV app automatically to the control center.

If you’re running IOS 13 and later, open the control center to find it, whereas if you’re running older IOS versions, here’s how to add it;

• Open settings
• Tap on control center
• Tap on the ‘more’ option in the control center
• Tap on the plus sign near the remote TV app to add to the control center.

 

Why Does My Apple TV Remote App Keep Disconnecting?

Their are a few reasons why you may be experiencing fluctuation in remote app-TV connection, but for the most part its caused by either a bug with your current IOS version or tvOS.

Some have complained that their TV remote app will only connect once and never again, except if the Apple TV is restarted. This certainly is a software bug.

While Apple is aware of this issue in a statement they have released and working on a fix, what you can do to fix this issue have been stated in the guide above but most importantly, make sure to keep your iPhone and Apple IOS and tvOS respectively updated to the latest release.

 

How Do I Reset My Apple TV Remote App?

To reset the Apple TV remote app, you need to remove it from the control center and add it back again. This is a good way to fix minor issues with the app. Here’s how to do that;

1. Open settings
2. Tap on control center and find the Apple TV remote app
3. Tap to remove it from the control list items
4. Removing the Apple TV remote app from the list resets it
5. To add it back again, open more just at the bottom in control center settings
6. Tap on the add button to the left of Apple TV remote app to add it back.
7. Open the TV Remote app to select and setup your Apple TV
8. Enter your passcode to verify that its you.

 Video Guide

Apple TV Remote Not Working? 1 MINUTE FIX (TRY THIS FIRST)

“I show you how to fix an Apple TV Remote in less then 1 minute. If you have issues where one or several buttons don’t work, if its ghosting (doing crazy things without pressing anything) or has a slow or delayed response then try this quick fix. This should help about 50% of you.”

Apple TV Remote Not Working! Here’s The Real Fix

If Apple TV 4K (tvOS 15) Remote Not Working properly, check out the video to fix the issue in one 1 minute.

Conclusion

For many users, the frustration can get real when they’ve lost or broken their main Apple TV remote and yet the remote app wouldn’t connect. If this sounds like your experience, try all the tips I’ve shared above, your issue should be resolved and your remote app connecting again.