mariannefromnsw

Q: I have lost my apple TV remote and replaced it with a new one, but cant seem to pair it with the base unit. Any suggestions?

I have lost my apple TV remote and replaced it with a new one, but cant seem to pair it with the base unit. Any suggestions on how to unpair the lost remote?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Oct 13, 2013 12:15 AM

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Q: I have lost my apple TV remote and replaced it with a new one, but cant seem to pair it with the base unit. Any suggestions?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by iW00,

    iW00 iW00 Oct 13, 2013 2:28 AM in response to mariannefromnsw
    Level 4 (1,349 points)
    Oct 13, 2013 2:28 AM in response to mariannefromnsw
  • by John R Ferra,

    John R Ferra John R Ferra Jan 14, 2014 11:06 PM in response to iW00
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 14, 2014 11:06 PM in response to iW00

    This would be a great resource if it weren't the same instructions from the apple site, the instructions that don't work as it is. If you don't have the remote & can't pair a new one the way it says (which I certainly can't, not for lack of trying), then you can't select or deselect anything on the AppleTV. The AppleTV won't even wake up from the screen saver. A pricey new remote, totally worthless...

  • by John R Ferra,Helpful

    John R Ferra John R Ferra Jan 14, 2014 11:36 PM in response to iW00
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 14, 2014 11:36 PM in response to iW00

    Actually, one of the links at the side of this page had the exact problem I'm having. Seeing as how a lost remote is still a paired remote, you can't pair the new remote until the old remote is unpaired. Fortunately, you can use ANY remote to unpair--just hold down the "LEFT (rewind) + MENU" buttons to unpair the old remote. Once you see that this step has been completed, you can simply use the new remote to pair with the AppleTV by holding down "RIGHT (forward) + MENU" to pair the remote as per the instructions on Apple's help page. Hope that helps for those like me who lost their old remote & couldn't understand why the new one didn't want to pair. When the old remote is still paired, there is no message when you try to pair another remote, though there probably should be.

  • by ChristySch,

    ChristySch ChristySch Feb 9, 2014 6:45 AM in response to John R Ferra
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 9, 2014 6:45 AM in response to John R Ferra

    Thank you, John. That tidbit about any remote being to unpair is not explicitly stated by Apple.

  • by Smokerz,

    Smokerz Smokerz Feb 9, 2014 2:50 PM in response to ChristySch
    Level 6 (9,699 points)
    Feb 9, 2014 2:50 PM in response to ChristySch

    its in the apple support docs.

  • by John R Ferra,

    John R Ferra John R Ferra Feb 10, 2014 9:57 PM in response to ChristySch
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Feb 10, 2014 9:57 PM in response to ChristySch

    I'm glad I was able to help, Christy. I had the same problem. It wasn't until I ran across somebody else who mentioned unpair the lost remote that I was able to fix my problem. It's also nice to know that you can use ANY remote to unpair the lost remote. Apple definitely should mention this because a lost or non-functioning remote is the primary reason for buying a new remote. Anyway, share the knowledge when you can. The hallmark of the Apple community, for me, is our willingness to help each other & to not judge anyone simply because they don't know something that someone thinks is common knowledge. I've found so many great people in the Apple community & that makes me proud to be a member of that community. If you have any other questions about this or anything Apple, I'll be glad to help if I can or refer you to someone else who can help. :-) I'm glad your problem has been solved--at least I hope it's been solved! :-) Best wishes. jf

  • by cjlittlemd,

    cjlittlemd cjlittlemd Apr 17, 2014 9:21 PM in response to mariannefromnsw
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 17, 2014 9:21 PM in response to mariannefromnsw

    Thanx John worked like a charm and I earned points with my 16 year-old daughter as an added bonus!

  • by estherincognito,

    estherincognito estherincognito Aug 16, 2014 3:01 AM in response to John R Ferra
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 16, 2014 3:01 AM in response to John R Ferra

    I have spent hours trying to figure this out.  Thank you very much John.  When I finally googled the question and found your answer I was able to unpair and pair the new remote!  Again, thank you!!

  • by MiguelStrozzi,

    MiguelStrozzi MiguelStrozzi Oct 19, 2014 11:30 PM in response to John R Ferra
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 19, 2014 11:30 PM in response to John R Ferra

    Thanks John, your instructions are more clear than the Apple KT db Apple TV: Pairing and unpairing the Apple Remote

  • by Welsh Baloney,

    Welsh Baloney Welsh Baloney Nov 26, 2015 7:47 AM in response to mariannefromnsw
    Level 1 (100 points)
    Nov 26, 2015 7:47 AM in response to mariannefromnsw

    Always a good safety to have the iPhone Remote app (assuming you have an ios device) configured as an extra remote