jimpal

Q: 4th Gen Apple TVRemoteWon't Hold a charge

Recently my ATV 4 remote has started completely discharging in only a few days, rather than the many weeks promised, and as it has recently Is anyone else having this problem?

 

I called Apple Help and they sent me a brand new replacement. It works fine in all ways except it also won't hold a charge for more than about a week or so. I found it completely discharged this evening, such that it wouldn't work at all, even though I fully charged it about two weeks ago.

 

It's now apparent this must not be the fault of the remote, but perhaps some interplay between it and the Apple TV itself. Could it have to do with some Bluetooth issue? In the ATV's menu I did see that it had detected the Bluetooth input to my TV, but was not connected. Is it trying to connect and wasting power? I don't use direct Bluetooth control of the TV, but control it via the Apple TV 4 using the CEC-HDMI capabilities which work well.

 

I've had the ATV 4 for nearly a year. It has always worked well, and this remote discharge problem only started a few weeks ago. I have made no system changes before this problem showed up.

 

Any ideas on why two remotes in a row are seeing this problem in my system?

Posted on Sep 22, 2016 7:36 PM

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Q: 4th Gen Apple TVRemoteWon't Hold a charge

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  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sep 23, 2016 1:18 AM in response to jimpal
    Level 10 (104,146 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 23, 2016 1:18 AM in response to jimpal

    Have you introduced any other electrical equipment into the room. Is there anyone in your household that could be using the remote for gaming.

  • by jimpal,

    jimpal jimpal Sep 23, 2016 5:24 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 23, 2016 5:24 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    No new equipment in the room since I installed the ATV4 nearly a year ago when they were first available. Until about a month ago, it only had to be charged a few times since first use. The remote isn't used for gaming. Only my wife and I are in the home, and we mostly just use the ATV in evenings. Otherwise the ATV remote just sits on a table next to my chair, beside the IR remote for the rest of the system.

     

    I appreciate your interest in helping me solve this mystery.

  • by jimpal,

    jimpal jimpal Sep 23, 2016 8:32 AM in response to jimpal
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 23, 2016 8:32 AM in response to jimpal

    One more bit of info. In the five or six times this fast discharge has happened with the two Siri remotes, it has occurred in about the same way. A few days of seeming to hold its charge, and then rapid discharge to the point that I the remote is dead when I pick it up. I was only given a warning of a low battery about one time. All of the others were just the surprise of picking up the remote to use it and finding it dead and useless.

     

    Is there any logic to performing a reset of the Apple TV itself? Is there any way some flaw there could be causing this? I can't see how, and am reluctant to go through the process of resetting and reloading settings unless someone could explain how this might help.

  • by Winston Churchill,Helpful

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sep 24, 2016 6:28 AM in response to jimpal
    Level 10 (104,146 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 24, 2016 6:28 AM in response to jimpal

    Since this is the second Apple TV that has done this I suspect your environment is the cause rather than the hardware. If it were me, whilst it will be inconvenient, i think I'd try a 2 week period where I unplugged the Apple TV when I've finished with it and monitored the charge before and after each use.

  • by jimpal,

    jimpal jimpal Sep 24, 2016 6:27 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 24, 2016 6:27 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    I may not have been clear enough. This is the same ATV 4 used throughout, but two Siri remotes have had the same fast discharge problem I have reported here when used with it. Still, your common-sense suggestion is a good one and I will try it if the problem continues. Thank you.

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sep 24, 2016 6:31 AM in response to jimpal
    Level 10 (104,146 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 24, 2016 6:31 AM in response to jimpal

    Ahhh, so we can't really rule out a faulty Apple TV then. Do you use the sleep function by the way.

  • by jimpal,

    jimpal jimpal Sep 24, 2016 6:48 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 24, 2016 6:48 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    Yes, I do use the sleep function in two ways: I've set the ATV to go to sleep after 15 minutes if it's not in use. I also often put it to sleep by pressing the Home button when I've completed watching programs on the ATV. This has the added advantage of turning off the whole system, using the HDMI-CEC capabilities of my system, and the setting in the ATV which activates this.

     

    I don't use this latter turn-off process if I am keeping my system on, and shifting back to TV or DVD watching. I usually then let the ATV turn itself off after 15 minutes of inactivity.

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sep 24, 2016 8:00 AM in response to jimpal
    Level 10 (104,146 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 24, 2016 8:00 AM in response to jimpal

    I would have thought 15 minutes is fine, mine is an hour and I have no issue with the remote discharging.

  • by jimpal,

    jimpal jimpal Sep 24, 2016 9:42 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 24, 2016 9:42 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    I have a new theory, or rather I am returning to one in my original post on this thread.

     

    Could it have to do with some Bluetooth issue? In the ATV's menu I did see that it had detected the Bluetooth input to my TV, but was not connected. I deleted my TV from this Bluetooth menu. Was my remote trying to connect and wasting power? I don't use direct Bluetooth control of the TV, but control it via the Apple TV 4 using the HDMI-CEC capabilities which work well. In effect the remote could have been trying to control the TV two ways at the same time -- kind of a short circuit.

     

    How did the ATV remote and TV discover each other by Bluetooth? I don't know, but perhaps as a result of one of the software updates they both do from time to time.

     

    Now let's see if the remote holds its charge as it is intended to do.

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sep 24, 2016 9:54 AM in response to jimpal
    Level 10 (104,146 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 24, 2016 9:54 AM in response to jimpal

    That is indeed a possibility and why I asked if there was any new equipment in the room in my first response. I should have asked if there was any other wifi equipment (Bluetooth is wifi also) in the room and whether any settings could have changed on it. (I assume it would take a settings change if it didn't do this before)

  • by jimpal,

    jimpal jimpal Sep 24, 2016 10:23 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 24, 2016 10:23 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    I'm pleased to learn you also think my theory is a possibility. Now I will have to give it some time, and see how the remote's charge is holding for the next week. If the fast discharge continues to be problem I will be back of course. Thanks for the advice.

  • by Winston Churchill,Helpful

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sep 24, 2016 11:11 AM in response to jimpal
    Level 10 (104,146 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 24, 2016 11:11 AM in response to jimpal

     

  • by jimpal,

    jimpal jimpal Sep 30, 2016 2:14 PM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 30, 2016 2:14 PM in response to Winston Churchill

    While I realize the world isn't waiting with bated breath for this conclusion, here it is:

     

    My Siri remote is now holding its charge as it is supposed to. I can only conclude that my theory stated above is correct: the remote was continually trying to make an undesired (and technically impossible) Bluetooth connection to my TV's Bluetooth input, and wasting its battery charge in the process.

     

    Lesson learned: if your Siri remote is discharging too quickly, check the Bluetooth section of the Apple TV 4 menu and see if it shows it is trying to connect to an undesired device. If so, delete it. Wasted power discharge will go away.