AppleTV Remote not working except for volume buttons. Won't re-pair.

it keeps saying to get closer even when the remote is touching the tv

I assume you mean the Apple TV box, not the TV?

If your Apple TV remote isn’t working - Apple Support

3. Point your remote three inches away from your Apple TV. Then press and hold your remote's Menu and Volume Up buttons for five seconds. If asked, place your remote on top of Apple TV to complete pairing.

I have exactly the same issue. The Apple TV does not respond to my fully charged remote control. Volume can be changed, but this is IR signal which changes volume directly at the TV, not the Apple TV. To get the remote control working again, I have to restart the Apple TV and re-pair the remote control. I have never seen this problem before. It started after the last update.

Edit: The remote control app on my iPhone works all the time. Without restarting the Apple TV, re-pairing fails as ctirman describes.

Did you restart the tv? Did you plug the remote in and charge it just in case? Will the remote on your phone work (either in the control center or the app)?