iPhone Apple TV Remote app -- volume control has never worked

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iPhone Apple TV Remote app -- volume control has never worked

I'm using an iPhone SE2 (BTW, SE2 is not listed in your device options for this posting) to connect to my Apple TV gen 4.

The ATV connects to a Samsung Smart TV via HDMI, which in turn connects to my soundbar via optical. The optical connection is effectively a wire, not subject to HDMI-CEC protocols.

While the Remote app in the iPhone's Control Panel has always worked for navigation and playback control, I have never been able to adjust the volume on the ATV using that app. This makes the Remote app pretty unacceptable as a replacement for the Siri remote.

When using the Remote app, I can press the hardware volume up/down buttons on my iPhone and see the LED on the front of the ATV blink accordingly, just like it blinks when I press controls on the Siri remote (when not using the Remote app, the LED on the ATV does not respond to volume button presses on the iPhone, as expected). So I know the ATV is receiving commends from the Remote app. I know the iPhone can connect to the ATV using both Bluetooth and wifi, negating the need for any IR. In fact, in a previous home, I had the ATV installed in a closet and still used the Siri remote just fine.

iPhone 8

Posted on Jun 22, 2020 9:08 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Urquhart1244

Level 10

146,226 points

Jun 22, 2020 4:23 PM in response to emilio-lizardo

Control your TV or receiver with your Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote - Apple Support

While volume control normally works using the IR sensor on the front of your TV or receiver, some receivers use HDMI-CEC instead. With volume through HDMI-CEC, you don’t need a clear path between your remote and the front of your receiver.

In such cases, the volume buttons on the side of your iOS device can be used for volume control through the Apple TV Remote app.

Using an optical connection breaks this functionality, as it doesn’t support HDMI-CEC. It is about the AV receiver, not about the TV. And soundbars are often like receivers with reduced functionality.

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Answer 2

Jun 23, 2020 6:51 PM in response to emilio-lizardo

In that scenario the volume is set within the stream sent to the Apple TV, the Apple TV then sends what it receives as a constant output over HDMI. The remote app works by getting the Apple TV to vary the output over HDMI, which brings us back to requiring the correct connection.

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Answer 3

Jun 23, 2020 6:16 PM in response to Winston Churchill

As a side note, when using the iPhone to airplay to the ATV, which then plays music via HDMI through the TV and optically-connected soundbar, volume control actually does work, allowing me to change the volume via the Airplay slider. So I'm having trouble buying that this is an HDMI-CEC or IR problem.

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Answer 4

Jun 22, 2020 9:24 AM in response to emilio-lizardo

Your TV or receiver connection to the Apple TV may not support control of the volume.

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Answer 5

Jun 22, 2020 9:31 AM in response to Winston Churchill

Thanks, but I don't think that explains why the Siri remote works just fine, even when it's shielded from the TV and soundbar (like in another room completely) so I know there's no IR in play. TV has HDMI-CEC enabled as well.

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Answer 6

Jun 22, 2020 9:50 AM in response to Winston Churchill

I suppose the real question is, has anyone been successful using the iPhone's volume buttons while using the Remote app connected to an ATV? With my configuration, the Remote app clearly controls playback on the ATV, which plays properly on the TV. It seems like all the pieces are in place, the commands are being received by the ATV, but documentation on this capability is pretty spotty -- at least what I've been able to locate.

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Answer 7

Jun 22, 2020 9:45 AM in response to emilio-lizardo

OK

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Answer 8

Jun 22, 2020 10:35 AM in response to emilio-lizardo

It doesn't work on any of my TV/Apple TV set ups, but I do know folk it works for.

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Answer 9

Jun 22, 2020 4:32 PM in response to Urquhart1244

I was under the impression that not all HDMI-CEC connections support volume control. None of mine do and it appears the OP is also using HDMI-CEC not optical.

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iPhone Apple TV Remote app -- volume control has never worked

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