Apple TV remote app won't connect

How are you supposed to "Verify that both devices are on the same home network" when you can't navigate around the Apple TV because you don't have a remote? The solution needs to present something where the Apple TV connects to your iPhone in some other fashion. Very suspicious and like Apple to make us all buy new remotes when we could have used the old app that used to work just fine.

Sounds like Apple is up to another diabolical business ploy where your iPhone gets a new update, resulting in the Apple TV remote moving to the command center (with no ability to use the old Remote app) and not functioning. Apple will wait a few months intentionally to resolve the fix but make money in the meanwhile with all the people buying $60 remote controls.

Note: The Apple solution up top asks you to ensure the Apple TV is on the same WiFi network as your iPhone. But how can you change the WiFi settings of your AppleTV when you don't have a remote!... consumers are getting nickled and dimed here.

How did you connect an iPhone 13 pro and an apple TV4 via bluetooth?

I have same issue here not able to use my remote app.

All are updated using same iOS, connected to the same wifi, restarted multiple times,..

we have an iPhone 6 and an iPhone SE, both were easily connected to the asple tv4 and remote app is working but no connection to apple tv4 with my new iPhone 13 so far!

1. If you have an apple remote go to step 2. If not; you must have a remote or a friends phone to go to step 2.
2. go to remotes / devices under Apple TV settings.
3. remove your phone and or all devices (besides the phone or remote your are using to navigate)
4. restart your phone and apple tv
5. Go to remotes / devices once again.
6. turn on Bluetooth and WiFi on your phone.
7. hokd your phone within 1 inch of the apple tv
8. hot "pair" on your phone
9. enter the code that appears on the screen.

I’ve been having the same problem. Spent hours on the phone with Apple Care and they couldn’t figure out what was wrong. This started when they moved Remote App to control center. I lost the remote that came with the ATV so it’s basically just a worthless piece of trash until Apple fixes this.

Set up the Apple TV Remote on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Verify that both devices are on the same home network. Same as with the old app.

Verify that both devices have up-to-date system software.

Try restarting both the iPhone and Apple TV.

If you still can't set up the Apple TV Remote, contact Apple Support.

QuintNYC wrote:

If anyone at apple is reading this PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BRING BACK OLD APP which I personally put in control center BUT IT ALWAYS WORKED PERFECTLY I used it for 3 years never a hiccup, now the remote has worked since it was permanently move to control center.

No, Apple doesn't read here for feedback or suggestions. You can, however, let them know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

yes this fixed the issue!

I have the same issue too! Restarted the Apple TV and my iPhone and it just attempts to connect, then just shows my Apple TV as a drop down to choose again, and when chosen attempts to connect again and doesn’t. Never ending cycle, so frustrating!!!

Apple will simply not fix the issue. If your physical remote is broken, forcing you to use their "broken" Apple TV "phone remote" do the following:

1. go to apple store
2. buy new remote
3. return the old broken one.
4. "I don't want an exchange, give me my money back"

you have a new remote now. No need to deal with apples BS

Thanks jeelke. I did try all scenarios, removing my phone from apple TV, reconnecting via bluetooth as you said but no success.

Mine is fixed now by signing out my apple ID on my Apple TV, removing apple TV from my apple ID on my phone and then signing in my ID on my Apple TV. Remote app in control centre is working now!

Perhaps let me clarify two points:

1) I was talking in my previous post about the iOS app 'Apple TV Remote'. It seems mostly unusable for my setups where connections are ethernet cable based. The app never fails to show my Apple TVs, but is most of the time unable to connect to the Apple TV it lists. The hints offered such as go closer to the device and make sure both devices are connected to the same WiFi, while my Apple TVs are never on the same WiFi as only cable connected, all this makes simply no sense. So Apple should fix this iOS app for its buggy behavior or start deprecating it.

2) Fortunately with newer iOS there exists an alternative that seems to work reliably: This technique, described here Set up the Apple TV Remote on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support, seems today to be much better supported by Apple and does not require aforementioned iOS app 'Apple TV Remote'. While this seems to work in my experience reliably also with a setup involving ethernet cabling, it also gives misleading information. E.g. in case of some difficulties also this system software consistently refers to the misleading need that both devices would have to be connected to the same WiFi instead of stating the same LAN. Any user using an ethernet cable is invited to disconnect her Apple TV first from a perfectly working ethernet cable and try to use the WiFi, while the actual problem has nothing to do with the fact that an ethernet cable connection is involved.

To wrap up: Fortunately the newer iOS offers a solution to this problem. Yet, buggy software becomes more and more time consuming for all end users and Apple's software quality is unfortunately also only declining. As a programmer I am well aware that at the same time the complexity of the software has exploded, so one can argue that relatively seen the quality has even increased. However in absolute terms end users are suffering more as our societies rely increasingly on software. Therefore I find companies such as Apple and others need to accept that if a software behaves as poorly as the iOS 'Apple TV Remote', this is simply not acceptable from a consumer's perspective.

Iphone 5se 2016 would not remote ATV4. 3-4 calls at Apple support and updates to iOS and TVOS to get the same version seem to be not required after all.

Above post helped!

The following assumes that remote has already been added to control center.

So I :

Signed out of iCloud on ATV4 by doing the following to / within the ATV4:

( Settings>Users and Accounts>then picked the problem User>iCloud>Sign Out.

Then on Malfunctioning iphone, the ATV4 was removed from the list at the bottom of the Apple ID page by the following steps: >Settings, at the top of the page choose the cell with your your AppleID showing, then scroll down the page that comes up until you see the ATV4 listed and choose “Remove from Account”.

1. Now, still on the iPhone, swipe up to get the control center screen, tap the remote icon and wait for the 6 digit security code to show on the iPhone and enter it onto the TV screen using the ATV4 dedicated remote. Wait a few seconds.
2. BINGO - the iPhone’s remote control for ATV4 now works !
3. It seems to be “the old log out then log back in trick” to fix it.

Settings on TV4--> Remotes and Devices --> Remote App and Devices.

Note that it doesn't give you a formal menu choice to pair a device -- you have to look in the print beneath the lovely Apple TV logo on the left, where it says "To pair a device, hold it close to this Apple TV" -- you might have to turn bluetooth off and on.

And the strange thing is that on my iphone and my ipad, if you look on the bluetooth "my devices" list -- ATV4 doesn't show up on either of them.

So I think that pairing the bluetooth is a critical step into having the remote work from your iOS device. But this is how to pair it. A bit obscure, but pairing my phone to the ATV4 seemed to be the step that resolved the issue.

Yeah for the last however many months, I’ve been having to access my Apple TV through my phone in a very annoying way by going through the control center and then choosing the Apple TV and then clicking the remote button and it’s really tedious and many steps and I restarted everything and I don’t think there’s any way to fix it.