Apple TV remote app won't connect

Check your HomeKit setup/settings. I noticed I had mismatched information. After proper setup, the remote app began working correctly again.

How can we update the AppleTV when it doesn’t connect to our phones?

It is recommended to have a functional physical remote available for your Apple TV, even if you prefer the software remote. Borrow one temporarily if needed. Or buy a replacement remote separately.

Updating the Apple TV (4th generation or later) isn’t essential for connecting the iPhone remote (when running tvOS 11.1 (2017) or later, which was current when the Control Center remote was introduced).

Updating the Apple TV (3rd generation) isn’t essential for connecting the iPhone remote (when running Apple TV Software 7.5 (2020) or later, which was when that functionality was introduced for this model).

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.

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.

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 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.

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

i am also having this issue. Any fix on this?

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!

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.

Literally tried everything recommended by apple and nothing works, remote says go to settings yet settings gives no ability to use my iPhone the way the remote app works. Everything is connected on same WiFi…Dear Apple…WHY JUST WHY WTF…Apple has reverted to their updates not working for months on end 🤦🏻‍♀️

Same thing. It’s paired with Apple TV, and I can send video to the Apple TV, but it will not let me use the remote. Apple TV doesn’t show up in the remote app. Neither does my iTunes and I can’t pair it with my Mac (older model) at all. It also doesn’t pick up my airport, so I can’t send music to that either. Incredibly frustrating. Can someone just fix it for me please?

Same thing here since Apple disabled the phone app an moved it to control center my phone looses connection to the Apple TV after about a min. If I don’t select a show quickly to watch I’m back to recycle the power on the Apple TV. So annoying. I have 5 Apple TV’s…. With remotes that all have gone bad. Phone remote was nice and readily available…not anymore :(

This happens to me consistently now, too. The remote will work for a little while and then disconnect when I want to restart something after pausing or whatever and then will refuse to reconnect. The original remote app worked fine. And the physical remote works fine. Frustrating.

This also happening to me, my remote app will not stay connected after I use it for the first time of the day. For the rest of the day it will just act as if it cannot recognize my Apple TV or connect to it anymore please hot fix.