Level 1

14 points

Apple TV Remote still not working for volume down eARC

This is an extension of this forum that I couldn’t reply/follow up on since it was initially started in April 2022 and last commented on in July 2022: Apple TV Volume control not working prope… - Apple Community. Does anyone else still experiencing this issue? I changed my configuration (where the hdmi cable was plugged directly into the sound bar) and now I have it plugged directly into the TV and still experiencing the same issue. I have also updated to tvOS 16.0, updated my tv and soundbar’s firmware and still same issue.

The issue is with my Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) with a LG 77 CX OLED TV and Samsung QL-800 Soundbar. The standard Apple TV remote and iPhone/Siri remotes behave the same way where the volume down is the only thing that doesn’t work (mute and volume up work fine). I’ve tried everything mentioned in the previous forum and I cannot get it to work. Including power cycling everything.

is anyone else experiencing this issue?

Apple TV (2nd gen)

Posted on Sep 18, 2022 12:05 PM

Top-ranking reply

matthewlowery

Level 1

22 points

Posted on Nov 10, 2022 9:55 AM

Similar problem. I'm using a Hisense 4K TV from 2020. The Siri remote works with the Apple TV itself, but cannot control my actual TV – it can't control the volume or TV power. My Chromecast with Google TV has no such problem, so clearly the issue is the Apple TV, not my TV.

Very frustrating, may have to return this for a refund. No point in it if it can't even control volume and power.

EDIT: I have found the solution! God this was so unclear and ambiguous in Apple's instructions.

If your Siri Remote is currently not able to control your TV's volume or turn the TV on and off with the power button, do this.

Settings > Remotes and Devices > Volume Control > Learn New Device.

When it asks you to press the volume up/down/mute, DO THIS ON YOUR TV REMOTE, NOT THE SIRI REMOTE. I REPEAT: DO NOT USE THE SIRI REMOTE TO HOLD VOLUME UP/DOWN/MUTE. USE THE ONE THAT CAME WITH YOUR TV.

As it picks up what the TV remote is doing, the Apple TV logs the appropriate codes for the Siri remote.

Voila, you now have a working Siri Remote totally in control of your TV.

Apple's instructions could hardly have been more confusing if they'd tried.

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26 replies

mikereed36 Author

Level 1

14 points

Nov 21, 2022 10:13 PM in response to matthewlowery

matthewlowery, thank you for your input and enthusiasm, but it sounds like your Apple TV just hadn’t learned your TV’s Remote and you weren’t aware of the correct way to do it.

The issue here is the Apple TV already has learned the TV remote or sound bar remote, but it can only control the power and volume up (but NOT the volume down). For all of these people (including the past thread that this continued), it worked at first for a long time (over a year for most) then stopped working after a tvOS update — again this information should be in the last thread that I linked to.

I’m hoping to at least post on this discussion thread at least once per month to keep the issue alive otherwise Apple

will auto close it and mark it solved like they did the last one.

To anyone who has the same issue, please try to keep posting to this thread occasionally or create a new one if it erroneously marked as solved again.

Thank you.

jb85

Level 1

8 points

Nov 30, 2022 5:55 PM in response to mikereed36

I just switched to using a Vizio M512A-H6 sound bar and set it up with the Apple TV remote (Apple TV 4k) and I’m only able to turn the volume up. Both the volume up and down buttons turn up the volume on the Vizio.

I had been using the Apple Remote to control an older Sony receiver and it worked just fine.

I tried turning off/on the remote via the TV button and volume down, but it didn’t help.

frustrating

Urquhart1244

Level 10

149,908 points

Sep 26, 2022 8:45 AM in response to mikereed36

Also see discussions.apple.com/thread/254221461.

mikereed36 Author

Level 1

14 points

Nov 21, 2022 10:28 PM in response to Urquhart1244

The thread that you linked to is not the same. The issue that affects me and other users is the volume control only partially works (does not control VOLUME DOWN, but power and volume up work fine).

mikereed36 Author

Level 1

14 points

Oct 18, 2022 10:11 AM in response to Urquhart1244

These suggestions were not helpful in this case. I can’t reply to the original thread (Apple TV Volume control not working prope… - Apple Community) because no one has replied to it in awhile, but this issue has still not been resolved by Apple. Very frustrating. I just wish I can control my TV’s down volume (the up volume and mute work fine) again from

my phone like it used to work for well over a year.

mikereed36 Author

Level 1

14 points

Oct 18, 2022 10:26 AM in response to faith185

If you read the other thread I linked to, it ended where another customer whose Apple TV was still covered by Apple Care (since it was only one month old), was asked to bring their large TV and sound bar physically into Apple Store. I can’t possible carry my 77” OLED into an Apple store with my sound bar. It’s just not realistic. Sounds like Apple has won this one. Nice work Apple.

mikereed36 Author

Level 1

14 points

Nov 21, 2022 10:18 PM in response to rdk914

Thank you rdk914, I agree. Thank you for responding to and for posting to this thread to keep it alive. Hopefully this can be kept long enough to where Apple will notice how many users it affects and tries to eventually patch this annoying bug.

rdk914

Level 1

20 points

Nov 22, 2022 5:46 AM in response to mikereed36

mikereed36 If nothing else, if others find this thread they will know it is a known issue and not easily fixable. I wasted a lot of time trying to get it working again thinking it was a problem on my end.

Jan 31, 2023 4:42 PM in response to mikereed36

Same issue here. Trying to run a hotel tv through my Apple TV and everything works except volume down and mute. I have no control with either Apple Remote or Marriott tv remote when Apple TV is hooked up.

rdk914

Level 1

20 points

Feb 7, 2023 9:26 AM in response to besinfe

Thanks for posting. I will try this when I get home, but I am pessimistic because I'm sure I and others tried every permutation of those settings to no avail. For you was it just the volume down that was not working? (i.e., mute and volume up worked fine) Perhaps Apple has addressed the issue and this is how to access the fix.

mikereed36 Author

Level 1

14 points

Nov 21, 2022 10:16 PM in response to faith185

I don’t have Apple care on this device. And I’ve already seen the ridiculous responses they’ve given other users who do. This is a software fix. I’m surprised it has persisted this long.

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Apple TV Remote still not working for volume down eARC