Apple TV won't reset after update
Has anyone had any luck with resetting an Apple TV that won't start up? It's bricked after the last update.
Apple TV HD, tvOS 18
Question marked as
Does the status light on the box glow continuously, or keep flashing or go off?
If the status light is off, then the box is unpowered or in sleep mode.
If the status light is on, then the box is operating normally.
If the status light keeps flashing continuously (after more than ~20 seconds), then the unit may be in recovery mode.
First try a cold restart (disconnect from power temporarily). If that doesn’t bring it back, then the system software may need to be re-installed.
For Apple TV HD (4th generation), users can restore the Apple TV system software themselves by connecting to a computer via USB. Follow this article for that: Restore your Apple TV - Apple Support. Two notes on that: ① use a generic USB-C cable that has support for data transfer (not just for charging devices), and ② power the Apple TV box at the indicated moment (step 4).
[Unfortunately, the later Apple TV 4K models do not have a USB port, so those owners will need assistance from Apple instead, if needing to restore without access to the menus.]