Set up Apple TV without Remote

Dear Captain Obvious,

We all know this, but you are forgetting one simple thing… When you turn on your Apple TV it wants you to set up Wi-Fi connection and without the Apple remote remote it's a bit difficult. How do you setup AppleTV without the remote, because my IOS Apple remote won't work unless AppleTV is already on a network.

When i click on "Add a device" Remote App propose me to enter 4 digits password on Apple TV. Which i can't enter without remote =)

I had a similar problem and just figured out a solution which I hope helps others. After losing two Apple remotes, I had been using Apple Remote app successfully for a couple years. Unfortunately, a few days ago, I was changing some settings and somehow messed up my connection with my Remote app. The Remote app would not recognize my Apple TV. After looking everywhere online, I finally decided to restore my Apple TV to factory settings by connecting it to my iMac via a micro USB cable. After restoring it, I connected it back up to my TV as normal. The first thing it asks is if you would like to connect to a wireless keyboard, so I connected my Apple keyboard which then gained me control of the Apple TV so that I could go into Settings and reconnect my Apple Remote app. Let me know if this helps anyone else.

So what heck are you supposed to do if you don't have a bluetooth keyboard?

This is actually VERY SIMPLE

1. If your Apple TV is not powered on, unplug for the moment.

2. Download and install the REMOTE APP on your iPhone or other iOS device running, I believe iOS 6 or higher

3. Connected to wifi, if you click on "add a device" you will see the Apple TV. Now plug your Apple TV back in and give it a moment to restart

4. Connect to Apple TV on the Remote App and in a few moments, you will be connected.

No Apple Remote, No need for other infrared remotes, nothing. All you need is your iOS device and Apple TV to set up. None of this "wired first", bluetooth keyboard wastes of time. Unplug Apple TV and plug it in again, it will restart and power up, connect via the App on your device on the same WiFi network and it REALLY is as simple as that...

I have spent thousands of pounds on apple products and nothing annoys me more than when the penny pinching ******** don’t give you an easy way of connecting one to make the other work.

This took ages to sort out but here it goes.

Using my laptop and mini usb I reset the Apple TV. Next up I had to use an Ethernet cable, plug it into the Apple TV and my laptop. (Apple TV needs to be plugged in to the mains)

Download the app ‘cidertv’ and pair the devices.

Unplug the mini usb and plug in the hdmi to the tv.

Boom boom boom your laptop is now the remote. Now take the Ethernet cable out and connect the Apple TV to the WiFi so I can connect my iPhone and use that as the remote (downloading another Apple TV remote app).

There’s probably an easier way but this worked for me 👌-1F3FB;

I know it’s almost 4 years later, but your post helped me tremendously!!! I had the same issue as you, although I didn’t have to restore my AppleTV or connect to my iMac. The reason why is because I connected my AppleTV to the Lan connection on my router and was able to use the app from my phone and get to the bluetooth setting. It was an arduous process, but your post cinched it! Thanks so much! 🙂

Ok so I lost remote a while back and then changed wifi network and had not control then to reset the Apple TV.

You basically need to setup a temporary remote (any TV remote) while Apple TV is connected via ethernet cable. I used a bluetooth keyboard to begin setup, and once temp remote was set, restart Apple TV and disconnect ethernet cable. Using temporary remote, go through settings to find wifi network, and once on and with all on same home sharing network the Apple Remote worked.

I had the same issue. http://matthopkins.com/gadgets/apple-tv-wifi-forgot-remote/ Brilliant work around. Who knew Apple TV was capable of this. Where I wanted my Apple TV was no where near my router. So I put it by the router and tv, went through the steps, added a remote from an old LG DVD player, then unplugged it and went to the other room. Worked like a boss. Thanks for the help everyone.

Had exactly the same problem. None of the above advice worked as without a remote, you're not able to control anything on Apple TV. And then an easy trick finally solved it: I plugged in a keyboard and used the arrows.

I had the same problem; we switched to a different wireless network and somehow my little apple remote disappeared as well, leaving the appleTV(3rd gen) completely useless. So I connected via ethernet and my computer monitor. The apple remote on my phone now worked again, so I was able to pair up a bluetooth keyboard and random house remote as well (Backups!). I then unplugged it from ethernet and using the newly paired keyboard, was able to enter in the wifi config. Thanks!

if you have a wireless keyboard disconnect from your Mac or PC turn off then turn it on. Apple TV will identify the Bluetooth connection and will give you a code enter the code in your keyboard and you're connected. No need to be connected to wifi or Ethernet

Can be done. All you need is your iPhone/ Ipad.

Learn how to set up your Apple TV (3rd generation) using an iOS 7 device.

With Apple TV software 6.0 or later, you can set up your Apple TV (3rd generation) by transferring the following from your iOS 7 device:

• Wi-Fi network and password
• iTunes Store account
• Language and region format preferences

System requirements

To use your iOS device to set up Apple TV, you need the following:

• Apple TV (3rd generation) using Apple TV software 6.0 or later
• One of these iOS devices using iOS 7 or later
  • iPhone 4s or later
  • iPad (3rd generation or later)
  • iPad mini
  • iPod touch (5th generation)

Setting up your Apple TV

Follow these steps to set up your Apple TV (3rd generation) using your iOS 7 device.

1. Connect your Apple TV to your television and power and wait until your Apple TV displays the setup screen.
   
2. Unlock your iOS 7 device and ensure that Bluetooth is enabled. Also ensure that you are connected to the Wi-Fi network you want to use with Apple TV.
3. Touch your iOS device to your Apple TV and wait for the prompts to appear on your iOS device and Apple TV.
   
4. Enter your Apple ID and password on your iOS device.
   
5. Choose if you want Apple TV to remember your Apple ID password, and if you want Apple TV to send data to Apple.
   This does not change your iOS device preferences.
   
6. Your Apple TV will start the configuration process, including connecting to your Wi-Fi network, activating Apple TV, and setting up your iTunes Store account.
   
7. When complete, your Apple TV is ready to use.
   

Troubleshooting tips

If you encounter an issue setting up your Apple TV using an iOS device, try the following:

• If the Automatic Setup screen doesn't appear when you touch your iOS device to the Apple TV, verify that you:
  • Have an Apple TV (3rd generation) using Apple TV software 6.0 or later.
  • Use a supported iOS device with iOS 7 or later.
    Note: iPhone 4 and iPad 2 are not supported.
  • Verify that your iPhone is unlocked and that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are on.

    If the issue persists, press the Sleep/Wake button to lock your iOS device, then press the Home button and slide to unlock and try again.

• While configuring your Apple TV, keep your iOS device within 10 to 15 feet of your Apple TV until the configuration process completes.

  If you go out of range or the setup doesn't complete, restart your Apple TV by unplugging it from power for a few seconds and then reconnecting it.

If you are still unable to set up your Apple TV with your iOS device, you can set up your Apple TV with the included remote instead.

Perfect. Thanks DJ. The Matt Hopkins solution worked for me too.

I wanted to share what worked for me because none of these suggestions did. I have an older generation apple tv 2. I did not have an ethernet cable, and I did not have a keyboard that would connect to the apple tv in any way. Somehow, I had turned off home sharing in my apple tv settings therefor, no apple remote apps would work. So, to fix this what you need is 1. an apple computer with internet access. and 2. a micro usb to usb cord. Download the app "CiderTV" from the app store on your computer. Connect the apple tv to your computer via usb cord. Follow CiderTV's instructions on how to pair it with the remote app without a physical remote. Once connected, use the CiderTV app to connect to wifi and turn on home sharing and connect remotes. I hope this makes sense. Let me know if it helps, or if you have any questions. Also, this may work with another similar app on a non-apple computer but I don't have one to test it out.