apple tv won't pair with macbook air

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Level 1

17 points

apple tv won't pair with macbook air

Apple TV 2 - trying to get it to pair with macbook air using bluetooth: The Apple TV continues to search with the spinning thing; the macbook air shows that it sees the apple tv, displays the 6 digit code that apple tv should then also display, but the apple tv just continues to search. After a few minutes, the macbook air returns a pairing failed statement. I've tried several times. I have rebooted both. Macbook air is now running OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Apple TV is showing version 7.0 (6897.5). Oh, I'm sitting 6 ft from the apple tv, but I moved to within 24 in and still same failure. Any help would be welcome. Thanks

Apple TV (3rd generation)

Posted on Oct 16, 2014 6:41 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 19, 2014 10:29 AM in response to new-to-apple

I'm having the exact same issue. ATV just spins and searches. My MBP find my ATV immediately. I'm 5 ft away. Driving me nuts.

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Answer 2

new-to-apple Author

Level 1

17 points

Oct 22, 2014 2:54 PM in response to George Cassello

As follow up, and for what it may be worth(likely not much), I talked to a staffer at an Apple Store the other day about this. He said this capability is meant for, and can only be used with a dedicated bluetooth keyboard. I tried this when I returned home, as my desktop iMac uses a bluetooth KB. I "unconnected" the KB from the iMac, then took it to the other room in an attempt to establish the bluetooth connection to the ATV. Still no success. And as I was attempting this, I realized that, with using the KB only, that is, no "attached screen" as with the Macbook air, I could not see how I could make a connection, because when I had previously tried to connect my Macbook Air, the Air screen was showing that it was attempting to pair with the ATV, and it displayed a 6 digit code that then was supposed to also be displayed on the TV screen attached to the ATV. If I continued to attempt to pair the dedicated KB only, how would this dedicated KB "with no screen" display a 6 digit code? So the mystery continues.

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Answer 3

new-to-apple Author

Level 1

17 points

Oct 22, 2014 6:28 PM in response to new-to-apple

As further follow up, I did get this to work. And with a dedicated bluetooth keyboard:

I found this help screen:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5633

I must not have done the steps correctly when I first tried this a few days ago.

Today, I took the KB away from my desktop iMac. I pushed and held in the power button on it for three seconds until the light went off. Then while sitting near the ATV, with the ATV selected to the bluetooth pairing screen, I powered on the KB. ATV then displayed the KB name and allowed me to select to pair it. A 4 digit code appeared on the TV screen, which I entered on the KB, then hit the enter key. It successfully paired and I was able to use it. Hope this helps if still needed.

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