Can you use an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard with the Apple TV 4th Gen?

Ian SF wrote:

Kind of mind blowing that Apple TV 4 doesn't have bluetooth keyboard support, unlike all previous gen Apple TVs.

However a good work-around is to use the Apple Remote app on an iPhone or iPad, which provides a soft keyboard for entering long text such as app passwords.

No, not "unlike all the previous gen Apple TVs". Only the second and third generation supported keyboards.

Hello!

Probably like most of you here I ended up in this thread when looking for a solution of how to link my keyboard to the AppleTV 4. I cannot believe that the new AppleTV really wants us to use the remote to fill in all the passwords. It'll drive me mad logging into all my apps after installation.

Please Apple, fix this quick. I have 3 older devices and I rather use these now than having to fiddle with the remote.

According to news reports, Bluetooth keyboard support is included in the 9.2 update Released to devs today - no word on consumer release...

http://9to5mac.com/2016/01/12/tvos-9-2-podcasts-app-folders-app-switcher-video/

http://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/11/apple-first-tvos-9-2-beta/

Update: after going though the pain of pairing my iPad via Apple's App Remote I can use the iPad for typing and going through the menu, which is easy and good to use. It's not as easy as just grabbing the keyboard but miles better than having to go through entering passwords via the small remote control of the AppleTV. Try it!

This may have already been mentioned, but it you can link a bluetooth keyboard to your iPhone or iPad and then use the Apple Remote app on iPhone (and I assume iPad -- haven't tried yet) and then use the bluetooth keyboard for typing on Apple TV 4. A little complicated but better than using the remote supplied with the Apple TV 4

Thanks for the link to Apple feedback! That'll allow us to get more of our frustration to Apple instead of just venting amongst ourselves.

Just sent my "feedback" on how insanely ridiculous it is that they KNOW that two of their latest BLUETOOTH products aren't compatible.

Who at Apple was thinking this was ok?

It worked with the last generation of Apple TVs. Why get rid of that feature with the new version??

Looks like there IS a way to get your Bluetooth keyboard to work with the Apple 4th Gen TV...a little bit of a workaround, but I just got it to work for me.

The Apple TV now works with the 'Remote app' on iOS (iPhone/ iPad etc) which you have to grab first.

Select the Remote App listing in the Settings of Apple TV (not the Bluetooth selection)

Then pair your keyboard with your iOS device.

After that, your keyboard will work. You'll basically be going from your keyboard - to iOS device - to Apple TV.

Here's the how-to that describes it better if that was hard to follow...

http://www.groovypost.com/howto/pair-bluetooth-keyboard-new-apple-tv/

Would really like it if they came up with an update that allowed for directly connecting to the TV, but I guess that would just make too much sense.

Good luck~

Awesome! This issue seems to be fixed as of earlier today!

Just installed the 9.2 update and can confirm the Apple wireless keyboard works over Bluetooth - found the keyboard almost instantly but took a few attempts to key in the 4-digit code to complete pairing.

So glad this works now! Could not believe how such a vital functionality worked on previous models but was left out on Apple TV 4.