irishepherd

Q: My remote has stopped working.

I use a MacBook Pro and an Apple remote.

I have used my Apple remote for years when using Keynote to advance the slides.

I have never had a problem until now. I checked the battery and its good.

When you click the remote to advance the slide... nothing happens.

Any idea as to what has happened?

Pages, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Aug 21, 2016 4:23 PM

Close

Q: My remote has stopped working.

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by tim_135,

    tim_135 tim_135 Aug 22, 2016 12:05 PM in response to irishepherd
    Community Specialists
    Aug 22, 2016 12:05 PM in response to irishepherd

    Hello and welcome to Apple Support Communities, irishepherd. 

     

    It looks like your Apple Remote is no longer working with your MacBook Pro, specifically when attempting to advance slides in Keynote. It's never a fun experience when devices no longer work together so I can understand why you would reach out for support. I'm happy to help you get to the bottom of this! 

     

    The Apple Remote only works with your Mac when the infrared receiver option is turned on. It's very possible that it somehow was turned off in your computer. The first step in troubleshooting would be to make sure it's still turned on. Follow the steps below to check this.

     

    Turn on IR reception

    1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then click General.

    2. Click the lock icon  to unlock it, then enter an administrator name and password. 

    3. Click Advanced.

    4. In the window that appears, deselect “Disable remote control infrared receiver.”

    OS X El Capitan: If your Apple Remote isn’t working

     

    If that option is already turned on, the next step would be to restart your Mac and then try the remote again. You can restart by clicking the little  in the upper-left corner of your screen and then select Restart. If the issue persists after the restart, follow the steps in the support article below to unpair your remote from your Mac, make sure no other computer is being controlled by that remote at the same time you're trying to use it, and pair your remote back to your Mac. Once it is paired again, test out your remote. 

     

    OS X El Capitan: Pair and unpair an Apple Remote

     

    Lastly, try updating your Mac to the most recent version of the OS X you're currently on, and update Keynote as well. Both can be updated from the App Store app on your Mac using the steps in this article: Update the software on your Mac

     

    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. 

     

    Take care!