Your Apple TV remote is missing, and you need a way to track it down. For a compatible remote, your iPhone’s built-in finder gives you visual guidance as you get closer. Start with that, then try an attached tracker or use your phone to keep watching while you search.
Find your Apple TV remote with your iPhone
The built-in finder works with a second-generation or later Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote. It requires an iPhone running iOS 17 or later and an Apple TV running tvOS 17 or later.
Open Control Center on your iPhone.
Tap Apple TV Remote.
Open the device list at the top.
Tap Find beside the remote for the relevant Apple TV.
Move around until your iPhone connects to the remote.
Follow the expanding circle and proximity feedback to narrow down its location.
Close the finder once you have the remote in hand.
First-generation Siri Remotes and aluminum or white Apple Remotes do not support this finder. An unsupported, unreachable, or unpowered remote needs a manual search unless it has a working tracker attached.
Add the missing Remote control
On iOS 18 or later, open Control Center and use Add Controls (+) > Add a Control to reach the control picker.
Add Remote by searching for it and selecting the result.
On iOS 17, go to Settings > Control Center and tap Add (+) next to Apple TV Remote.
On iOS 27, Apple TV Remote also opens from the Home Screen or App Library. Its Apple TV device selector gives you access to Find for a compatible remote.
If that app is missing, install or restore Apple TV Remote, published by Apple, from the App Store. The separate iPhone app requires iOS 27 or later; the Control Center finder requires iOS 17 or later.
Get connected before trying again
If your phone cannot connect to Apple TV, work through these checks before returning to the finder.
- 1.On your iPhone, open Settings > Wi-Fi. Using a working alternative controller, check Settings > Network on Apple TV and connect both devices to the same network.
- 2.Back up your iPhone and connect it to power and Wi-Fi. Open Settings > General > Software Update and select the offered update control, such as Download and Install.
- 3.On Apple TV, use a working controller to open Settings > System > Software Updates > Update Software. Select Download and Install when an update is offered.
- 4.Restart your iPhone and Apple TV if the connection still fails.
- 5.Return to Apple TV Remote, open the device list, and select Find beside the relevant remote. Move around to establish a connection with the physical remote.
Track an AirTag already attached to the remote
This option works only if an AirTag or supported Find My accessory was already registered and attached to your remote. The location and finding controls belong to that tracker.
Open Find My.
Select the attached tracker under Items.
Check its location on the map.
Use Directions to reach that location, opening More first if you do not see it.
Open More if the nearby finding controls are not visible.
Use the available Play or Find action to locate the tracker nearby. Available actions depend on your device and accessory.
If the tracker cannot currently be located, enable Notify When Found under Notifications on its item page.
Allow notifications from Find My so the alert can reach you.
For Siri-assisted finding, ask Siri to find the attached AirTag using its registered name.
Follow the audible alert when it is nearby.
A tracker must be configured and attached before the remote goes missing. Buying one now will not locate a remote that is already lost.
Ring a Tile attached to your remote
A previously activated Tile, including Tile Sticker, can ring while connected within Bluetooth range. Start the sound with Find on the remote’s tracker page in the Tile app.
Follow the sound or the rings around the tracker’s image. The rings fill as you approach and fade as you move away.
Tap Done to stop the ringing once you find it.
When the tracker is out of range and Find is unavailable, enable network alerts through Notify When Found > Done. A network detection supplies the location to return to for another attempt with Find.
Keep watching with your phone
Your iPhone or iPad restores control of Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K while the remote is missing.
Open Control Center.
Tap Apple TV Remote.
Select your television.
Enter the displayed four-digit pairing code when prompted.
Use the onscreen controls to operate Apple TV while you continue searching.
Pair a replacement if the remote stays lost
If a manual search and any attached tracker cannot recover your remote, pair a compatible replacement Siri Remote with Apple TV 4K.
Turn on Apple TV.
Hold the replacement remote approximately 3–4 inches from the front of Apple TV.
Hold Volume Up and Back together for two seconds. On an older remote, use Menu instead of Back.
Wait for the pairing confirmation. Pairing the replacement automatically unpairs the previous remote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a lost Apple TV remote beep?
Not on its own. Apple’s finder guides you to an untagged Siri Remote with an onscreen circle that grows as you get closer, plus far, near, and here labels. For an audible alert, the remote needs a previously attached tracker, such as an AirTag or Tile.
Can I find my Apple TV remote through Find My or iCloud.com?
The remote itself is not a native Find My tracked item. An attached AirTag is located through the Find My app, and cannot be located through iCloud.com/find.
Can I find an Apple TV remote with an Android phone?
Apple offers no native Android method for locating the physical remote. If a 2016 or newer Tile is attached to it and linked to your Life360 account, open Life360 for Android (version 24.11.0 or later), tap that Tile, and tap Find to ring it within Bluetooth range. Life360 needs Bluetooth, Nearby Devices, and precise location access allowed. If the Tile is not linked to Life360, use Find in the Tile app instead.
Can an iPad find the physical remote?
Use an iPhone with iOS 17 or later, because Apple builds the remote finder for iPhone. The Apple TV Remote app also runs on iPad: open it, tap your Apple TV’s name at the top, and use Find if it appears beside the remote. If it does not appear, switch to an iPhone.