To use your Apple TV remote, swipe its clickpad or touch surface to highlight an item, click to select it, and press Play/Pause to pause or resume playback. Press Back on a silver remote or Menu on a black remote to return to the previous screen. Hold that same button to reach the Home Screen.
The silver second and third generation remotes have a circular clickpad, while the black first generation remote has a touch surface. The basic controls below cover both designs; settings identified as tvOS 27 apply to Apple TV 4K second and third generations.
The short version
- Select an item: Highlight it, then click the clickpad center or the black remote’s touch surface.
- Go home: Hold Back on a silver remote or Menu on a black remote.
- Switch apps: Double-press TV/Control Center, swipe to an app, then click to open it.
- Use Siri: Where Siri is available on Apple TV 4K, hold Siri/Search while speaking, then release it.
- Use your phone: Connect your iPhone and Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi network, open Apple TV Remote in Control Center, and select your television.
| Remote | Move and select | Return home |
|---|---|---|
| Silver second generation | Press the clickpad ring or swipe, then click the center | Hold Back |
| Silver third generation | Press the clickpad ring or swipe, then click the center | Hold Back |
| Black first generation | Swipe or tap the touch surface, then click it | Hold Menu |
| iPhone or iPad controlling Apple TV 4K | Swipe the touch area, then tap to select | Hold Back |
Move around and open apps
On a silver remote, press a direction on the clickpad ring or swipe across the clickpad to move the highlight. Click the center to select an app, setting, or other item. On Apple TV 4K with tvOS 27, holding the center reveals additional options, and you can move through lists by swiping, holding a direction, or circling your finger around the ring.
With the black remote, swipe or tap the touch surface to move, then click it to select. Press Menu to go back or wake Apple TV. Holding Menu takes you to the Home Screen, just as holding Back does on the silver remote.
Double-press TV/Control Center to see your open apps, swipe between them, and click the app you want. To close an app, swipe upward on its preview. A single press of TV/Control Center opens the Apple TV app where available; on Apple TV 4K with tvOS 27, you can change that destination to the Home Screen.
Pair your remote with Apple TV
If your remote already controls Apple TV, you can keep using its buttons. To connect a replacement or a remote that needs pairing, point it toward Apple TV from about three inches away.
Pairing another physical remote replaces the existing physical remote’s pairing. Press and hold Back + Volume Up together, using Menu instead of Back on the black remote. If Apple TV asks you to, place the remote on top of the box to finish pairing.
Pause video and find the right moment
During playback on Apple TV 4K, press Play/Pause or click the clickpad center or touch surface to pause or resume. Press Left or Right to skip backward or forward 10 seconds. Hold a direction for continuous seeking, then press repeatedly to change speed; the behavior depends on the playback app.
For a larger jump, pause the video and swipe horizontally to choose a new position. Press Play/Pause to continue from there, or press Back or Menu to cancel. With a silver remote and supported video playback, you can also pause and circle your finger around the clickpad ring for more precise seeking.
To reveal supported video controls with a silver remote, rest your finger on the clickpad or press Up on its ring. In the Apple TV app on Apple TV 4K with tvOS 27, swipe up and select Subtitles, then choose a language or caption option. Press Back to hide the controls.
For sound adjustments in that app, reveal the controls and select Audio Options. Depending on the content, hardware, and audio output, you can choose Enhance Dialogue, Reduce Loud Sounds, or Audio Track. Other streaming apps can use different playback controls.
Search with Siri and enter text
On Apple TV 4K with Siri enabled, hold Siri/Search, make your request, then release the button. During supported playback, say Pause this or Skip forward 90 seconds. You can also say What did she just say? to move back 10 seconds and temporarily show subtitles.
To search inside a supported app, briefly press Siri/Search, then hold it while dictating your search. For a text field, highlight the field and hold Siri/Search while speaking. Siri, dictation, language, and app support vary by region; where Siri is unavailable, holding Siri/Search opens Search.
You can also enter text on Apple TV 4K with the onscreen keyboard by highlighting and selecting each character. Press Play/Pause to cycle through lowercase letters, uppercase letters, and symbols. Hold a character to reveal accented alternatives, or select the Language button to switch between configured languages.
Control power and volume
With a silver remote, hold Power to wake Apple TV and turn on your television. Hold it again to put Apple TV to sleep and turn off the television. Press Volume Up or Volume Down to adjust sound, and press Mute to silence or restore audio; television power and audio control depend on your equipment and configuration.
On Apple TV 4K with tvOS 27, hold TV/Control Center to open Control Center, then select Power Off to put Apple TV to sleep. This also gives you a power control when your remote lacks a dedicated Power button. Select Sleep Timer and a duration for automatic sleep, or select Audio to choose speakers or headphones.
To cancel a sleep timer, return to Sleep Timer and select Cancel Timer. Press Back or Menu to close Control Center.
If television power control needs configuring, open Settings > Remotes and Devices on Apple TV 4K. Under Home Theater Control, select Control TVs and Receivers when using a receiver, or select Turn On Your TV with Your Remote otherwise. Compatible television or receiver equipment is required.
For volume setup on Apple TV 4K, open Settings > Remotes and Devices > Volume Control. Choose Auto, HDMI, Receiver via IR, TV via IR, or Off to match your equipment and preferred behavior. HDMI volume control requires compatible HDMI-CEC equipment, while infrared control requires a compatible television or receiver.
If you need to teach volume commands for compatible infrared equipment, select Learn New Device within Volume Control. Follow the prompts using the equipment’s original remote. Keep the infrared path to the television or receiver unobstructed.
Make the controls easier to use
On Apple TV 4K with a silver remote, open Settings > Remotes and Devices > Clickpad. Choose Click Only to disable swiping, or Click and Touch to enable it. Under Remotes and Devices > Touch Surface Tracking, choose Fast, Medium, or Slow; that tracking adjustment also applies to the black touch-surface remote.
To make the television button open the Home Screen on Apple TV 4K with tvOS 27, open Settings > Remotes and Devices > TV Button and select Home Screen. Choose Apple TV app to use that destination instead. For lighter directional input on the same system with a silver remote, open Settings > Accessibility and enable Tap to Navigate, then tap the directional areas and continue pressing the center to select.
Set up your iPhone or iPad as a remote
Connect your iPhone or iPad and Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K to the same Wi-Fi network. In the current iPhone or iPad interface, open Control Center > Add Controls > Add a Control > Remote. Open Apple TV Remote, select your television, and enter the four-digit pairing code when requested.
On iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 and later, you can also open Apple TV Remote from the Home Screen or App Library. If the app is missing, install or restore Apple TV Remote from Apple’s App Store listing. The iPhone and iPad versions require iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 or later.
When controlling Apple TV 4K, swipe the remote’s touch area to move, tap to select, and hold for additional options. Tap Back to return one screen or hold it for Home. Double-tap TV to switch apps, or hold TV for Control Center.
During playback, use Play/Pause, Skip Back, Skip Forward, and Subtitles when those controls appear. Their availability depends on the app and playback state. Hold your device’s Side button to use Siri.
The volume controls in the Control Center remote require Apple TV to use a HomePod, soundbar, or other supported AirPlay-compatible speakers. Otherwise, use your television’s own remote for volume. On an iPhone with iOS 27, you can replace swiping with buttons by opening Settings > Accessibility > Apple TV Remote and turning on Directional Buttons.
Check the battery and charge your remote
Open Settings > Remotes and Devices > Remote to view Battery Level. First and second generation Siri Remotes charge through Lightning, while the third generation remote uses USB-C. Connect the appropriate cable to a computer or USB power adapter.
A full charge takes approximately three hours. You can keep using the remote while it charges.
Fix a remote that stops responding
For an unresponsive remote, check its charge, then restart the remote by holding TV/Control Center + Volume Down for about five seconds, until Apple TV’s light turns off and back on. Release the buttons, wait five to ten seconds, and press a button. If it fails to reconnect, repeat the pairing steps above.
On tvOS 18 or later, you can check connection strength by opening Settings > Remotes and Devices > Remote and reading the Bluetooth RSSI signal strength indicator on that screen. If Apple TV 4K itself needs restarting, open Settings > System > Restart. When you cannot use the interface, disconnect Apple TV from power for five seconds and reconnect it.
If an organization manages your Apple TV, its restrictions can block phone remote control, prevent sleep, or keep you inside one app. Ask its administrator to review the Pair with Remote app, Prevent Apple TV from going to sleep, and App Lock restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you find a misplaced Apple TV remote?
For a second generation or later Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote, open Control Center > Apple TV Remote on an iPhone with iOS 17 or later. Tap the Apple TV name at the top, then tap Find for its remote. Move around to establish a connection, follow the distance indicator, and tap Close when finished.
Can you type on Apple TV using your iPhone keyboard?
Yes, you can use a Continuity-compatible iPhone or iPad as a keyboard for Apple TV 4K when both devices are signed into the same Apple Account. Enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the phone or tablet. When Apple TV displays a text field, tap the keyboard notification on your other device and type.
Can an Apple Watch control Apple TV?
Yes, to control Apple TV 4K with the Remote app in watchOS 27, first make sure the paired iPhone has joined Apple TV’s Wi-Fi network. Open Remote on the watch, select your Apple TV or tap Add, and enter the passcode shown on the watch to finish pairing. Swipe to move, tap to select, and rotate the Digital Crown to adjust volume.
How do you start the Apple TV screen saver with the remote?
On Apple TV 4K, highlight the leftmost app in the Home Screen’s top row, then press Back or Menu. While the screen saver runs, tap the touch area for information or swipe right for another visual. On Apple TV 4K second generation or later, you can also swipe up to choose a category. Click the center to exit.
How do you set up an accessibility shortcut on the remote?
On Apple TV 4K with tvOS 27, open Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut and select the features you want. Triple-press Back or Menu to toggle a single enabled feature or display the shortcut list when you have selected several. You can also hold TV/Control Center, select Accessibility, and select a shortcut.