Apple has allowed users to control their Apple TV using their iPhone as a remote control since iOS 12. But when we plop down in front of our TVs, we don’t reach for our phones but the TV remote. There are times when we can’t find the remote and then the search begins. The engineers at Apple also seem to have faced this issue, as iOS 17 brings the ability to find a lost Apple TV Siri remote with your iPhone.
While this new feature was perceived to work similarly to AirTag tracking in the Find My app, things are a little different. Keep reading to learn how to find your lost Apple TV Siri Remote using your iPhone in iOS 17.
Prerequisites to use this iOS 17 feature:
- Make sure iOS 17 is installed on your iPhone
- You need tvOS 17 installed on your Apple TV
- Both iPhone and Apple TV must be signed in with the same Apple ID
- Both iPhone and Apple TV must be connected to the same WiFi network
- Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, and Apple TV (3rd-Gen) are supported
How to Add Apple TV Remote to Control Center on iPhone
If you have an iPhone or iPad running on iOS 13 and higher, the Apple TV Remote icon should already added to the control center. If you don’t find the Apple TV Remote icon in the control center, you can manually add the TV remote to the control center on your device if you want to control Apple TV with your iPhone. Here’s how:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on the Control Center option in the Settings app.
- Here, scroll down to the More Controls section and tap the “+” button next to Apple TV Remote.
Locate Lost Apple TV Remote with iPhone Running iOS 17
Now that you have added the Apple TV remote icon to your iPhone’s Control Center, you have fulfilled all the prerequisites we listed above. You are now all set to find your lost Apple TV Siri remote with this new iOS 17 feature. Here’s how it works:
- Swipe down from the top right on your iPhone’s screen to access the Control Center.
- Here, tap the Apple TV Remote icon at the bottom (added to the control center in the previous section).
- Once your iPhone successfully connects to your Apple TV, tap the Apple TV name at the top center.
- Now, tap the Find button next to your Apple TV’s name.
Now, this is where things take a different route as compared to AirTag tracking. Unlike the Find My app, you won’t see any arrows directing you in the direction of your Apple TV remote. Instead, you will see two concentric circles, with blue being the outer one and white being the central, inner one.
While finding your Apple TV Remote, your iPhone will give you continuous haptic feedback, indicating that the remote finding process is in progress.
The radius of both the blue and white circles will change depending on how close you are to your Apple TV Remote. If you’re far from your Apple TV remote, you won’t see a blue circle on your iPhone, and the radius of the white circle will be at its smallest. You will also see the “Far” text at the bottom of the screen
Now, when you move toward the Apple TV remote, the radius of the white circle will start increasing, and it will start pulsating faster. This indicates that you are moving in the right direction.
Once the white circle radius reaches its maximum, you will see the blue circle appear and expand out from the white circle. Moreover, as you keep moving toward the Apple TV remote, the blue circle will grow along with a text that the Apple TV remote is Near. The Near text will change to “Here” once your Apple TV remote is located, and the haptic feedback will also stop.
That’s it; you will no longer need to run around the house or look in each crevice of your couch to find a lost Apple TV Siri remote. This is one of my favorite iOS 17 features. What is yours? Share your opinion in the comments below.
