This article on how to use your Apple TV 4K without a remote is a complete guide to getting the most out of your Apple TV even if you have misplaced the remote.
The thing about the Apple TV 4K remote is that it’s quite small in size and tends to go out of sight in no time.
But misplacing your Apple TV 4K remote does not necessarily mean it’s the end of the world. I have figured out a couple of temporary solutions that can help you navigate your TV and control your Apple TV 4K without a remote.
Let me take you through what you can do if you’ve lost or forgotten your Apple TV 4K remote.
- Use the Apple TV Home App on your iPhone with Wi-Fi
- Use The Apple TV Home App On Your iPhone Without Wi-Fi
- Use A Remote To Control Your Apple TV 4K
- Use A Keyboard And Mouse To Control The Apple TV
- Reset Apple TV without a Remote
How to Use Your Apple TV 4K Without a Remote
The Apple TV 4K device works on a Wi-Fi network, so when you’re setting up the device for the first time you will require the remote to set up your Wi-Fi credentials and navigate the device.
The thing about losing the remote is that you will not be able to navigate the menus or control the Apple TV, though your device will still power on and connect to the Wi-Fi.
After trying out a number of solutions, these three have proven to work successfully. So, without further adieu, here’s how you can control and navigate your Apple TV 4K even when your remote is lost.
How to Use The Apple TV Home App On Your iPhone With Wi-Fi
If you’ve misplaced your Apple TV 4K remote at home and if your iPhone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network, you can use your phone as a temporary remote control by opening the Apple TV remote in the Control Center.
You can follow these steps to connect your iPhone to your Apple TV 4K.
- Start by launching the Control Center on your iPhone
- Tap on the Apple TV remote option
- Select your Apple TV or Smart TV from the list of options
- Follow the instructions and enter the passcode to connect the phone to your Apple TV device.
Now, your iPhone will be connected to the Apple TV 4K and you will gain access to a digital remote control which you can use to navigate the interface and control what’s playing. You even get access to the Setting section of the Apple TV 4K remote, and even channel option as well as a touchpad to navigate the direction of flow.
It’s a decent app which covers pretty much everything and can do whatever the remote could. It’s a great solution only if you’ve misplaced the remote at home or if you’re too lazy to fetch it.
How to Use The Apple TV Home App On Your iPhone Without Wi-Fi
For those who don’t have Wi-Fi at home or if you’re setting up the Apple TV 4K at a place with no wireless connection, you can try out this method by manually creating a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Follow these steps:
- Start by opening the Settings App on your iPhone and proceed to setup a Personal hotspot.
- Proceed to rename the hotspot (make sure the name of the hotspot matches the Wi-Fi name your Apple TV 4K was previously connected to).
- Now change the password of the hotspot to the same password that your Apple TV 4K was connected to earlier. The reason we’re doing this is to make sure that Apple TV 4K connects automatically to the hotspot and would require any user intervention.
- Enable the toggle Allow Others to Join and save the settings.
- Since you managed to start your hotspot with the appropriate configuration, restart your Apple TV 4K. It should automatically get connected to your newly created hotspot.
Once you have successfully set up the hotspot and App, you will be able to navigate and perform any task on your Apple TV 4K device without having the remote around.
If you do receive a new Wi-Fi connection, you can change the Wi-Fi settings on the Apple TV device by navigating through the following:
- Open the “Settings” section on the Apple TV device.
- Scroll till you come across “Network”.
- Choose the appropriate Wi-Fi network.
- Enter the Password to pair the device with your new Wi-Fi connection.
How to Use A Remote To Control Your Apple TV 4K
Use a Network Based Remote
Start by connecting the remote to your Home app, you can follow these steps:
- Launch the Home app and tap on the Add button
- Click on add accessory and then go through the onscreen instructions
- Once you follow these steps, you will be presented with an 8-digit code. Enter the code in the app to pair the remote with your Apple TV 4K device.
Remember to change the name of the remote to something you will remember. This is so that Siri can recognize your commands and act accordingly.
Use an Infrared Remote
To use an infrared remote with your Apple TV 4K you will need to open the Settings app on your Apple TV device and then head to Remotes and Devices. Click on the option labeled Learn Remote and then follow the onscreen instructions.
How to Use A Keyboard And Mouse To Control The Apple TV 4K
Finally, if none of the other methods work then you can resort to using a computer keyboard and mouse to control the Apple TV 4K. You can use either a wired or wireless keyboard and mouse with your Apple TV and it works flawlessly.
All you’d have to do is purchase a Micro USB splitter and connect your mouse and keyboard to the Apple TV. You can get one for cheap on sites like Amazon.
How to Reset Apple TV without a Remote?
Luckily for Apple TV users there are 2 easy ways you can reset your Apple TV if you have lost your remote.
Via your iOS Device
You can now easily reset your Apple TV directly from your iPhone/iPad.
- Download and install the Apple TV remote app from the App Store.
- Ensure the iPhone and Apple TV are connected to the same network.
- Launch the app and proceed to add the Apple TV.
- Enter your 4-digit code to authenticate the Apple TV.
- Now go to Settings > System > Reset to factory reset your Apple TV without a remote.
Via your Computer
You can also use iTunes on your PC/Mac to reset your Apple TV password.
- Remove all the cables connected to your Apple TV and launch iTunes on your PC/Mac.
- Connect the Apple TV to your computer and then locate the device in iTunes.
- Head to Summary > Apple TV > Restore Apple TV to reset the device to its factory settings.
Takeaway
Losing your Apple TV 4K remote is something that should not be taken too seriously as it’s going to keep happening unless you tag it up to something at home.
These solutions work wonders and help you save time trying to figure out what to do next. Trust me, the easiest solution is to download the Apple TV 4K App onto your smartphone so you can control your Apple TV 4K TV anytime from anywhere (within Wi-Fi range).
I hope these methods were able to work for you and proved to be helpful as they did for me when I managed to misplace my remote.
