Over the past few months, a large number of Apple TV users have experienced connectivity issues with the Siri Remote. Despite growing complaints, Apple still hasn’t rolled out a fix for these issues, even in the recent tvOS 16.3 and tvOS 16.3.1 updates.
Apple TV + Siri Remote connectivity issues
Apple released a new version of the Apple TV 4K last fall, adding a new A15 Bionic chip inside, support for HDR 10+ and a new Siri Remote with USB-C for loading. Other than the switch to USB-C, the Siri Remote included with the 2022 version of the Apple TV 4K is identical to the previous generation.
There is innumerable son on Reddit And Apple support website complaining about connectivity issues between the Apple TV and the Siri Remote. The problems seem exclusive to the Siri Remote with USB-C, which Apple also sells as a standalone accessory for users of previous-generation Apple TV models.
Users say that Siri Remote regularly disconnects from their Apple TV, without any sort of pattern or explanation. These users say that the Siri Remote will disconnect while the Apple TV is playing something, usually a few minutes after the remote has been used to initiate that playback.
A Reddit user explains:
I thought the remote might be dead, so I charged for a few hours. Then the remote showed in the top corner as “connected”, then 30 seconds later it disconnects. It cycled several times over the next few minutes. I restarted Apple TV, then it reconnected, without thinking about it. Now two days later, same thing. It requires a full restart of Apple TV for it to connect. All the while, I could use the control center remote on my iPhone with no problem.
Still no fix or acknowledgment from Apple
The latest Apple TV 4K and USB-C Siri Remote were released in November. Since then, Apple has released several tvOS 16 updates, including tvOS 16.1.1, tvOS 16.2, tvOS 16.3, and tvOS 16.3. However, none of these updates managed to fix these issues.
Twitter user @aaronp613 also points out that the Siri USB-C Remote itself hasn’t received a firmware update since its initial launch in November.
The lack of an official fix, not to mention Apple’s lack of acknowledgment, of this issue only makes Apple TV users more frustrated. Complaints continue to accumulate on social networks, and yet Apple is silent.
A user on Reddit writes:
While using the iOS Remote app is better than having no way to engage the ATV, this is a pain point for me. One of the main reasons I bought this model was the “improved” remote design. Consider me an unhappy customer.
If you’re having these connectivity issues with your Apple TV and Siri Remote, we’ve got a guide on different things. that might solve the problem (although temporarily). One theory suggested that swapping out the HDMI cable used with your Apple TV would fix the problem, but it turned out to be true.
In my experience, the issue seems exclusive to the USB-C version of the Siri Remote. I recently upgraded to the 2022 Apple TV 4K, but because I was experiencing all these connectivity bugs, I delayed pairing the new remote. Instead, I just use my old Lightning version of the Siri Remote with the new Apple TV, and everything works normally. It’s far from an ideal solution, but it’s something to try if you have an old remote.
Having Siri Remote connectivity issues with your Apple TV? What model of Siri Remote and Apple TV do you have? Let us know in the comments.
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