How to Turn on an Apple TV Without a Remote Controller and Control It with an iOS Device

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You can not find any physical buttons on your Apple TV to turn it on. If you want to turn it on, then you have to use the Apple Remote or Siri Remote.

Let’s assume you lose the remote controller. Then you will not be able to turn on your Apple TV. Luckily there are ways to turn it on without a remote. Moreover, you can use your iOS device as a temporary controller to control your Apple TV.

Let’s see how to do that.

How to switch on your Apple TV without a remote Controller?

  1. Check whether you have set your television to the same HDMI input that your Apple TV is plugged into.
  2. Unplug the Apple TV.
  3. Plug it again. When you do that, the Apple logo will appear on the TV screen for a short time and then the screen will go blank. The “on” light in your Apple TV will start to blink in white too.
  4. The Home Screen of Apple TV will appear in a moment.

Now you can pair your iOS device to use as a makeshift remote until you buy a new one.

How to use your iOS device (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch) as a remote for your Apple TV?

We are going to explain the two main methods here. But before starting the process, the below requirements should be fulfilled.

  • To successfully pair your device, your iOS device and your Apple TV should be on the same Wi-Fi network.
  • Apple TV and your iOS device should be updated to the latest version.

Method 1: Using the Apple TV Remote App

You have to download and install the Apple TV Remote app on your iOS device to function as the Apple TV remote. There are two simple ways to connect your Apple TV and your iOS device through the Apple TV Remote app. The first one is with Home Sharing and the second one is without Home Sharing. This second method is useful when you use two different Apple accounts for your Apple TV and the iOS device.

Let’s discuss both methods step by step.

Method 1.1 How to pair your iOS device with your Apple TV as a remote with Home Sharing?

  1. Open Settings on your Apple TV.
  2. Click on the option named “Accounts”. (On some models and operating systems, this option is named as “Users and Accounts”.)
  3. Click on “Home Sharing”.
  4. If you have not connected your Apple TV to an Apple account, then it will prompt you to enter your Apple ID and password when you click on the “Home Sharing” option. Enter your login credentials and then click on “Sign In”.
  5. Download and install the Apple TV Remote app on your iOS device.
  6. Launch the remote app. You can see the “Add Apple TV” option. Click on the Apple TV. Your Apple TV and the iOS device will be automatically connected using Home Sharing if they both are connected to the same Apple account.

Method 1.2 How to pair your iOS device with your Apple TV as a remote without Home Sharing?

  1. Download and install Apple TV Remote app on your iOS device.
  2. Launch the Remote app and click on “Add Apple TV”.
  3. You will ask to enter a four-digit code shown on your Apple TV. Type in the code.
  4. Now your iOS device is paired with the Apple TV as a remote.

Now it’s time to see how to use the paired iOS device as a remote.

How to use the paired iOS device as the Apple TV remote?

You can see the Apple TV menu, play buttons, and a blank space above the menu in the Remote app on your iOS device. That blank space works as a trackpad. The layout of the remote on your iOS device is similar to the standard Apple TV remote layout.

  • To move the cursor to the left, you have to slide left on the trackpad of the Remote app while sliding right, up and down will move the cursor to right, up and down respectively.
  • To click on something, tap the center of the trackpad to select.
  • It is easier to directly type in search terms on your iOS device using its keyboard than typing letter-by-letter on the Apple TV remote.

Method 2: Adding your iOS device to Control Center

Note: The iOS version of your device should be iOS12 or later to make use of your iOS device as a remote using this method.

  1. Go to Settings and select the “Control Center” option.
  2. Select “Customize Controls”.
  3. Click on the “Add” button next to the “Apple TV Remote” under “More Controls”. Now your iOS device is successfully added to the Control Center.
  4. Launch Control Center.
  5. Click on the tvOS icon.
  6. You will be prompted to enter 4 digit code shown on the Apple TV. Enter it.
  7. Chose the Apple TV that you want to turn on or control.
  8. You can wake up the Apple TV that has gone to the Sleep Mode by tapping on the virtual control area in the Control Center widget on your iOS device.

The Bottom Line

If the remote is broken or misplaced then you can turn on your Apple TV by just plugging it in. If it is in the Sleep Mode, unplug and plug it back to wake it up. Apart from plugging, you can turn it on and off by adding your iOS device to the Control Center and using it as a remote.

Moreover, you can pair your iOS device to use it as a temporary remote controller through Apple TV Remote app too. There are two ways to connect your iOS device and Apple TV through the Remote app. Once your iOS device is paired with your Apple TV, you can use the menu and play buttons on your iOS device. Moreover, you can swipe on the trackpad of the Remote app and search using the keyboard of your iOS device.

If you have any issues related to these methods, feel free to mention them in the comment section. We are here to help you to fix them. And don’t forget to share any other methods that you know with us too.

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