Do you have an Apple TV that is no longer responding to the Apple remote? When this happens, the battery in your remote has likely worn out. If the battery has worn out, you can either replace it or recharge it depending on the age of your remote control.
If you have the newer model of the Apple or Siri remote, you can check the battery life before you recharge it. Checking the state of the battery first will help you determine if the fault is with the battery or something else.
Read on to find out how to check the level and charge your Apple TV remote.
Table of Contents
How to Check The Status of The Battery
The Apple TV remote does not have a charge indicator. However, you can find out what the status is in just a few easy steps with your Apple TV.
Step One
To start, launch Apple TV and ensure the remote controller you are using is paired with your Apple TV.
Step Two
Next, you need to open the Settings app on the TV. From there, to find the Remote section, you need to first go to Remotes and Devices.
Step Three
Once you are in the Remote section, you should be able to see the remaining battery percentage displayed on the screen.
Other Ways to Find Out How Much Charge is Left
The rechargeable TV remote for Apple TV is designed to alert its user when the battery gets low. As the battery charge drops, it will trigger a pop-up on your TV screen. Another way to find out the charge status is to ask Siri. You can ask her to tell you the battery percentage and it will show up on the screen.
How to Charge Your Remote for Apple TV
If you have a rechargeable remote, charging it is very straightforward. all you need to do is to use the charging cable that came with the package. Simply plug the cable into a power outlet such as a wall power socket or your computer’s USB port. Note that you cannot use the USB outlet on the Apple TV to recharge the remote.
How Long Will The Charge Take And Last?
To fully charge your Apple TV remote will take about two to two and a half hours. However, this depends on the level of discharge before recharging. With normal usage, a fully charged battery should last about a month. If you use your remote to play games, then it will need charging more often.
How to Check Your Remote is Charging
This depends on the remote you have. If you have a Siri remote, it will have a lightning bolt on the icon, which is on the right of the remote.
However, since some of the remotes do not have an indicator that shows it is charging, you will get a notification on the TV when you connect the remote to a power outlet. You can use the same three steps as described above to check the recharge status.
Why is The Remote Not Charging?
All batteries, including rechargeable batteries, have a limited shelf life. When the rechargeable battery inside your remote has reached a specified number of charging cycles, it will no longer hold a charge or may not charge at all.
The first- and second-generation Apple remotes are not designed with replaceable batteries. So when the remote no longer holds the charge, you will need to replace the remote. You can replace the battery in the remotes that use a CR 2032 battery.
If your remote is no longer working, you can also use your iPhone as a remote as shown in this video.
How to Change The Apple TV Remote Battery?
If you have an older remote, you will need a replacement battery when the old one stops working. The battery used in the older remotes is a CR 2032 battery, which is a coin-shaped lithium battery with three volts. These batteries are readily available from most general retailers. The battery is located at the back or the bottom of the remote.
How you get the battery out depends on the model you have. If you have the aluminum model, you can access the battery by using a coin to open the battery cover. If you have the white remote, you will need to use a paper clip to open the battery compartment, which is at the bottom of the remote, and slide the battery tray out.
With both models, you will need to insert the new battery with the positive side of the battery facing toward you.
How to Identify Different Apple TV Remotes?
If you are not sure which type of remote you have for your Apple TV, the descriptions below will help you identify it.
3rd Generation Remote
The third-generation remotes have a touch-enabled clickpad and an aluminum silver casing. They have an internal battery, which is not replaceable by the user but can be recharged with a USB cable. The remote connects to your Apple TV with Bluetooth 5.0.
2nd Generation Remote
The second-generation remote also has an aluminum silver casing and a clickpad and uses Bluetooth 5.0. The battery is not replaceable, but you can charge it using a lightning charging cable.
1st Generation Remote
The first-generation remotes come in a black aluminum casing and instead of a clickpad have a glass touch surface. Because they are older, they use Bluetooth 4.0 rather than 5.0 to connect. The internal battery is not replaceable and you use a lightning cable to charge the remote.
Apple Remote
This version of the remote has a replaceable battery. It uses lithium 3V coin batteries. They do not have Bluetooth but instead use an IR transmitter to connect with any Apple TV although it may not work as well with newer models. The remote has a silver aluminum casing and buttons for Play and Menu with a round button for navigation.
Conclusion
When your Apple TV is running low on battery, you should get a pop-up on your screen advising you about the low charge status. However, you can check the battery status at any time by following the simple steps we have shared in this article.
If you would like to ask us anything about Apple TV remote batteries, you can write your questions in the comments box.