The Apple TV remote looks nice and all, but admit that there have been times when you have lost it under the couch or between the cushions and then spent hours looking for it. But did you know that your Apple TV remote isn’t the only thing to control the Apple TV? You can do it with your iPhone as well. So in this guide, we’re going to show how to control your Apple TV with an iPhone.
Access Apple TV Remote from iPhone Control Centre
The first step in the process is to add the Apple TV Remote tile to your phone’s Control Centre. This will give you quick access to the Remote shortcut, and you can bring it up quickly without digging into settings. Here’s how to do it:
- On your iPhone, swipe down from the top right to bring up the Control Centre (on devices with the home button, swipe up from the bottom).
- Long-press on an empty space and then tap on Add a control.
- Now, scroll down to the “Remote” section and tap on the Remote tile.
This will add the Apple TV Remote shortcut to the iPhone Control Centre. You can also access it by searching “Remote” in the Spotlight search. Just don’t get it confused with the Calculator shortcut!
Set Up Apple TV Remote on iPhone
Now that you have added an Apple TV shortcut to your iPhone, it is time to connect and set up the Apple TV with your iPhone so it can work as a remote. Here are the steps:
- Make sure that your iPhone and the Apple TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Then, launch the Control Centre and tap on the Remote tile.
- Tap on Choose a TV and select the option that appears.
- A 4-digit code will appear on the TV screen. Enter this code on your iPhone.
This will connect your iPhone to the Apple TV. If you have more than one TV in your household, you can easily switch between them. If you are unable to connect, then restarting both devices can sometimes resolve the issue.
Control Your Apple TV on iPhone
Once you have perfectly set up the Remote on your iOS device, you can use it to control your Apple TV. The iPhone Remote mimics the controls of the Siri remote, allowing you to easily navigate your Apple TV and access the contextual menu. Here’s a look at some of the key controls:
- Touch Area: This is the large square area to navigate apps and content. Just swipe left, right, or up/down in the touch area to browse through the UI.
- Back Button: Tapping on the Back button takes you back to the previous screen.
- Home Button: This button, located below the touchpad, has a TV icon and takes you back to the Apple TV home. You can double-tap it to open recent apps.
- Play/Pause Button: Use this button to play audio/video and pause it.
- Power Button: Long pressing this button will turn off Apple TV and all connected devices.
- Mute Button: Press this button to mute the sound coming from your Apple TV.
- Launch Siri: Press and hold your iPhone’s power button to launch Siri on your Apple TV.
This is how you can effectively use your iPhone to control your Apple TV. The iPhone remote app can do nearly everything the Siri Remote can do, including searching for content, launching Siri, adjusting the volume, and more. What do you prefer using? The Apple TV Remote, or the iPhone remote app? Let us know in the comments!
Also, did you know you can use your iPhone to color balance your Apple TV? Check it out, and get even better-looking content on your TV!
