Pairing and unpairing the Apple Remote

To pair your Apple TV with a remote

1. Choose Settings > General > Remotes from the main Apple TV menu.
2. Choose Pair Apple Remote.

Or, you can press and hold the Menu and Next/Fast-forward buttons on the white Apple Remote, or hold the Menu and right buttons on the aluminum Apple Remote, for 6 seconds to pair.
When you’ve successfully paired your Apple Remote, Apple TV displays a chainlink symbol ( ) above an icon of a remote. Once paired, your Apple TV will only accept general use commands from the paired remote. You can also unpair an Apple Remote as described in the next section.

To unpair your Apple TV from a remote

You can use any Apple Remote to unpair Apple TV from a remote. Note: If you lose the Apple Remote that you paired with Apple TV, a replacement remote will not work until you unpair Apple TV from the lost remote.
Press and hold the Menu and Previous/Rewind buttons on a white Apple Remote for 6 seconds, or the Menu and Left buttons on an aluminum Apple Remote for 6 seconds.
You can also use these steps:

1. Choose Settings > General > Remotes from the Apple TV main menu.
2. Choose Unpair Apple Remote.

When you’ve successfully unpaired a remote, Apple TV displays a broken chainlink symbol () above a picture of a remote. You can now pair Apple TV with a different remote.

Pairing your Apple Wireless Keyboard with Apple TV

System requirements 

Apple TV (2nd generation or later)

Apple TV Software 5.2 or later

Apple Wireless Keyboard 

Third-party Bluetooth keyboards that use the Apple keyboard layout may also be compatible. Check with the keyboard manufacturer for additional information.


The original Apple Wireless Keyboard (2003), that features a white case and uses four AA batteries, is not compatible.

To pair your keyboard with Apple TV:

1. Turn on your keyboard and if necessary ensure that it is discoverable. A blinking LED indicates that the Apple Wireless Keyboard is in the discoverable mode.
   • When using third-party devices, check with the keyboard manufacturer for additional information.
2. On your Apple TV, select Settings > General > Bluetooth.
3. Select your keyboard in the list.
   
4. When prompted, type the four-digit paring code on your keyboard and then press Enter or Return.
   
5. Apple TV will confirm that the pairing process is complete.

Using your Apple Wireless Keyboard

You can use your keyboard to:

• Enter text and other information (search, email addresses, passwords, and so on)
• Navigate Apple TV menus using the arrow, Return, and Escape keys
• Jump to an item, title, or name on the screen by typing the first few letters (for example, when viewing your music collection, you can type a song title or artist name to jump to it in the list)
• Use media controls when playing music and video to play or pause content and select previous or next.

Volume, brightness, and other controls are not available for Apple TV. Apple TV uses the U.S. English keyboard layout regardless of the keyboard's hardware layout.

Disconnecting the Apple Wireless Keyboard

If you want to stop using your keyboard or disconnect it from the Apple TV:

• Select Settings > General > Bluetooth
• Select your keyboard and then select "Forget this device"

Troubleshooting your keyboard

If you are unable to see your keyboard when you attempt to pair it with Apple TV, check that your keyboard is:

• Powered on and in range of your Apple TV
• Set for discovery or pairing
  • A blinking LED indicates that the Apple Wireless Keyboard is in the discoverable mode. If you don't pair your keyboard with your Mac within three minutes, the indicator light and keyboard will turn off to preserve battery life. If this happens, press the On/Off switch to turn your keyboard on again.
  • When using third-party devices, check with the keyboard manufacturer for additional information.
• Not paired or connected to another device

If your keyboard responds intermittently or cannot maintain a connection:

• Ensure that the keyboard has sufficient charge or fresh batteries
• Check for nearby sources of interference, including other wireless devices, Bluetooth transmitters, and so on
• Try unpairing and then repairing your keyboard with Apple TV

Compatibility with other Bluetooth accessories

• Bluetooth support on Apple TV is for keyboards only. Headsets, speakers, and other devices are not supported.
• If you are having difficultly connecting or using a third-party Bluetooth keyboard, contact the manufacturer to verify that it is compatible with Apple products and Apple TV.

How to connect Apple TV to TV Third Generation - video guide

Apple tv 3rd generation - Watch guide

Read on to learn about using your Apple Remote with Apple TV.
Using your Apple remote
Use the Apple Remote to control Apple TV settings and navigate your content. Make sure there are no obstructions between the remote and Apple TV

 

Basic remote functions

Here’s how to use your Apple Remote:

Up and Down on the Apple Remote don’t control the volume on your TV or receiver. Use the remote that came with your TV or receiver to change the volume.

Pairing Apple TV with a remote

The Apple Remote works with the built-in IR receiver on Apple TV. To set Apple TV to work with only the included remote, pair Apple TV and the remote.

To pair Apple TV with the included remote:

1. Keep the remote pointed directly at Apple TV.
2. Hold down Menu and Right for 6 seconds.

Or, you can:

1. Choose Settings from the Apple TV main menu.
2. Choose General > Remotes > Pair Apple Remote.

When you successfully pair your Apple Remote, Apple TV displays a chainlink symbol above a picture of a remote. Apple TV now works with only the paired remote.

Unpairing Apple TV from a remote

If you lose the Apple Remote that you paired Apple TV with, you can use another Apple Remote to unpair Apple TV from the lost remote.

To unpair Apple TV from a paired remote:

1. Keep the remote pointed directly at Apple TV.
2. Hold down Menu and Left for 6 seconds.

Or, you can:

1. Choose Settings from the Apple TV main menu.
2. Choose General > Remotes > Unpair Apple Remote.

When you successfully unpair the lost remote, Apple TV displays a broken chainlink symbol above a picture of a remote. You can now pair Apple TV with a different remote

Changing the remote battery

When the battery charge in your Apple Remote is low, Apple TV displays a picture of a remote and a warning symbol. Replace the battery with a CR2032 battery

 

 To replace the battery:

1. Use a coin to remove the battery compartment cover.
2. Remove the battery.
3. Insert a CR2032 battery with the positive side facing up.
4. Replace the battery compartment cover and use a coin to tighten it.

Important:  Dispose of the used battery according to your local environmental laws and guidelines.

Renting movies and purchasing TV shows

You can rent standard or high-definition movies and purchase TV shows directly on Apple TV (where available). Follow the onscreen instructions to find out when  a rented movie expires. Purchased TV shows don’t expire.

When a rented movie expires, it’s no longer available for playback. To watch it again, you can rent it again from iTunes.

Apple tv 3rd generation - Configure guide

Apple TV helps you select and configure your wireless network connection, and connect to iTunes on your computer if you want to watch or listen to the contents of your iTunes library.
Configuring your Apple TV

Have your network name and password (if you use one) and your Apple Remote handy when you configure Apple TV. Make sure there are no obstructions between the remote and Apple TV.

If you:

• Use a wired Ethernet network to connect, Apple TV automatically detects your network.
• Use a wireless network to connect, Apple TV helps you select and configure your network connection.

Connecting to your wireless network

Apple TV helps you connect to your wireless network. If you use a name and password to access your network, have them ready.

Use the Apple Remote to:

1. Select your network from the list, or enter your network name if the network is hidden.
2. Enter your network password (if you use one)

If you don’t connect using DHCP, you may need to enter your IP address, subnet mask, router address, and DNS address.

To complete the network connection, follow the onscreen instructions.

Connecting to iTunes

To access the content of your iTunes library on Apple TV, you need iTunes 10.5 or later installed on your computer.

Updating your iTunes software

You should update to the latest version of iTunes:

• On a Mac, use Software Update to update to the latest version of iTunes. To use Software Update, choose Apple icon > Software Update.
• On a Windows-based computer, go to iTunes Help to update to the latest version of iTunes. Open iTunes, and then choose Help > Check for Updates.

Setting up Home Sharing

After you set up your network connection, you need to set up iTunes and Apple TV to share the contents of your iTunes library. Use Home Sharing in iTunes and on Apple TV to share the iTunes library of any computer on your local network that has Home Sharing set up.

To set up Home Sharing in iTunes:

1. Open iTunes on your computer.
2. Choose Advanced > Turn On Home Sharing.
3. Enter your Apple ID and password, and then click Create Home Share.
4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 on each computer you want to use for Home Sharing.

For information about iTunes, open iTunes and choose Help > iTunes Help.

To set up Home Sharing on Apple TV:

1. On Apple TV, choose Settings > Computers.
2. Choose Turn On Home Sharing, and then enter the same Apple ID and password you entered on your computer.