Lost your Apple TV Siri Remote? Learn how to use your iPhone to quickly find your Apple TV remote without tearing apart your couch or living room.
My Siri Remote often slips between cracks in the couch or disappears under the pillows. The good thing is, you can quickly locate a misplaced Siri Remote (2nd generation or newer) using the built-in Apple TV Remote feature of your iPhone. The fundamentals are similar to finding a lost AirTag or AirPods.
Note: While your iPad can also double as your Apple TV remote, you cannot use the tablet to find a misplaced Siri Remote.
Find a lost Siri Remote with your iPhone
1) Make sure your Apple TV and your iPhone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2) Open Control Center on your iPhone and tap the Remote button (you may need to customize your Control Center to add the Remote control). If your iPhone is on iOS 27, you can also open the Remote app using Spotlight Search or App Library.
3) Tap your Apple TV name at the top of the screen to access the device list.
4) Tap the Find button next to your Apple TV name.
5) Follow the prompts on your iPhone that navigate you to the remote. The interface visually informs you when you are getting closer to or farther from the remote. It works kinda like the Hot or Cold game. You’re getting closer to the remote when the onscreen circle grows, and the text changes from “far” to “near.” When it reads “here,” better start looking around with your eyes wide open because you’re very close now.
How finding a Siri Remote with an iPhone works
Finding a lost Siri Remote with an iPhone relies on Bluetooth radios in the remote and the phone. The feature is compatible with the second-generation Siri Remote or later. You also need iOS 17.0 or later on the iPhone and tvOS 17.0 or later on the Apple TV.
If you’ve misplaced the remote while outside the Bluetooth range (about 10 meters or 33 feet), your iPhone will lose the connection. In that case, walk around the house with the phone in your hand until you stumble upon a Bluetooth signal advertising the remote’s presence.
A neat solution instead of Find My
Apple hasn’t added the Siri Remote to the Find My network, which is why you cannot locate it using the Find My app. But since proximity information can easily be derived from Bluetooth signals, Apple was able to implement this feature without the Find My network.
The short Bluetooth range isn’t ideal, but shouldn’t come in the way of finding a lost Siri Remote so long as it’s in the same room as your Apple TV. So the next time your Siri Remote disappears in plain sight, pull an iPhone out of your pocket to find it.
Other tips for your Siri Remote: