Apple Recalling Small Number of Third-Generation Apple TVs Due to Faulty Part

Apple yesterday began contacting some customers who recently purchased third-generation Apple TVs, informing them that their devices had shipped with an unspecified faulty part and offering an exchange for a brand-new unit shipped from the company.

Unlike some other repair or recall programs, Apple has not posted a public advisory about the issue, suggesting it is a small batch of affected units. As a result, the company is proactively reaching out to owners of the devices known to be defective and offering an exchange. Our defective Apple TV was purchased just a few weeks ago, and other affected customers are likely to have purchased their devices in a similar timeframe.

replacement_apple_tv

Replacement Apple TV shipped overnight from Apple

Hi Mitchel,

I understand the concern, Apple typically does not reach out to customers proactively this way.

I just need you to confirm that you have this device and to make sure I have the right shipping address (i see that below). I will then send you a new apple tv, we will email FedEx labels to send back the old one then once we get the old one, we will send you an iTunes gift card for the troubles.

Some users receiving emails from Apple may not have experienced any issues with their Apple TVs, as workers at the Help Desk have noted the company is taking preventative measures in identifying devices with the faulty part before any problems may arise.

Because Apple is contacting affected users individually and has not posted an information page on the Apple TV issue, it's likely that only a very small number of people purchased a faulty Apple TV. Readers do not need to worry whether their Apple TVs are defective, as anyone with a bad device will be contacted directly by Apple. Those who have been contacted, however, should be reassured that this is a legitimate replacement program initiated by Apple.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Caution)

Top Rated Comments

seamer Avatar
113 months ago
Customer service done right - send the replacement before getting the faulty one back. Customer doesn't lose anything, and even gains a few $ on the gift card.

Apple didn't design this workflow, but it sure beats how much crud you have to go through when dealing with the likes of Asus.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
113 months ago
My first thought also. They seem to be so anxious to get these units back pronto. Don't recall Apple ever having been this proactive with a recall. Did any purchasers actually report having a problem?
More likely the faulty part may cause overheating or possibly an electrical shock. I don’t believe in conspiracy theories.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Izauze Avatar
113 months ago
Someone should do a teardown of one of these "faulty" Apple TV's. Is it faulty like "oops, you now have an A9 chip and 128GB storage, can we have that back quick?"
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
113 months ago
Cue inappropriate use of gif.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
113 months ago
Apple yesterday began contacting some customers who recently purchased third-generation Apple TVs, informing them that their devices had shipped with an unspecified faulty part
Bendgate: right gate, wrong product. :eek:



IMO, anybody who uses the Apple TV without a case deserves this.

Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moonlight Avatar
113 months ago
Anyone suspicious that maybe there is something IN the Apple TV that Apple doesn't want us to see? We need to tear down, fix-it style, one of these "faulty" apple tvs to see what is really going on inside.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...