Testing Out a 3D-Printed AirTag-Compatible Apple TV Remote Case

Wednesday May 12, 2021 8:00 am PDT by Juli Clover

Earlier this week, we shared a 3D-printed Apple TV Remote case that's designed to house an AirTag, adding much-needed Find My functionality to the Siri Remote. We thought we'd check out one of the remote cases in person, and have had one printed up.

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The Etsy seller who designed the case sells it for $12.99, but if you have your own 3D printer you can buy the STL file for $1.99 and whip up your own.

We bought the STL file, which actually had two different remote options inside. There's one that makes it easier to slide the remote in and out, and a second that's more of a snap-on case. We preferred the former because it's easy to remove the remote, but both work.

With both models, there's a spot where the AirTag attaches at the back, leaving the Apple logo visible, and then the remote snaps on top. There are cutouts available for charging purposes, and there were no issues with the fit. It all lined up and worked as advertised.

This case obviously adds some bulk to the ‌Siri‌ remote since it's thick enough to include an AirTag, but that's probably a plus if you're often losing the ‌Apple TV‌ remote.

With the AirTag attached to the remote, it can be tracked through the Items tab in the ‌Find My‌ app, and if you have an iPhone 11 or ‌iPhone‌ 12 model, Precision Finding is useful for tracking the remote in the house. You can also play a sound, though it's worth noting that the case does muffle the pinging just a bit.

It's likely that given the attention that this 3D-printed case has received, we'll see more polished versions of ‌Apple TV‌ remote/AirTag hybrid holders coming from third-party manufacturers, but for now, the 3D-printed version works well.

This case is not compatible with the new remote that Apple released alongside the second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, but those who have an older ‌Apple TV‌ remote might want to check it out.

Related Roundup: Apple TV

Tag: AirTags Guide

Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)

Related Forums: Apple TV and Home Theater, AirTags

Top Rated Comments

fwmireault

31 months ago

I hope that Apple see this and realize how ridiculous it is to not have integrated Find My/U1 capabilities in the brand new remote that they announce at the same event than the AirTags

Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Lemon Olive

Apple should just have integrated the U1 chip in the new remote. It's perhaps the product that needs it the most.
They're being cheap.

They didn't even need to go that far. They could have just built in a speaker, and allow you to ping it. For a remote that is only lost within a few rooms of a house, that would have been more than enough to locate a missing remote.

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Absrnd

Why spend money, when there is the free option :)

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4853986

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

bookcase

I personally find this sort of ridiculous. If I "lose" my Siri Remote, it's inevitably between the couch cushions, or if I leave it on my lap and it gets knocked to the floor. It would take more time to try to track it than it would be to lift your cushions. If you carry it around the house or keep it in a place toddlers can access, then a free alternative to this would be: stop doing it. But that's just me.

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

PsykX

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

G5isAlive

Yeah, having a remote that fat makes it harder to lose in the first place. Do people really wander the house with their remotes so that losing it is an issue? Me, I always know exactly where my remote is when I can't see it. It's buried under the couch in the hardest place to reach. Always. :)

Maybe instead of attaching am airtag to it, the secret is just make the remote holder much bigger. and give it a handle. and sure a chip if you really need to. No fancy 3D printer required, a glue guns work great. something like this.. patent pending.