In iOS 17 and tvOS 17, Apple has added a feature that lets Apple TV users locate a misplaced Siri Remote using their iPhone. Keep reading to learn how it's done.

find siri remote iphone
Prior to the launch of the latest ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, there were rumors that Apple would build ‌Find My‌ functionality into the ‌Siri‌ Remote. That didn't happen, but in its latest major software updates, Apple has introduced a new iPhone option that does essentially the same thing.

In early September, Apple quietly released new firmware for its second and third-generation Siri Remotes. With the new firmware, tvOS 17, and iOS 17, if a ‌Siri‌ Remote becomes lost, the ‌Apple TV‌ remote control available in the Control Center on an ‌iPhone‌ can be used to locate the missing remote.

When enabled, users will see a Find My-like interface on their iPhone that guides them toward the remote, with an onscreen circle that changes in size to guide movement in the right direction.

Note that Find My for the ‌Siri‌ Remote is available on the second and third-generation ‌Siri‌ Remotes, and the feature is limited to the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K models released in 2021 and 2022.

Also, bear in mind that the updated firmware is necessary, and there is no established method for getting the ‌Siri‌ Remote to update. The ‌Apple TV‌ will need to be up to date, on, and connected to the ‌Siri‌ Remote to initiate, but there is no way to force the new firmware to download.

Find Your Siri Remote With Your iPhone

  1. Bring up the Control Center from your iPhone by swiping down from the upper right corner of the screen (on an ‌iPhone‌ with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen).
  2. Tap the Apple TV Remote button (if it's not there, you can manually add it to Control Center).
  3. Tap the chevron next to the name of the connected Siri Remote.
    control center

  4. Tap the Find button next to the misplaced Siri Remote.
  5. Use the onscreen Find My-like interface to locate the remote. The size of the circle increases to guide movement in the correct direction. When your iPhone is right next to the remote, the screen shows a solid white orb.
  6. Tap the X button to close the location interface.
    remote

In our experience, the proximity accuracy of the feature is equivalent to locating an AirTag with Find My, so it's really helpful for locating your Siri Remote even if it's just hidden between the sofa cushions.

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

Top Rated Comments

George Dawes Avatar
8 months ago
Now this IS useful !

Well worth updating just for this tbh
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trip1ex Avatar
8 months ago
Here's another solution for all:

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Muero Avatar
8 months ago

I was considering buying the newer version for this feature alone given how often my child misplaces our remote.
instead of replacing the remote, have you considered replacing the child?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Naildown Avatar
8 months ago
Have tested this on our older lightning remote.. works great.

So what is this black magic? How the hell does this work?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madis Avatar
8 months ago
The Internet is going to explode. In my experience from various sources, this was the #1 requested feature.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brilliantthings Avatar
8 months ago
Just tried it. It's so inaccurate it's practically useless. I asked someone to hide my remote and I couldn't find it using this feature.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Silicon AI Optimized Feature Siri

Apple Releases Open Source AI Models That Run On-Device

Wednesday April 24, 2024 3:39 pm PDT by
Apple today released several open source large language models (LLMs) that are designed to run on-device rather than through cloud servers. Called OpenELM (Open-source Efficient Language Models), the LLMs are available on the Hugging Face Hub, a community for sharing AI code. As outlined in a white paper [PDF], there are eight total OpenELM models, four of which were pre-trained using the...
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Rumored to Add These 10 New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday April 24, 2024 2:05 pm PDT by
Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so the software update is a little over six weeks away from being announced. Below, we recap rumored features and changes planned for the iPhone with iOS 18. iOS 18 will reportedly be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, with new ChatGPT-inspired generative AI features, a more customizable Home Screen, and much more....
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
iPad And Calculator App Feature 1

Apple Finally Plans to Release a Calculator App for iPad Later This Year

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:08 am PDT by
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
macbook pro purple february

Best Buy Introduces Record Low Prices on Apple's M3 MacBook Pro for Members

Thursday April 25, 2024 7:41 am PDT by
Best Buy is discounting a collection of M3 MacBook Pro computers today, this time focusing on the 14-inch version of the laptop. Every deal in this sale requires you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, although non-members can still get solid second-best prices on these MacBook Pro models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a...