New Apple TV 4K remote keeps losing connection

[JSL1]

Has anyone tried pairing the old Siri remote, then pairing the new Siri remote while the old Siri remote is close by?

When you pair a Siri remote the previous one will be automatically unpaired (assuming it is close enough to Apple TV for Bluetooth to work).

 

[w5jck]

Has anyone tried pairing the old Siri remote, then pairing the new Siri remote while the old Siri remote is close by?

When you pair a Siri remote the previous one will be automatically unpaired (assuming it is close enough to Apple TV for Bluetooth to work).

I have the ATV 4K 2017, and about two weeks ago I got the new 2021 remote to replace the original one. Indeed, the instructions say that activating another remote should deactivate the previously activated remote, so I had the old remote close by when I activated the new 2021 remote. I stored the old remote in the TV cabinet below where the TV and ATV 4K 2017 is. I have a Fire TV Cube 2nd gen, a Panasonic Blu-Ray player, and another TV with a Fire TV 3rd gen hooked up and the main Sony Brava TV all within a few feet. So far everything has worked out perfectly and I’ve not lost a connection to the new 2021 remote. Hopefully that will never happen.

There are multiple devices all connected to my internet within a few feet of my ATV 4K 2017. The ATV 4K and Fire TV Cube 2nd gen are both connected via ethernet, but all the other devices are connected via 5G WiFi. There of course is a rats nest of electrical cables nearby too!

I’m running the latest tvOS 14.6. I can’t think of anything else which might be pertinent to this issue. Like I said though, so far I’ve been lucky and have never lost a connection to the new remote. I never lost a connection to the old remote either.

 

[ChuckBierwirth]

I’m having the same problems. My ATV is a very new 4K I got shortly before the new one was announced. Never experienced this with the original remote. Battery is full. Volume control takes forever to work. Very frustrating and disappointing. Hope Apple does something soon to address this.

 

[andsoitgoes]

I just upgraded to the new Apple TV and I was really excited to use the remote. The battery lasts longer than my harmony and it’s just super convenient. Only to have this error pop up incessantly.

im going to try the beta update to 14.7 and see if that helps. It’s updating now. Fingers crossed.

 

[MNGR]

New 4K ATV. I have had it for about a month now. Have not experienced the issue ever.
Had two if the original 4K ATV’s. Never had any issue with them.
Sorry for the others who are having this problem.
A question. Are you using the remote to control any other devices? If so, any issues with them?

 

[AL2TEACH]

both lg and Apple TV to 5G wifi and no problems. the old remote is upstairs.

 

[andsoitgoes]

Just pulled out my remote today for the first time in almost a week. Worked at first pickup then when it was too loud and I tried to turn the volume down, disconnected.

Really idiotic and frustratingly intolerable.

 

[zalusky]

Similar problem here on multiple TVs. I even tried the beta of TVOS 15. I power cycled the ATV and then turned on the TV manually and it started working again.

The first symptom I eventually see is the disconnect/reconnect bursts before it stops working completely.

 

[rjtrumbley]

Same issue here, upgraded from the old Apple TV 4K (swapped the Apple TV into the exact same spot) and seem to encounter the disconnect at least once a day. Hopefully this is something they can address in a firmware update.

 

[BKdude]

Same issue here. Brand new 2021 Apple TV 4K. Happens several times a day. Zero problems with old 4k that it replaced.

 

[RobinMonks]

Same issue here, got a 4K on launch here in Canada and this started the first day. I finally got so annoyed I started searching and found this thread. I sense a recall.

 

[andsoitgoes]

Similar problem here on multiple TVs. I even tried the beta of TVOS 15. I power cycled the ATV and then turned on the TV manually and it started working again.

The first symptom I eventually see is the disconnect/reconnect bursts before it stops working completely.

Same here. Hasn’t happened in a week, but tonight it hit again. Took about a minute or two before it reconnected.

 

[waw74]

I have the new remote paired with an older 4k, it drops off too. And sometimes takes a bit to reconnect.
Normally I'll try to change the volume, and nothing happens, and have to hit the TV button a couple times to get it to reconnect.

 

[smarch]

Same problem, exact spot as the old 4K.. never had one disconnect with that one.

 

[GD314]

Same problem here with the new Siri Remote. I had it replaced twice by Apple with no success.
The problem occurs only after using Volume + and - via IR (some key presses are ignored, then the remote disconnects, then it reconnects after 10s).
I tried to use my Apple TV with a friend's TV (same HDMI cable, same remote, same Apple TV) : strangely enough, the remote works flawlessly.
My TV is rather old and does not handle CEC. My friend's TV is 1 year old.
This issue makes this remote almost useless : I want to be able to control volume while watching TV.
My old remote (black one) works with no issue.

 

[rolfwiggum]

Same for me. ATV 4K. Frequent disconnect and reconnect messages

 

[riversnj]

Same problem here with the new Siri Remote. I had it replaced twice by Apple with no success.
The problem occurs only after using Volume + and - via IR (some key presses are ignored, then the remote disconnects, then it reconnects after 10s).
I tried to use my Apple TV with a friend's TV (same HDMI cable, same remote, same Apple TV) : strangely enough, the remote works flawlessly.
My TV is rather old and does not handle CEC. My friend's TV is 1 year old.
This issue makes this remote almost useless : I want to be able to control volume while watching TV.
My old remote (black one) works with no issue.

this is exactly what im experiencing. the issue seems to be set off when i use the volume control via IR to my pioneer receiver. what i think is particularly odd is that the IR to the receiver stops working, as well as the connection to the apple tv. as if whatever the problem is is not actually related to the software on the apple tv but something just in the remote. I even got my remote replaced by apple and the replacement is showing the exact same issue.

 

[GD314]

this is exactly what im experiencing. the issue seems to be set off when i use the volume control via IR to my pioneer receiver. what i think is particularly odd is that the IR to the receiver stops working, as well as the connection to the apple tv. as if whatever the problem is is not actually related to the software on the apple tv but something just in the remote. I even got my remote replaced by apple and the replacement is showing the exact same issue.

My TV set is a Pioneer too. I don't think either the issue is on Apple TV's side, but on the remote's side.

 

[riversnj]

My TV set is a Pioneer too. I don't think either the issue is on Apple TV's side, but on the remote's side.

i actually am now thinking that it is in fact a software issue in the apple tv. i unplugged my apple tv and attempted to continue changing the volume of the receiver, after a few seconds it completed stopped working and did not start working again until i plugged the apple tv back in. this tells me that the remote does not actually store the IR commands for the receiver, and that it is getting fed them over bluetooth from the apple tv

 

[Zorat]

I have been working with apple on this and they replaced the unit and remote. My remote uses CEC to communicate with everything. I think the issue is Bluetooth 5.0 implementation on the remote. I have the prior gen remote and everything works fine without an issue. When I transfer to the new remote, I have disconnects and also when I tap the volume up or down, it either doesn't work or jumps 5db up or down. Completely unusable and a pain in the butt. I saw a similar issue with the new xbox controller with the appleTV, and they released a firmware update and the connection stopped dropping etc. I think apple just needs to get it together and fix the bluetooth 5.0 issue that it is having, or see if they can revert to 4.0 if the controller can support it until this issue is fixed.

 

[jonjames505]

I have been working with apple on this and they replaced the unit and remote. My remote uses CEC to communicate with everything. I think the issue is Bluetooth 5.0 implementation on the remote. I have the prior gen remote and everything works fine without an issue. When I transfer to the new remote, I have disconnects and also when I tap the volume up or down, it either doesn't work or jumps 5db up or down. Completely unusable and a pain in the butt. I saw a similar issue with the new xbox controller with the appleTV, and they released a firmware update and the connection stopped dropping etc. I think apple just needs to get it together and fix the bluetooth 5.0 issue that it is having, or see if they can revert to 4.0 if the controller can support it until this issue is fixed.

Did you try switching out your HDMI cable? It's what solved the issue for me. Apparently my HDMI cable was super cheap and I bought the one Apple recommended. I was a little bitter because it was $40 but it solved the issue. Looks like Amazon now has it for $34: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-AV101...ywords=apple+hdmi+cable&qid=1634752195&sr=8-5

 

[Zorat]

Did you try switching out your HDMI cable? It's what solved the issue for me. Apparently my HDMI cable was super cheap and I bought the one Apple recommended. I was a little bitter because it was $40 but it solved the issue. Looks like Amazon now has it for $34: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-AV101...ywords=apple+hdmi+cable&qid=1634752195&sr=8-5

Interesting. I am using this one from Monoprice. It also runs through my wall, so changing it out is a pain in my butt. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09373S127/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I tried using different cables, and I also brought it up from a media closet and now have it directly behind the TV, and the issue is still happening. I still think there is something wrong with their Bluetooth 5.0 implementation. As mentioned, saws the same problem with the XBOX remote, and then a firmware updated fixed the issue. I have an LG OLED TV, wondered if maybe that is part of the issue? I don't know at this point. When in the media closet the prior gen had 0 issues. With the new one, even trying 3 cables, same issue.

I forgot to mention that there is a known open engineering issue (actually sounds like 2) that Apple is investigating. They took logs from my machine after use and showing when it happened. I haven't heard back from them about it yet.

 

[w5jck]

Did you try switching out your HDMI cable? It's what solved the issue for me. Apparently my HDMI cable was super cheap and I bought the one Apple recommended. I was a little bitter because it was $40 but it solved the issue. Looks like Amazon now has it for $34: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-AV101...ywords=apple+hdmi+cable&qid=1634752195&sr=8-5

I’m using these cables I bought on Amazon for a total of about $23 for four cables, and they work fine. Apple sucker punched you with that cable! Just make sure the cables are newer high speed ones—10+ Gbps speed. No need to pay a fortune for them.

• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RX14W1Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H7M6YKI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[JSL1]

So Blue tooth 4 works, but not Bluetooth 5.
Could it be the new frequencies Blue tooth 5 uses?
Interference with WIFI or other blue tooth, yours or a neighbor?
Poorly shielded HDMI cables can interfere with WIFI, maybe also bluetooth?

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theauris.com

Hope you get your problem fixed soon, must be super annoying.

 

[SpringKid]

Came here hoping for a solution in this old topic, since I'm often experiencing this issue. Today it's been disconnecting/reconnecting constantly, laying right next to me on the sofa, maybe three meters from my Apple TV.

I now picked up the remote, moved it maybe a meter closer to the Apple TV, and now all of a sudden it's no longer disconnecting. 💁🏼‍♂️ Silly thing, but I've never thought of just moving it closer before.