Apple’s new Siri Remote adds a long-requested feature that makes it easier to track down the little controller when it goes missing… which you know it will. And you don’t have to buy the company’s new Apple TV 4K to get it.
The updated remote, announced Tuesday alongside Apple’s latest streaming box, adds an audible alert sound to make the device more findable. And it has Precision Finding, too.
The Siri Remote (4th Generation) is sold separately, so owners of older Apple TV models can upgrade to it.
Lost Apple TV 4K Siri Remote gets easier to locate
It is a remarkably universal human experience to settle in for a relaxing evening, only to discover that the TV remote has mysteriously vanished. Whether tucked deep between couch cushions, left on a kitchen counter during a snack run or accidentally swept under a pile of mail, remotes have an uncanny ability to disappear right when they are needed most.
You can stop playing Hide-and-Seek with your remote… if you get the Apple TV 4K version introduced on Tuesday. With the Find My application, users can play a sound to help find the device nearby, a particularly useful addition for a Siri Remote.
Previous versions offered only proximity notifications using on-screen indicators (“far,” “near,” “here”). An audible notification should be much more useful.
And that’s not all. Precision Finding in the Find My app pulls up an arrow that points directly toward the device. Or the app can show the accessory on a map if it gets really lost.
Note that only the newest version of the Siri Remote includes a speaker. And Precision Finding requires the latest version paired with an iPhone Duo, iPhone Air or an iPhone 17 or newer model with UWB.
Works with older Apple TV models
The new Siri Remote isn’t limited to Apple’s latest streaming box. It’s compatible with Apple TV HD and older Apple TV 4K models, giving owners of those devices a way to add the tracking feature without replacing their entire entertainment setup.
Just so there’s no confusion, basic Find My support isn’t new — it goes back to the second-generation Siri Remote and later. What’s new in the latest model are Precision Finding and the ability to play a sound.
Also, these device-tracking features are the only new ones in the fourth-generation remote.
New Siri Remote and Apple TV 4K arrive in November
Apple lists the new Siri Remote (4th Generation) for $59, with pre-orders starting Tuesday, October 13, and delivery beginning Friday, November 13.
Buy it from: Apple
Apple announced the remote alongside its fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, which offers hands-free Siri AI and improved home theater capabilities. The new streaming box — with the latest version of the remote — starts at $299.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
