Apple’s new Siri Remote (4th generation), which ships with the new Apple TV 4K, is also sold on its own for $59 and works with older Apple TV models. According to Apple’s Apple TV 4K press release, “The new Siri Remote is compatible with Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K, and is also available for purchase separately.”
The headline feature is Find My with Precision Finding, plus an option to make the remote play a sound. Both come with conditions, and the iPhone you own decides how much of it you actually get. Our Apple TV 4K (4th generation) story covers the new box itself.
Price and compatibility
The Apple Store lists the “New Siri Remote” at $59.00, and its What’s in the Box section names it as “Siri Remote (4th generation).” The store page lists these compatible models:
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- Apple TV 4K (4th generation)
- Apple TV 4K (3rd generation)
- Apple TV 4K (2nd generation)
- Apple TV 4K (1st generation)
- Apple TV HD
Apple’s store description says the remote has a touch-enabled clickpad, Siri voice control, and a USB-C port for recharging. The Apple TV 4K spec page adds Bluetooth 6, an IR transmitter, and “Find My with Precision Finding” to the remote’s feature list.
The fine print on finding it
Apple’s release says the new remote adds “Find My support with Precision Finding and an option to play a sound on the remote.” Three footnotes split those features apart:
- “Find My support is available on the Siri Remote (2nd generation or later).”
- “Precision Finding works on the Siri Remote (4th generation) paired with iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, or iPhone 17 or later (excluding iPhone 17e) running the latest iOS software; availability varies by region.”
- “Playing a sound to locate the remote is exclusive to the newest Siri Remote.”
| Feature | What Apple says you need |
|---|---|
| Find My support | Siri Remote (2nd generation or later) |
| Precision Finding | Siri Remote (4th generation) plus iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, or iPhone 17 or later (excluding iPhone 17e) on the latest iOS |
| Play a sound | The newest Siri Remote, per Apple’s press release |
So buying the new remote for an older Apple TV gets you the hardware that supports all three. Precision Finding still depends on your iPhone. An iPhone 17e, or any iPhone older than iPhone 17 other than iPhone Air or iPhone Duo, is outside Apple’s list.
One wrinkle: Apple’s Apple TV 4K product page says “use Find My or say ‘Siri, find the remote’ to have it play a sound,” and attaches a footnote that reads “Requires Siri Remote (2nd generation or later) and iPhone running the latest iOS software.” That does not match the release’s statement that playing a sound is exclusive to the newest remote. Until Apple clarifies, the safe assumption is that the sound feature needs the 4th generation remote.
How to find a lost Siri Remote
These steps use Apple’s own wording from its support article and Apple TV 4K page. Apple has not published step-by-step menus for the new Find My and Precision Finding features yet, so we have not guessed at them.
Ask Siri. Apple’s Apple TV 4K page says you can “say ‘Siri, find the remote’ to have it play a sound.”
Use Find My. Apple says Find My support covers the Siri Remote (2nd generation or later). With a 4th generation remote and an iPhone from the list above, Apple says Precision Finding “helps you locate the Siri Remote.”
Use Control Center on your iPhone. Apple’s support article If you lost your Apple TV remote describes a method for the Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote (2nd generation) and later. Your iPhone needs iOS 17 or later and your Apple TV needs tvOS 17 or later.
- Open Control Center on your iPhone. On iPhone X and later, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.
- Tap the Apple TV Remote.
- Tap the device list, then tap Find next to your lost remote.
- Follow the prompts on your iPhone. Apple says the onscreen circle grows and the text changes “from far, to near, to here” as you get closer.
Use your iPhone as a remote in the meantime. The same support article says that if you lost the remote for an Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, you can set up and use the Apple TV Remote on your iPhone or iPad.
Should you buy one for an older Apple TV?
If you keep losing the remote and own a recent iPhone on Apple’s list, the $59 remote is the only way to get Precision Finding and the play-a-sound option on an Apple TV HD or older Apple TV 4K. If your remote is already a Siri Remote (2nd generation or later), you already have Find My support, according to Apple, and the Control Center method above already works.
