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New Siri Remote for Apple TV 4K - In Control

6:53 video

The second-generation Siri Remote for Apple TV is thicker, longer and heavier. I’ve been an Apple TV user since 2007, since the original with the big square box that synced from iTunes. This video is not sponsored (the description link may earn a small commission).

Three generations

I have the second-generation remote and the first-generation Siri Remote. The new one is the biggest, thickest and heaviest, which I think is an advantage. The original used infrared with a D-pad, a Menu button and a Play/Pause button. The first Siri Remote added the big touch pad, Siri (to search for movies, genres or actors), and a gyroscope and accelerometer for games.

Problems with the old one

  • Too symmetrical: flat on both sides, so in the dark it was hard to tell the orientation, and it was easy to swipe accidentally and pause or skip.
  • Slippery, thin and easy to lose on a table or between couch cushions.
  • Many people didn’t like the touch surface and wanted a D-pad.

I mostly solved those with a bright red silicone case, which made it visible, grippy, and easy to orient in the dark. The new remote solves most of them.

The new remote

  • A D-pad that’s also touch sensitive: swipe or click precisely.
  • A thicker, heavier body with a rounded back edge, easy to hold.
  • Menu is now Back; a Mute button below; Siri moved to the side (like the iPhone’s); and a power on/off button that’s slightly raised and easy to find with your thumb. (You could already turn the TV off by holding the Apple TV button and choosing Sleep, but one button is nice.)
  • The buttons are very clicky, with satisfying tactile feedback.

Circular scrolling

Like iPod click wheels, you can scroll in a circle on the D-pad’s edge to scrub through videos. I got frustrated at first: I paused, scrolled, and the playhead went right and left without continuing. You have to rest your finger on the remote for a moment until a little icon pops up on the scroll bar, and then it works as expected: scroll fast to get near, then slow to get exactly where you want, then press the center button to play.

It doesn’t work in every app yet (maybe apps need updates): it worked in Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV and HBO, but not in Plex, Disney+ or YouTube. It also doesn’t work for scrolling lists in Settings or other menus, where it acts as a normal swipe.

Pairing and settings

To pair with an existing Apple TV, hold Back and Volume Up for a few seconds; a message says to bring the remote closer, and another says it’s connected. If you hate swiping gestures, go to Settings > Remote and Devices > Clickpad and change Click and Touch to Click to use the D-pad purely as a D-pad.

What’s missing

There’s no gyroscope or accelerometer, so for games, stick with the previous Siri Remote or get an Xbox or PlayStation controller.

Overall, I like it: it looks and feels better, and for what I use Apple TVs for, it’s more functional. Do you have questions, and are you getting the new Apple TV 4K?

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

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