New Siri Remote touch behavior inconsistent, cause unknown

The new Siri Remote for the Apple TV 4K is causing problems for some users, with the new circular gesture periodically not scrubbing through media as advertised.

The update to the Apple TV introduced a new design of Siri Remote that uses a circular trackpad, as well as a new gesture that turns the trackpad into a large scroll wheel. By using a circular motion around the edge of the trackpad, users can scrub forward and back through content.

However, posts to Twitter and Reddit show users trying out the gesture but getting unexpected results. Even using the tap and hold method, waiting for the proper user interface affirmation of the gesture, one complete circuit of the trackpad scrubs through a video timeline in one direction, then returns it back to where it was previously.

Anyone else having weird scrolling behavior with the new #AppleTV4K and Siri Remote? When I try to scroll on the new clickwheel it keeps scrolling back and forth. Happens on several apps like #DisneyPlus and #Netflix apps. Did you also see this during your review @Andrew_OSU ? pic.twitter.com/VfIOzQNuOP
— David Kurz Durchhalten (@kurze_info) May 23, 2021

In testing, AppleInsider encountered the same issue with the Siri Remote. The problem isn't limited to one specific app, with it affecting all video apps in the same way.

AppleInsider also found the remote to be inconsistent when trying to invoke the jogging behavior in the first place.

If this is a system-wide bug, it is likely Apple will have some form of fix for the issue as part of a future tvOS update.

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43 Comments

stuartf 63 comments · 21 Years

About 3 years ago

was beginning to think it was me and "a holding it wrong" moment

I'm seeing exactly this behavior. Workaround at the moment is a partial circular motion, lift and repeat

CG 10 comments · 7 Years

He is using the pad to scrub NOT the wheel. Pick up your finger put it on the wheel and pause until a little circle appears then start scrubbing on the wheel.

CG said:

He is using the pad to scrub NOT the wheel. Pick up your finger put it on the wheel and pause until a little circle appears then start scrubbing on the wheel.

Thanks. I will try that. I have not noticed a wheel appear so far. I didn't know it required a wait action

Appleish 714 comments · 8 Years

Yeah, that's fixable. But the annoyingly loud click of the buttons are not. With the old remote, I could quietly adjust the volume. That's over.

And why the hell did they move the play/pause button up one? They should have left it and the Siri button where they were and put the mute button on the side.

And speaking of the mute button. Really? Why would you mute rather than pause whatever you are streaming? You'd just have to scrub back to the point where you muted. That button is absolutely useless to me and until muscle memory learns that they moved the play/pause button up one, I will be muting the damn system by accident.

This remote is better in many ways, (it feels great, I love cutting on/off my ATV box/Receiver/TV with one button) but is so baseline annoying in others.

Appleish said:

Yeah, that's fixable. But the annoyingly loud click of the buttons are not.

And why the hell did they move the play/pause button up one? They should have left it and the Siri button where they were and put the mute button on the side.

And speaking of the mute button. Really? Why would you mute rather than pause whatever you are streaming? You'd just have to scrub back to the point where you muted. That button is absolutely useless to me and until muscle memory learns that they moved the play/pause button up one, I will be muting the damn system by accident.

This remote is better in many ways, but is so baseline annoying in others.

I have already muted so many times already when I meant to pause. However, while agree for watching content pausing makes more sense, I am strangely addicted to a Sudoku app that has the most annoying music playing and turning down the volume was very annoying so I will just get used to it. A music "off" setting in the app would have fixed my only need for the mute button. I also, don't really see a need for the power button, it was just a long press and enter to turn everything off before (including a TV that used IR). Watching my mother use the old Apple remote probably explains most of Apple's decisions - it confuses her in a way that I can't seem to get her past :)