How to locate an Apple TV remote in iOS 17

I have version 17.2.1 on my iPhone 14 Pro, and nothing I try shows a 'white dot' on the FIND MY screen

A textured red silicone case solved the “missing remote” issue for me. However, I have to say that the new style Apple TV Remote has been a serious disappointment for me. Yes, it is a little larger than the previous version but the buttons + micro trackpad functionality is way too sensitive and not well proportioned to adult sized fingers. If you disable the trackpad functionality the buttons-only mode is too laggy. The remote periodically loses and reacquires connection to the ATV unit. Last, and absolutely the least, having the Siri button on the SIDE of the remote is a totally boneheaded move.

In a competition between the added value of the mute button versus the absurdity of having the Siri button on the side, I’d have to say that the Siri button stupidity (SBS) outweighs the mute button improvement (MBI). SBS >> MBI. Is it better than the previous version? In some ways yes, but it also brings along its own set of new problems through self inflicted stupid design mistakes. I don’t know why Apple struggles so much with things like remotes and mice. They seem to lean too heavy on aesthetics and in doing so lose touch with practicality, simplicity, and ease of use. They envision these little things ending up on display at the Museum of Modern Art, but by forgetting about human factors and usability they more often end up in the junk drawer, or the trash, at least when practical and fully functional replacements are available. 

Maybe start poaching some Logitech designers?

dewme said:

A textured red silicone case solved the “missing remote” issue for me. However, I have to say that the new style Apple TV Remote has been a serious disappointment for me. Yes, it is a little larger than the previous version but the buttons + micro trackpad functionality is way too sensitive and not well proportioned to adult sized fingers. If you disable the trackpad functionality the buttons-only mode is too laggy. The remote periodically loses and reacquires connection to the ATV unit. Last, and absolutely the least, having the Siri button on the SIDE of the remote is a totally boneheaded move.

In a competition between the added value of the mute button versus the absurdity of having the Siri button on the side, I’d have to say that the Siri button stupidity (SBS) outweighs the mute button improvement (MBI). SBS >> MBI. Is it better than the previous version? In some ways yes, but it also brings along its own set of new problems through self inflicted stupid design mistakes. I don’t know why Apple struggles so much with things like remotes and mice. They seem to lean too heavy on aesthetics and in doing so lose touch with practicality, simplicity, and ease of use. They envision these little things ending up on display at the Museum of Modern Art, but by forgetting about human factors and usability they more often end up in the junk drawer, or the trash, at least when practical and fully functional replacements are available. 

Maybe start poaching some Logitech designers?

I never use Siri because it's utterly useless so the siri button isn't a concern for me, but the added power button is useful. The touch-and-hold-and-spin thing to scrub through video seems to be supported in a minimal number of apps, so I barely ever use that. I find the touch surface too small (and I have small hands) so scrolling a large list takes a lot of repeated scrubs (though I think you can maybe do the rotate to scroll thing? not tried).

The remote needs more buttons in general. Apple *loves* overloading physical buttons with too many functions, which makes your intended action finicky and likely to trigger the wrong thing. The back button for example sometimes takes you to the top menu, sometimes back one level in the app, sometimes takes you home.

The cheapening of it by removing the accelerometer though is absurd. Means a lot of the games that worked on the Apple TV with the original touch remote no longer work, all for the sake of $0.50.

I have a LG TV, and the remote for it is *brilliant*. It works like a laser pointer, with a cursor on-screen and a physical scroll wheel. It's precise, fast, and easy to use. It's an order of magnitude better than the AppleTV remote.