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djvan_d12
Contributor I
March 17, 2020
Answered

Apple TV 5th Gen and Playbar Not Connecting or Detecting

I can’t seem to get the Sonos Playbar to detect the Apple TV 5th Generation remote in order to control the sound… What can I do to get this to work…??

 

(Note:  The exact same Playbar and Apple TV previoously worked fine together and the remote could control the sound.  I now get a new TV and can’t get it it work.  I have tried factory resets on both the Sonos Playbar and Apple TV… And everytime when trying to pair the remote with the Playbar via the Sonos App on my iPhone i get the error that nothing is dected…. One in every 5 times, it’ll tell it me notices the remote, the screen on the app will switch and say “now press the ‘+’ 3 times...”  which Ill then try long, presses, short presses, everything… and no luck…  What gives?

 

(And yes, the Remote is fully charged.)

 

If it helps, prior TV was Samsung Qled (perhaps a 2017 model), and new TV is TCL Series 6 (September 2019 model).

 

Please help!!

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Sebastien D.
Sebastien D.Answer
Sonos Staff
March 19, 2020

@djvan_d12, 

You’ll want to teach it a different remote control other than your TV for volume control. From there, you can teach that remote code to your Playbar. This way, the TV won't see the volume control commands but the Playbar will. To program your Apple TV remote, follow the steps here on your Apple TV Settings > Remotes and Devices > Volume Control. Select Learn New Device. Follow the onscreen steps to program your Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote to control volume for your television.

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Sebastien D.
Sebastien D.
Sonos Staff
March 19, 2020

On your Apple TV, follow these steps right here: Apple TV Settings > Remotes and Devices > Volume Control. Select Learn New Device. Follow the onscreen steps to program your Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote to control volume for your television.

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djvan_d12Author
Contributor I
March 21, 2020

So if I am understanding this correctly… What you are telling me to do is: 

(1) Grab a completely different / general universal / unrelated remote. 

(2) Through the Sonos iOS app, program the Sonos Soundbar to that universal remote in order to control the volume. [Did this / got it / checked]. 

(3) Go back to Apple TV. 

(4) Go through the steps above [[[[Apple TV Settings > Remotes and Devices > Volume Control. Select Learn New Device]]]] to program the Apple TV to recognize the completely different / universal remote volume control. (i.e., get apple TV to recognize the volume control settings of a remote that I don’t even plan on using)…  [Did this / got it / checked]….   

(5) Pick back up my Apple TV remote.

(6) And try and change the volume……  

 

Because, that works.  That is the weirdest hack in the world.  Unbelievable.   Why on earth did Sonos make that so complicated?

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