When Apple releases tvOS 17 later this year it'll fix one pain point that Apple TV owners have had to deal with for years — lost remote controls.
Apple announced tvOS 17 during its WWDC 2023 event on June 5 and you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Vision Pro headset was the only announcement. But there was so much more shown off, including the next Apple TV software.
That software will include some tweaks that include a new Control Center, but the biggest change could well make it easier for people to find that darned remote when it gets lost.
Where's the remote?
And get lost, it will.
The Apple TV remote control is small and slim and that makes it very easy to lose. We lose ours all the time, and finding it can be a real pain. Some have argued that the best Apple TV would be one with a normal remote control. One that's big enough to actually hold properly. But now we can have the best of both worlds — a gorgeous remote control that we can actually find.
During the tvOS 17 announcement at WWDC Apple confirmed that it will allow people to locate their Apple TV remote using their iPhone, just like they currently find AirTags.
"tvOS 17 strengthens the seamless integration of Apple TV and iPhone with the ability to locate the Siri Remote," Apple says in a press release issued after the event on June 5. "Users can launch the Apple TV remote inside Control Center on iPhone to find their Siri Remote (2nd generation or later). As users get closer to the remote, an onscreen circle grows in size to guide their movement."
The only caveat there is that you'll need the second generation or later Siri Remote, so there might be some people looking to upgrade right about now. The only question? Will there be a new Apple TV 4K later in 2023?
