For my birthday, I bought myself an Apple TV. When it came in, I eagerly started setting it up. Suddenly I heard music coming from my MacBook Pro. I didn’t even have iTunes open when I started setting up the Apple TV, but as I was navigating through the menus, the signal from the remote was also going to my laptop. For anyone else having this problem, this is how I fixed it.
How to Prevent Apple TV Remote from Accidentally Activating iTunes on a Nearby Mac
There are basically two ways to fix this issue. You can either turn off the infrared sensor on your Mac (which is what I did), or you can sync your Mac with another Apple remote (if you have one).
How to Turn off the Infrared Sensor
- Open System Preferences
- Open the Security and Privacy pane
- Click the lock in the bottom left corner and authenticate with an administrator account
- Click on the now-enabled “Advanced” button
- Click the checkbox for “Disable remote control infrared receiver”
- Click “OK”
Your Mac will no longer receive infrared signals.
How to Sync Your Mac with Another Apple Remote
- Hold the remote close to the computer (3 to 4 inches away) and point the remote at the front of the computer.
- Pair the Apple Remote.
- If you have an Apple Remote with seven buttons, press and hold both the Right and Menu buttons on the remote until the paired-remote icon appears on your screen (about 5 seconds).
- If you have an Apple Remote with six buttons, press and hold both the Next and Menu buttons on the remote until the paired-remote icon appears on your screen (about 5 seconds).
With that small issue resolved, I’m back to exploring my Apple TV. I should have a full review up soon.
Image sources: WikiMedia, Vintuitive
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