Apple's updated Siri Remote, which now includes Find My support and a built-in speaker, can be purchased on its own for $59 and will pair with older Apple TV models rather than only the new Apple TV 4K.
According to The Verge, the remote works with every Apple TV model released going back to the Apple TV HD. That means owners whose main complaint about their existing streaming box is a misplaced remote can address the problem without buying new hardware. The remote is also set to ship on November 13th, the same date as the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K.
The Find My feature is an upgrade over the basic iOS tool included with earlier Siri Remotes, which offered only limited help in locating a lost remote. Precise distance readouts, such as showing that a remote is 20 feet away instead of simply far or near, require specific iPhone models. Apple says the iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, or any iPhone 17 or later is needed, because those devices carry the new N1 networking chip that supports Bluetooth channel sounding. That chip enables AirTag-like precision tracking without requiring a UWB chip.
Find My support is available on the Siri Remote from the second generation onward, per The Verge. Precision Finding is limited to the Siri Remote's fourth generation paired with an iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, or iPhone 17 or later, excluding the iPhone 17e, running the latest iOS software. Availability also varies by region.
Tech writer Stephen Robles noted in a post on Threads that the backward compatibility of the new remote leaves only a few features tied to the new Apple TV 4K. Those include the built-in microphone and surround sound when paired with HomePod speakers.
The standalone remote gives US shoppers on older Apple TV hardware a way to gain Find My tracking and the speaker without replacing their set-top box. Apple has not indicated any broader change to which models receive the remaining features.
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