Mac Mini IR remote not working

[dotnet]

I recently acquired a 2012 Mac Mini and installed Catalina. Everything seems to be working except the IR remote doesn’t work (cannot be paired). According to the system report, the Mini does have an IR adapter, but its settings (pairing) are missing in the Settings app. See the screenshots below.

Is this a Catalina thing, has IR support been removed?

 

[StephN999]

Bonjour,

I realized that it did not work either on my iMac Mid 2011 (Catalina also) and I fell on this post.

Then I found this command:

sudo /usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.driver.AppleIRController DeviceEnabled -bool TRUE

to test and probably reboot behind.

Et voilà! it works!

Edit: We see here, if AppleIRController.kext is activated or not?

 

[dotnet]

Then I found this command:

sudo /usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.driver.AppleIRController DeviceEnabled -bool TRUE

to test and probably reboot behind.

Lo and behold, this worked! No reboot required. Thank you very much!

 

[Glorious1]

Bonjour,

I realized that it did not work either on my iMac Mid 2011 (Catalina also) and I fell on this post.

Then I found this command:

sudo /usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.driver.AppleIRController DeviceEnabled -bool TRUE

to test and probably reboot behind.

Et voilà! it works!

Edit: We see here, if AppleIRController.kext is activated or not?

View attachment 916089

For some reason, this is not working for me. Quick Look indicates that the com.apple.driver.AppleIRController.plist file is set to enabled. But even after rebooting, the setting is missing in System Preferences, the extension is not loaded, and of course the remote won't work. This is Catalina 10.15.7, Mac mini 2012 and definitely has the IR.

 

[Glorious1]

The plist file was apparently corrupted. The solution was to :
1. Delete /Library/Preferences/com.apple.driver.AppleIRController.plist
2. Run the terminal command above to recreate it.
3. Reboot.

Then System Preferences has the remote control checkbox as it should, and remote works.

 

[lucassvk]

Hello I have same problem, but this not help me. I have Apple remote mc377ll/a model A1294 and Mac mini late 2012 with IR support , but I can't pair it. Which model do you can pair?

Thank you!

 

[pshufd]

It's amazing how handy this functionality is.

I have the remote on my 2010 and 2009 iMacs.

I wish that they had kept it going.

 

[dotnet]

Hello I have same problem, but this not help me.

The connector on the logic board for the IR receiver is very easy to dislodge. If the Mac mini has ever been upgraded (memory, HDD, SSD) it might be worth checking that. Ask me how I know…

 

[lucassvk]

The connector on the logic board for the IR receiver is very easy to dislodge. If the Mac mini has ever been upgraded (memory, HDD, SSD) it might be worth checking that. Ask me how I know…

ok but my system detect it normally

on the picture:
Overené=verified
načítané=loaded

áno=yes

so what now?

 

[bagdas]

Bonjour,

I realized that it did not work either on my iMac Mid 2011 (Catalina also) and I fell on this post.

Then I found this command:

sudo /usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.driver.AppleIRController DeviceEnabled -bool TRUE

to test and probably reboot behind.

Et voilà! it works!

Edit: We see here, if AppleIRController.kext is activated or not?

View attachment 916089

Bravo! It's work Macbook Pro 2011 Late (Ventura 13.5) after reboot.
No system pairing menu. But "Press and hold the Menu and Next/Fast-forward buttons simultaneously on the remote for 5 seconds" works and old IR apple remote is working now. Thanks!

 

[pshufd]

Bravo! It's work Macbook Pro 2011 Late (Ventura 13.5) after reboot.
No system pairing menu. But "Press and hold the Menu and Next/Fast-forward buttons simultaneously on the remote for 5 seconds" works and old IR apple remote is working now. Thanks!

I go into Security and Privacy, disable it, reenable it and it works again. I'll try your approach though. I usually disable and reenable it when I'm going to use it. My 2010 is set up as a TV to watch videos in front of my spin bike.

I'm going to give this a try and will package it up on a clickable icon if it works.

 

[pshufd]

I tried sudo /usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.driver.AppleIRController DeviceEnabled -bool TRUE on my iMac and will see how it works. There wasn't a problem with it but it seems to get the wrong setting after four or five off/on cycles. So I'll just execute this again the next time it doesn't work.

 

[marosa32]

Hello! Do you know if it will work in Mac OS Sonoma? It's show in system information (original IR board from old iMac) but I don't know how to activate it. I tried sudo /usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.driver.AppleIRController DeviceEnabled -bool TRUE but the remote doesn't respond.
Any help please?
Thanks

 

[pshufd]

Hello! Do you know if it will work in Mac OS Sonoma? It's show in system information (original IR board from old iMac) but I don't know how to activate it. I tried sudo /usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.driver.AppleIRController DeviceEnabled -bool TRUE but the remote doesn't respond.
Any help please?
Thanks

What hardware are you using out of curiosity?

 

[marosa32]

What hardware are you using out of curiosity?

Hello. It's 820-2042-A
Do you know how I could activate it? I don't know why on the M1 Pro I get the unknown origin extension and it is not activated with the command above.

 

[pshufd]

Hello. It's 820-2042-A
Do you know how I could activate it? I don't know why on the M1 Pro I get the unknown origin extension and it is not activated with the command above.

No clue. I thought that you had an old iMac or MacBook Pro and were running OCLP.

 

[marosa32]

No clue. I thought that you had an old iMac or MacBook Pro and were running OCLP.

No It's a MacBook Pro 16 M1 pro from 2021. On your m1 devices, the extensions are certified as unknown? I have tried it on a MacBook Air 2014 and everything comes out certified and Apple origin

 

[marosa32]

No clue. I thought that you had an old iMac or MacBook Pro and were running OCLP.

Can you take a look? Please

 

[pshufd]

Can you take a look? Please

I wouldn't know what to look for. My knowledge of this stuff isn't really to any depth outside of whether or not it works when I push the buttons.

 

[marosa32]

I wouldn't know what to look for. My knowledge of this stuff isn't really to any depth outside of whether or not it works when I push the buttons.

Don't worry. I have managed to get it to work with the remote buddy app, but without that application it does not work :-( If anyone knows how to do it, please tell me

 

[arw]

Don't worry. I have managed to get it to work with the remote buddy app, but without that application it does not work :-( If anyone knows how to do it, please tell me

In a similar thread I mentioned the alternative IR driver Candleair that Remote Buddy uses/used.
It is free and, although not actively maintained anymore, more stable than Apple's own driver.
I think the last (success) comment refers to Sonoma.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/which-remote-control-for-macbook-pro-13-mid-2012.2332073/

Candelair - the alternative Apple® IR Receiver driver and emulator

www.iospirit.com

 

[marosa32]

In a similar thread I mentioned the alternative IR driver Candleair that Remote Buddy uses/used.
It is free and, although not actively maintained anymore, more stable than Apple's own driver.
I think the last (success) comment refers to Sonoma.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/which-remote-control-for-macbook-pro-13-mid-2012.2332073/

Candelair - the alternative Apple® IR Receiver driver and emulator

www.iospirit.com

Thanks, I'll take a look. Although I would also like it to work natively but at the moment I have not found a solution. I am open to suggestions

 

[pshufd]

Thanks, I'll take a look. Although I would also like it to work natively but at the moment I have not found a solution. I am open to suggestions

If my IR didn't work, I'd probably use the old Apple bluetooth keyboard that came with my 2009 iMac. It's a lot clumsier than a remote but it would work reliably.