Siri remote won't work unless plugged in

[jakecdemp]

My Siri remote has completely stopped working unless it's plugged into power. Even when it's plugged in, the siri button will trigger siri, but it will say it can't hear me. I've done all of the troubleshooting steps, including charging the device, unplugging the Apple TV, restarting the remote and attempting to un-pair/re-pair without any success.

When the remote is charging, I get a "charging" notification on the TV and all of the buttons will work again, but once I go into settings it doesn't show the battery percentage or any indication that the remote is charging like it normally would.

Unfortunately, my 1 year warranty ended a couple of weeks ago so Apple won't repair or replace the remote and they want to charge a $50-$60 fee to repair the remote.

I'm pretty sure it's just not going to work anymore, but I'm willing to try any other suggestions if anyone has another trick that may work.

 

[VampyricGentleman]

Check out eBay you can find replacements a lot cheaper than Apple’s prices

 

[w5jck]

I don't know which country you live in, but a brand new Siri remote (latest model) costs $59 from Apple in the USA, so $50 to $60 for a repair is way too much. Best to just buy another one. As other guy stated, you can find them for less from other retailers. Another alternative would be to try to replace the battery inside of it, but you will need to figure out how. Google that and see if it is something you could do and check the price of a replacement battery as it might not be worth the effort, especially since that might not fix the issue.

 

[w5jck]

I found this iFixit teardown video of the ATV 4K 2021 and the new Siri remote too. Definitely not for everyone, and I can see why they charge so much for repairs. But it does look doable assuming you have a tiny torx screwdriver, some electronics skill, and a lot of patience. Probably better just to buy another remote.

 

[Leigh-zed]

I’ve literally just got this exact same issue with my remote, luckily I still have about 2 weeks left on my warranty and booked a genius bar appointment. Fingers crossed they’ll repair or replace it.