How to use a bluetooth keyboard with your apple tv

That’s it. You’re done. No codes, no pins. If you wish to unpair your keyboard, you need only follow steps 1-4, then press Forget this device.

Questions?

Let us know in the comments.

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Your Apple TV will love these accessories

Your Apple TV can become even better with any of these accessories presented here. From keyboards to remote covers to gaming controllers, we’ve got your back!

Don’t feel like dictating to Siri or typing characters in one at a time with your Siri Remote or third-generation Apple TV remote? You can hook up your Bluetooth keyboard to your third- or fourth-generation Apple TV with little muss or fuss. Here’s how.

How to pair a Bluetooth keyboard with Apple TV (fourth-generation)

Turn the keyboard on if it isn’t already. Otherwise, switch it off and then on to make it discoverable. (On Apple’s new Magic Keyboard, the switch is on the back left.)

With your Siri Remote, select the Settings icon from your Apple TV home screen.

If on and in range of your Apple TV, your keyboard should appear. (It may need to be disconnected from any other devices, like your Mac, first.) Select it.

Press Connect to connect your keyboard.

And with that, you’re all set! If you wish to unpair your keyboard, you need only follow steps 1-4, then press Forget Device.

How to pair a Bluetooth keyboard with Apple TV (third-generation)

1. Turn the keyboard on if it isn’t already. Otherwise, switch it off and then on to make it discoverable. (On Apple’s new Magic Keyboard, the switch is on the back left.)

That’s it. You’re done. No codes, no pins. If you wish to unpair your keyboard, you need only follow steps 1-4, then press Forget this device.

Questions?

Let us know in the comments.

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Your Apple TV will love these accessories

Your Apple TV can become even better with any of these accessories presented here. From keyboards to remote covers to gaming controllers, we’ve got your back!

Posted by: Williams in HARDWARE March 24, 2016 0 377 Views

Just like you can pair a Bluetooth controller to your Apple TV to make gaming easier, you can pair a Bluetooth keyboard to make entering text easier. Here are a few great Bluetooth keyboards and show you how to pair them with your Apple TV.

Why Would I Want to Do This?

Let’s face it, as much as we love Siri, voice entry still leaves a lot to be desired. And entering text on a tiny trackpad on a TV remote by pecking away one letter at a time? That’s already like the 9th circle of Hell without throwing in any text that needs the shift key or symbols.

Siri might get the job done most of the time, and for very rudimentary text entry you might be able to abide by the hunt-and-peck torment of using the Apple TV remote. But practically speaking, anything more than that requires a keyboard.

Thankfully, not only is it really easy to add a Bluetooth keyboard to your Apple TV, but a really reliable Bluetooth keyboard is dirt cheap these days. Let’s take a look at some keyboards you might consider pairing with your Apple TV and then jump into how to actually pair them.

What You’ll Need

RELATED: How to Check (and Update) Your Apple TV Operating System Version

To follow along, you’ll need your Apple TV (updated to at least tvOS 9.2) and a Bluetooth keyboard. Inexplicably, Apple didn’t include support for Bluetooth keyboard in the initial release of the 4th generation Apple TV, despite the inclusion of keyboard support in prior generations.

If you’re not sure what version of if tvOS you have or you need help updating, please refer to this tutorial.

How to Choose a Good Bluetooth Keyboard

There are hundreds of Bluetooth keyboards on the market, but not all of them are created equal. Some of them are too expensive. Some of them are too unwieldy to keep on your coffee table or tucked beside your Apple TV. And, frankly, some of them are just rubbish, not worth even their already low prices. Let’s take a look at some well-reviewed keyboards to give you some shopping options.

Our first and foremost recommendation is for the Anker Bluetooth Ultra-Slim Keyboard ($16, shown above). At a mere sixteens dollars its an outright steal, it’s nice and compact without being so small as to be frustrating, it’s lightweight, you can buy it in matte black or white to match your living room media center theme, it pairs easily and works well, and it’s currently sitting at an average of 4.5/5 stars on Amazon with a whopping 5,800+ reviews. We’re using it for this review because dollar-for-dollar it’s probably the best Bluetooth keyboard value out there and just the right price to add a simple keyboard to your media center.

Another keyboard we can highly recommend is the Logitech Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard K480 ($40, shown above). You’re paying more than twice what you’d pay for the Anker model, but K480 has a physical selector switch on it that allows you to easily switch between up to three devices, as well as a handy device groove in the top of the keyboard to hold a smartphone or tablet. When you set the keyboard up, you can not only configure it for use with your Apple TV, but with your iPad and iPhone too. If you’re even been considering getting a Bluetooth keyboard for your other devices the K480 might be a much better value for you.

And, of course, if you’re an Apple purist and love the feel of Apple-brand keyboards, you can always pick up the official Apple Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard for $63. It’s not the cheapest Bluetooth keyboard around, but it does have those crisp Apple chiclet keys that some people love so much.

How to Pair Your Keyboard with the Apple TV

If you’ve paired anything else with your Apple TV before, like a game controller, the follow steps are going to feel awfully familiar. First things first, navigate to the Settings menu on your Apple TV by selecting the settings icon from the Home screen.

In the Settings menu, select “Remotes and Devices”.

Within the Remotes and Devices menu, select “Bluetooth”.

Here you will find any previously paired Bluetooth devices. Although the Apple TV didn’t ship with Bluetooth keyboard support, it did ship with support for Bluetooth headphones and Bluetooth game controllers. (Seriously, it’s absurd that it didn’t support keyboards along with those other peripherals.)

At this point, you need to initiate Bluetooth pairing mode for your keyboard. For the Anker keyboard we’re using, that means turning it on and holding down the Function key and the Z key (which is clearly labeled with the Bluetooth icon as a secondary function). On your keyboard, that may mean holding down a dedicated pairing button. Check your keyboard’s manual for more details.

Once the device enters into pairing mode, it will appear under “Other devices”, as seen below. Select the new entry.

The Apple TV will instruct you to enter, on the keyboard, the 4 digit pairing code on your keyboard. Simply enter the numbers using the number row on the keyboard and hit the enter key.

The device will then appear in the “My Devices” list of paired Bluetooth devices and “Keyboard Connected” will flash briefly in the upper right corner of the screen.

You can select the device in the list, but the options therein are quite limited: you can manually disconnect the device, or forget the device to remove it from the Apple TV’s paired device list entirely. Practically speaking, the only reason you’d ever go in here is to permanently unpair the device, as simply turning the device off will disconnect it.

Now that your keyboard is connected, feel free to use it for any text input on the Apple TV–including, most importantly to the majority of users, search boxes on streaming media services.

Searching for The Lizzie Borden Chronicles on Netflix? No more silly hunting and pecking, you can key the exact phrase you want in.

A recent update to the Apple TV line brought with it the ability to pair a Bluetooth keyboard to the streaming device. Take a look at how to pair and use the keyboard.

With the release of iOS 6.1 for iOS devices, the Apple TV line quietly received an update as well . The update adds iCloud support for purchased music, Up Next support ( although this was already present on an Apple TV ), and the ability to pair a Bluetooth keyboard to your Apple TV. By pairing a keyboard you can control playback, navigate, and enter search queries all from the comfort of a physical keyboard.

1. To pair a keyboard, make sure you’ve updated your Apple TV to the latest OS. You can update it by going into Settings > General > Update Software.
2. Once you’ve updated, you’ll need to go back into Settings > General and then select the new Bluetooth item, right under Remotes. After selecting Bluetooth your Apple TV will immediately start scanning for Bluetooth devices; be sure to have the keyboard powered on and in pairing mode.
3. Select your keyboard from the list of discovered devices and follow the on screen prompts.

Now that you’ve paired a keyboard, you can begin using it to navigate and control your Apple TV. Here’s a basic rundown of which keys do what:

• The arrow keys will move the blue selection box around the screen.
• The Return key is the equivalent of the select key on the default Apple TV remote. You can press it once to select an item, or hold it in to bring up more options.
• The Escape key is your back, or Menu button. You use Esc to back out of screens with each key press, or hold it in to back out to the main screen.

During video playback:

• Press the space bar to pause playback. Press it again to resume.
• Left and right arrow keys will fast-forward or rewind the video.
• Press the up arrow twice to bring up item description.
• Press and hold Return for subtitles and AirPlay speaker options.

During music playback:

• Press the space bar to pause playback. Press it again to resume. The same goes for the Return key.
• Left and right arrow keys will restart or start playing the next song.
• Press and hold Return will bring up the music menu. Allowing you to control Up Next, browse more music from the artist or album or even launch Genius.

I think I’ve found all the keyboard commands, but could have missed a few. If you find one, mention it below in the comments and I’ll update the list.

I have been using a Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover and it’s working just fine, although it’s a bit on the large side to just leave sitting on my lap. Hopefully the new feature will launch a new line of smaller Bluetooth keyboards designed specifically to work with the Apple TV. I’m intrigued to see how Apple is going to use this in the future, as well. I’ve got my fingers crossed that a Spotlight-like search feature is first on the list.

A recent update to the Apple TV line brought with it the ability to pair a Bluetooth keyboard to the streaming device. Take a look at how to pair and use the keyboard.

With the release of iOS 6.1 for iOS devices, the Apple TV line quietly received an update as well . The update adds iCloud support for purchased music, Up Next support ( although this was already present on an Apple TV ), and the ability to pair a Bluetooth keyboard to your Apple TV. By pairing a keyboard you can control playback, navigate, and enter search queries all from the comfort of a physical keyboard.

1. To pair a keyboard, make sure you’ve updated your Apple TV to the latest OS. You can update it by going into Settings > General > Update Software.
2. Once you’ve updated, you’ll need to go back into Settings > General and then select the new Bluetooth item, right under Remotes. After selecting Bluetooth your Apple TV will immediately start scanning for Bluetooth devices; be sure to have the keyboard powered on and in pairing mode.
3. Select your keyboard from the list of discovered devices and follow the on screen prompts.

Now that you’ve paired a keyboard, you can begin using it to navigate and control your Apple TV. Here’s a basic rundown of which keys do what:

• The arrow keys will move the blue selection box around the screen.
• The Return key is the equivalent of the select key on the default Apple TV remote. You can press it once to select an item, or hold it in to bring up more options.
• The Escape key is your back, or Menu button. You use Esc to back out of screens with each key press, or hold it in to back out to the main screen.

During video playback:

• Press the space bar to pause playback. Press it again to resume.
• Left and right arrow keys will fast-forward or rewind the video.
• Press the up arrow twice to bring up item description.
• Press and hold Return for subtitles and AirPlay speaker options.

During music playback:

• Press the space bar to pause playback. Press it again to resume. The same goes for the Return key.
• Left and right arrow keys will restart or start playing the next song.
• Press and hold Return will bring up the music menu. Allowing you to control Up Next, browse more music from the artist or album or even launch Genius.

I think I’ve found all the keyboard commands, but could have missed a few. If you find one, mention it below in the comments and I’ll update the list.

I have been using a Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover and it’s working just fine, although it’s a bit on the large side to just leave sitting on my lap. Hopefully the new feature will launch a new line of smaller Bluetooth keyboards designed specifically to work with the Apple TV. I’m intrigued to see how Apple is going to use this in the future, as well. I’ve got my fingers crossed that a Spotlight-like search feature is first on the list.

by umOuch • February 20, 2013 April 13, 2015 in News

It was not long ago that we shared the news regarding Apple officially activating its Bluetooth hardware, via the 5.2 update, on their Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3 devices. Though it seems that support is limited to Bluetooth keyboards, not Bluetooth remotes, only time will tell if Apple has a line of new peripherals on the way for us all. As exciting as the news is, having Bluetooth capabilities does no good if users are unsure/unable to utilize these features.

We also want to remind those of you that own an Apple TV 1, the silver box, that this guide will not pertain to your device as you have no Bluetooth hardware enabled by default. If you own an Apple TV 1, and would like Bluetooth support, you will need to look into other LINUX-based options (see our guide on installing openELEC) paired with Bluetooth dongles.

REQUIREMENTS

1. Bluetooth keyboard
2. Apple TV remote (hardware or software)
3. Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation) updated to the latest 5.2 firmware
4. A desire for your media center to have additional awesomeness

LIMITATIONS (according to Apple)

1. Bluetooth support on Apple TV is for keyboards only. Headsets, speakers, and other devices are not supported.
2. If you are having difficultly connecting or using a third-party Bluetooth keyboard, contact the manufacturer to verify that it is compatible with Apple products and Apple TV.
3. The original Apple Wireless Keyboard (2003), that features a white case and uses four AA batteries, is not compatible.

PAIRING

The first thing we need to do, as is the case when using any Bluetooth devices, is “pair” our hardware. Pairing is simply the process of connecting the two devices to each other, therein allowing them to communicate with each other.

1) From your main menu, navigate to the Settings -> General -> Bluetooth

3) At this point, let’s go ahead and turn on the keyboard and set it in “pairing mode”

5) You will immediately see the word “Bluetooth” at the top of your screen with the word “Searching” next to it.

6) In a matter of seconds you should see your Bluetooth keyboard’s name pop up on your Apple TV.

7) Using the Apple TV remote, click on the name that represents your Bluetooth keyboard.

8) You are now met with a sequence of 4 numbers: type these IN ORDER on your keyboard.

9) Congratulations, your keyboard is now paired with your Apple TV.

HOW TO USE

Now that your keyboard is paired with your Apple TV, everything can be controlled by either the keyboard or your Apple TV remote. So, let’s assume that you now want to put away your remote and control your system via the keyboard – here are the basic keys that you would be looking for:

You can use your keyboard to:

• Enter text and other information (search, email addresses, passwords, and so on)
• Navigate Apple TV menus using the arrow, Return, and Escape keys
• Navigate recently updatedaTV Flash (black)
• Jump to an item, title, or name on the screen by typing the first few letters (for example, when viewing your music collection, you can type a song title or artist name to jump to it in the list)
• Use media controls when playing music and video to play or pause content and select previous or next.

Volume, brightness, and other controls are not available for Apple TV. Apple TV uses the U.S. English keyboard layout regardless of the keyboard’s hardware layout.

DISCONNECTING

If you want to stop using your keyboard or disconnect it from the Apple TV:

• Select Settings -> General -> Bluetooth
• Select your keyboard and then select “Forget this device”

Don’t want to use the Siri remote or your iOS device to control your Apple TV? You’re in luck.

Entering text on the newest Apple TV got much easier with the recent release of tvOS 9.2 Users can now use their voice, with Siri Dictation to spell out usernames and passwords, or tell Siri what to search for.

Additionally, Apple added the ability to pair a Bluetooth keyboard to the fourth-generation Apple TV. With a keyboard paired, users can enter text and navigate the TV’s interface. If the following instructions aren’t working for you, make sure you’ve updated your Apple TV to the latest version of tvOS by following these instructions.

Apple TV Bluetooth settings.

Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Start by placing the keyboard in pairing mode. The process will vary by manufacturer, but typically involves holding in the pairing button for a few seconds. Next, open the Settings app on your Apple TV, then scroll down and select Remotes and Devices. Under the “Other Devices” section, select Bluetooth.

Apple TV Bluetooth pairing screen.

Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

The Apple TV will begin searching for visible Bluetooth devices. A list of nearby devices will be displayed; scroll down and select the keyboard from the list of nearby devices. If prompted, enter the pairing code. If you don’t know it, try 0000 or 1234; if that doesn’t work, you’ll need to reference your keyboard’s manual.

With they keyboard paired, you can now control your Apple TV and enter text. Use the arrow keys to navigate, Return to select items, and Escape. An Apple knowledge base article doesn’t go into too much detail about keys and their purpose, but in my experience if you pair an iPad keyboard to the Apple TV the shortcut buttons more or less mimic the same functionality you’d expect on an iPad. For example, the home button takes you home, while the music controls will pause, play or skip songs. Experiment with the controls and buttons on your keyboard to learn what, if anything, they do when connected to your Apple TV.

Otherwise, you can type in any text field to speed up searches or entering log-in credentials, as well as start typing the name of a movie of music artist to jump to the respective section when viewing your personal library.