Deep IP control of Apple TV — no hub, no line of sight

The best universal remote for Apple TV is already in your pocket.

Roomie Remote speaks the Apple TV's native network protocol. Full navigation, app launching, real keyboard search, hold-to-talk Siri, and the long-press commands IR remotes can't send — with live Now Playing feedback you can scrub. And the receiver, display, and lights come along.

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Native IP control · 400,000+ device commands · 200+ brands

Roomie Remote on iPhone controlling an Apple TV playing Severance: live progress bar with elapsed and remaining time, full directional pad with Siri microphone button, and live Marantz receiver feedback showing -23.0 dB, stereo mode, and current input

The gap

Where the Siri Remote stops

The Siri Remote is a beautiful controller for exactly one device. The moment your room holds a receiver, a soundbar, a projector, or a second source, you're juggling remotes again — the very problem a universal remote exists to solve.

One device

It controls the Apple TV — with no feedback about what's playing — and nothing else in the rack. Your receiver, TV inputs, and disc player are invisible to it.

One wire

Volume rides on HDMI-CEC. No input switching, no surround modes, no zones — and when CEC hiccups, as usual, even volume goes.

One room, barely

Lights, shades, cameras, and every other room in the house are out of reach. Movie night still needs three more apps.

Why Roomie

Deeper control than the remote in the box.

Roomie doesn't blast infrared at the front of the room and hope. It talks to the Apple TV the way Apple devices talk to each other — over the network, with feedback flowing back.

True IP control

Roomie speaks the Apple TV's native network protocol from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. No hub in the rack, no line of sight — control from any room in the house.

Hold for Siri. Long-press anything.

Hold the mic to talk to the Apple TV, exactly like the Siri Remote. Every other button supports long press too — the press-and-hold actions IR remotes can't send.

Now Playing, live

Artwork, program name, and playback position stream back as you watch. Drag the slider to jump anywhere in the episode — no fast-forward crawl.

Script anything

Record voice commands and replay them in automations. Trigger Activities by time, motion, or Shortcuts — the Apple TV becomes programmable.

Roomie Remote on iPhone controlling an Apple TV playing HBO Max: show title displayed with live position slider at 20:08 elapsed and 18:13 remaining, transport controls, Siri microphone button, and room volume

Live feedback

See exactly what's playing.
Jump anywhere in it.

This is Roomie mid-episode: the app that's playing, the title, and a live position bar — 20:08 in, 18:13 to go — streamed back from the Apple TV as you watch. No other universal remote shows you this, because no other universal remote is listening.

Live artwork, program name, and elapsed & remaining time for the current show.
Drag the slider to reposition playback anywhere in the episode — or hold the mic and just ask Siri.
Launch any Apple TV app by name, type searches on a real keyboard, and run the room's volume beside it.

Honest comparison

Your Apple TV remote options, side by side

What Apple TV owners actually choose between — the remote in the box, Apple's built-in Remote app, a hardware universal remote, and Roomie. Competitor figures are manufacturer-stated.

Capability	Roomie Remote App · iPhone / iPad / Mac	Siri Remote In the box	Apple TV Remote app Built into iOS	SofaBaton X1S · X2 · U3 hardware
Controls the Apple TV	Yesincl. app launching	Yes	Yes	Basicvia Bluetooth
Apple TV control method	Native IPno hub, no line of sight	Bluetooth	Apple's protocol	Bluetooth · IRno IP control
Siri voice control	Yeshold to talk	Yesmic button	No	No
Long-press commands	Yesevery button	Yes	Yes	No
Live Now Playing with drag-to-scrub	Yesartwork · title · position	Noinfo stays on the TV	Basic	No
TV & receiver input switching	YesIP · IR · Serial	NoCEC volume only	No	YesIR, no feedback
Device / command library	400,000+200+ brands, growing	Apple TV only	Apple TV only	Legacy IR database
One-touch Activities / macros	Yes	No	No	Limited
Automations & scripting	Yesrecord & replay voice commands	No	No	No
Smart home (Lutron, Hue, Sonos, Nest)	Yes	No	No	IR only
Apple HomeKit	Yes	No	No	No
Multi-room control	Yesevery room, synced	One Apple TV	One at a time	No
Text entry with a keyboard	Yes	On-screen grid	Yes	No
Control from anywhere	Yessecure, no VPN needed	No	No	No
Price	Free to startsubscriptions from $4.99/mo	Included	Free	Varies by model~$180 X1S · ~$360 X2

Apple TV, Siri Remote, and SofaBaton are trademarks of their respective owners and are referenced here for comparison only. Competitor capabilities are based on publicly available manufacturer information as of 2026.

The honest answer

When is the Siri Remote enough?

If your entire setup is an Apple TV plugged straight into a TV whose CEC behaves, the remote in the box is genuinely all you need. We'd tell you to keep it and spend nothing.

A universal remote earns its place the day the room grows: a receiver or soundbar with inputs to switch, a projector with its own power sequence, a game console, a cable box, lighting you want dimmed when playback starts. That's the setup Roomie was built for.

Two or more devices in the rack? Roomie switches every source and input the Siri Remote can't see.
Real volume control — receiver decibels over IP, not CEC guesswork.
Lights, shades, and cameras woven into the same screen as playback.
Every room in the house — not one Apple TV at a time.

Getting started

On your TV in three steps.

1

Download the app

Get Roomie from the App Store on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. One subscription covers every device, with Family Sharing.

2

Auto-discover the room

Roomie scans your network and finds the Apple TV, receiver, TV, and smart home gear automatically. Legacy IR devices join via a Roomie IR adapter.

3

Build your Activities

"Watch Apple TV" powers the display, sets the input, and readies the room in one tap — from your phone, your iPad, or your Mac.

Check whether your equipment is supported

Questions

Apple TV owners ask…

What is the best universal remote app for Apple TV?

Roomie Remote. It gives your iPhone, iPad, and Mac deep IP control of the Apple TV — full navigation, app launching, keyboard text entry, hold-to-talk Siri, long-press commands, and live Now Playing feedback you can scrub — plus control of the TVs, AV receivers, lighting, and Apple HomeKit accessories around it, with 400,000+ device commands across 200+ brands.

Can the Siri Remote control my soundbar or AV receiver?

Only volume, and only when HDMI-CEC cooperates. The Siri Remote can't switch receiver inputs, change surround modes, control zones, or drive any device that isn't the Apple TV. Roomie speaks IP, infrared, and serial directly to receivers from Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, Anthem, Sony, and more — full control, not just volume.

Can I use Siri on the Apple TV through Roomie?

Yes. Hold the microphone button in Roomie to talk to the Apple TV, just like holding the Siri button on the remote in the box. Roomie also sends long-press commands for the other buttons — select, arrows, play — which IR-based universal remotes can't express. You can even record voice commands and play them back automatically as part of an automation.

I lost my Apple TV remote — can Roomie replace it?

Yes. Roomie on iPhone, iPad, or Mac gives you full Apple TV control: navigation, playback, app launching, and text entry with a real keyboard. Many households keep Roomie as the everyday remote and leave the Siri Remote in a drawer.

Do I need any extra hardware?

No. Roomie controls the Apple TV and most modern equipment over your network with no hardware at all. Only older infrared-only devices need an inexpensive Roomie IR adapter.

Is Roomie Remote free?

You can control one smart TV free with no subscription. Subscriptions unlock unlimited devices, rooms, and Activities, and one purchase covers Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and Mac with Family Sharing.

Give your Apple TV the remote it deserves.

Download Roomie Remote free and control the Apple TV — and the whole room around it — from the devices you already carry.

Download on the App Store