The
Apple Remote is a
remote controlA remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
made for use with Apple products with
infraredInfrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
capabilities released after October 2005. The device was announced by
Steve JobsSteven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
on October 12, 2005. The remote is largely based on the interface of the first generation
iPod ShuffleThe iPod Shuffle is a digital audio player designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the smallest model in Apple's iPod family, and was the first to use flash memory...
and has only six buttons. The six buttons on the remote are for Menu, Play/Pause, Volume Up, Volume Down, Previous/Rewind, and Next/Fast-forward. The remote was originally designed to interact with Front Row in the
iMac G5The iMac G5 was a series of desktop Macintosh computers designed and built by Apple Inc. using the PowerPC chip architecture. It was the last line of iMac computers that used a PowerPC chip, making it the last of the iMacs that could run Mac OS 9 applications. In August 2004, the iMac design was...
and is also compatible with the
MacBookThe MacBook was a brand of Macintosh notebook computers built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the...
and MacBook Pro. The
Mac MiniThe Mac Mini is a small form factor desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier mini-ITX PC designs, it is uncommonly small for a desktop computer: 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches tall. It weighs 2.7 pounds...
with Apple Remote support was announced on February 26, 2006. The Apple TV also ships with and utilizes the Apple Remote.
The remote was designed to attach magnetically to the side of the late G5 and early Intel
iMacThe iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
s. These models integrated several hidden magnets in the bottom right corner which attract the remote's battery. This is also possible with the frame of MacBook screens. As of February 2008, the
MacBookThe MacBook was a brand of Macintosh notebook computers built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the...
and
MacBook ProThe MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh portable computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple. It replaced the PowerBook G4 and was the second model, after the iMac, to be announced in the Apple–Intel transition...
no longer include an Apple Remote in the package, though it remains compatible and available as an option for the
MacBook ProThe MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh portable computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple. It replaced the PowerBook G4 and was the second model, after the iMac, to be announced in the Apple–Intel transition...
. As of March 2009, the
iMacThe iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
and
Mac MiniThe Mac Mini is a small form factor desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier mini-ITX PC designs, it is uncommonly small for a desktop computer: 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches tall. It weighs 2.7 pounds...
also no longer ship with an Apple Remote in the package.
In October 2009 the original white plastic remote was replaced with a thinner and longer aluminum version. The new aluminum remote was released along with the 27 inch aluminum iMacs and
multi-touchIn computing, multi-touch refers to a touch sensing surface's ability to recognize the presence of two or more points of contact with the surface...
Magic Mouse. It also introduced a few changes in the six-button layout. The Play/Pause button was moved out of the center of the directional buttons, placing it aside the Menu button (under the directional buttons). The symbols for the Volume Up/Down and Next/Fast-forward buttons were replaced with small dots. This was to make it more obvious that the buttons were also used to move up, down, left, and right within menus. All of the buttons became black and embossed within the aluminum. Along with the new design, the price was dropped to $19.99.
The Front Row application allows users to browse and play music, view videos (
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s and downloaded files) and browse photos. The Apple Remote is also compatible with the
iPod Hi-FiiPod Hi-Fi is a speaker system developed and manufactured by Apple Inc. that was released on February 28, 2006, for use with any iPod digital music player. The iPod Hi-Fi retailed at the Apple Store for US$349 until its discontinuation on September 5, 2007....
and the Universal Dock. The functions for the iPod Universal Dock allow for music and media control, though the remote is not able to control the menus within the iPod. The battery is accessed by pushing a small, blunt object, such as a paper clip or a 3.5 mm headphone plug, into a tiny indent at the bottom right edge of the remote, revealing the compartment which houses the CR2032 lithium 3.0 V button cell (1st Gen). Use a coin to access the battery on the back of the remote (2nd Gen)
Pairing
A device can be configured to respond only to a certain remote. This can be achieved by holding the Apple Remote close enough to the device with which it is to be paired, and then pressing and holding the "Menu" and "Next" (or "Play"; this option also increments the remote ID before pairing) buttons for five seconds. Pairing can be removed by holding the "Menu" and "Previous" buttons for five seconds or deactivating it under the
Mac OS XMac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
"Security" System Preference pane. Only users with
administrative privilegesA system administrator, IT systems administrator, systems administrator, or sysadmin is a person employed to maintain and operate a computer system and/or network...
are allowed to pair their remote; in a non-administrator account, pressing the buttons will have no effect and nothing will be displayed. Pairing can be very useful because some users who have both an iMac and Apple TV nearby experience issues with remotes working with both devices.
Sleep
Users can put
iMacThe iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
s,
MacBook ProThe MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh portable computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple. It replaced the PowerBook G4 and was the second model, after the iMac, to be announced in the Apple–Intel transition...
s,
MacBookThe MacBook was a brand of Macintosh notebook computers built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the...
s, Intel
Mac MiniThe Mac Mini is a small form factor desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier mini-ITX PC designs, it is uncommonly small for a desktop computer: 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches tall. It weighs 2.7 pounds...
s, Apple TVs, or docked
iPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
s into
sleep modeSleep mode refers to a low power mode for electronic devices such as computers, televisions, and remote controlled devices. These modes save significant electrical consumption compared to leaving a device fully on and idle, but allow the user to avoid having to reset programming codes or wait for a...
by holding down the Play/Pause button on the Apple Remote. Devices can also be awakened by pressing any button on the remote.
Boot options
Holding down the Menu button on the remote while starting up an Intel Macintosh enters the Startup Manager (same as holding the Option key at startup). The remote can then be used to cycle through all bootable partitions and can then confirm them by pressing the Play/Pause button. This can be especially useful for Boot Camp users who might frequently use this feature to boot into
WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
partitionsDisk partitioning is the act of dividing a hard disk drive into multiple logical storage units referred to as partitions, to treat one physical disk drive as if it were multiple disks. Partitions are also termed "slices" for operating systems based on BSD, Solaris or GNU Hurd...
on the Intel Macs. The remote can also eject CDs or
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s in this menu by selecting the disc and then pressing the + (Volume Up) button on the remote.
iOS App
Apple also offers a free 'Remote' app for iOS devices (available in the
iTunesThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
App Store) which allows for wireless control of iTunes on Mac/
WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
computers or the Apple TV.
Application compatibility
The remote can be used to control presentations in Apple Keynote (on both Intel Macs &
PowerPCPowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
Macs), presentations in
Microsoft PowerPointMicrosoft PowerPoint, usually just called PowerPoint, is a non-free commercial presentation program developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite, and runs on Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS X operating system...
2008 or in
OpenOffice.org ImpressOpenOffice.org Impress, a part of the OpenOffice.org office suite and developed by Sun Microsystems, is an open source presentation program compatible with and similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. In addition to being able to create PDF files from presentations, it is also able to export presentations...
, picture slide shows in
iPhotoiPhoto is a digital photograph manipulation software application developed by Apple Inc. and released with every Macintosh personal computer as part of the iLife suite of digital life management applications...
and
ApertureIn optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,...
,
QuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
,
DVD PlayerDVD Player is the default DVD player in Mac OS X. It supports all the standard DVD features such as multiple audio, video & subtitle tracks as well as Dolby audio, DVD@ccess URLs and closed captions. In some instances, users can choose which VOB file to open. It is found in /Applications/DVD...
, and audio in
iTunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
VLC compatibility
In response to the new Intel processors, a small piece of software called the Apple Remote Helper has surfaced to allow remote use in the
VLC media playerVLC media player is a free and open source media player and multimedia framework written by the VideoLAN project.VLC is a portable multimedia player, encoder, and streamer supporting many audio and video codecs and file formats as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It is able to...
. Play, pause, volume, and skip buttons all work normally. It should be noted, however, that the volume buttons change VLC's volume, and not the system volume. Starting with release 0.8.6-test1 VLC itself supports the Apple Remote and no secondary software installation is required.
The latest version of VLC (1.0.5) enables all functionality with the latest Apple Remote. (Except the function of sleep).
Compatibility with newer Macs
The Apple remote is not supported on the 2010 or 2011
Macbook AirThe MacBook Air family is a line of Apple ultraportable Macintosh notebook computers.The first-generation MacBook Air was a 13.3"-only model, previously promoted as the World's Thinnest Notebook, introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. It featured a custom Intel Merom CPU...
laptops. The Apple remote is supported on all older editions of the Macbook Air. The Apple Remote is not compatible with certain models of the White Unibody MacBook, which is now discontinued. It works with all MacBook Pros and all iMacs, as well as Mac Minis.
Compatibility with older Macs
Using the third-party remote software mira (from Twisted Melon) or Remote Buddy (from IOSPIRIT GmbH) users of older Macs can use the Apple Remote with a USB-based IR receiver. Most new Mac models come equipped with a built-in infrared receiver, but previous generation products lack any such IR device. Even the Mac Pro desktops released in the summer of 2006 lack built-in IR. Using Remote Buddy or mira, it is possible to connect an external USB receiver such as the
Windows Media CenterWindows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos...
Edition eHome receiver, and use the Apple Remote on older machines with full support for sleep, pairing, low battery detection, and Front Row. In addition, Remote Buddy is able to emulate events of an Apple Remote on these systems, enabling users to use software written for the Apple Remote in exactly the same way as with newer Macs.
iPod compatibility
An
iPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
placed in a dock featuring an IR sensor can be controlled via the Apple Remote. However, the remote's menu functionality does not work on the iPod.
Compatibility with other devices
The Apple Remote can also be used to control the
iPod Hi-FiiPod Hi-Fi is a speaker system developed and manufactured by Apple Inc. that was released on February 28, 2006, for use with any iPod digital music player. The iPod Hi-Fi retailed at the Apple Store for US$349 until its discontinuation on September 5, 2007....
or third party devices tailored to it.
Boot Camp compatibility
As of Boot Camp 1.2, the remote has been given some compatibility when a user is running
WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. If the user has
iTunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
installed on the Windows partition, pressing the Menu button on the remote will load the program. As well as this, the remote has the ability to control both
Windows Media PlayerWindows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
and iTunes, as well as system Volume Control. Additionally, the remote also has the ability to control the audio program
foobar2000foobar2000 is a freeware audio player for Windows developed by Peter Pawlowski, a former freelance contractor for Nullsoft. It is known for its highly modular design and extensive SDK which allows third-party developers to do such things as completely replace the interface...
and the freeware media program
Media Player ClassicMedia Player Classic is a compact media player for 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Windows. The application mimics the look and feel of the old, lightweight Windows Media Player 6.4 but integrates most options and features found in modern media players...
. Programs must have focus for the remote to control them. Skipping tracks and pausing/playing functionality are available under the programs. Since Boot Camp is now at version 4.0, this information is most likely very out of date.
MacBook and iMac resting place
Earlier models of the iMac (Polycarbonate iMac) featured a magnetic rest for the remote, which was later (Aluminum iMac) taken out.
The MacBook features magnets in its lid (primarily intended for the magnetic latch) which also act as rests for the Apple Remote.
Infrared interference
Because many electrical appliances use infrared remote (IR) controls, concurrent use of the Apple Remote with other IR remotes may scramble communications and generate interference, preventing stable use. Remotes should be used individually to circumvent the problem.
Technical details
The Apple Remote uses an NEC IR protocol which consists of a differential
PPMPulse-position modulation is a form of signal modulation in which M message bits are encoded by transmitting a single pulse in one of 2^M possible time-shifts. This is repeated every T seconds, such that the transmitted bit rate is M/T bits per second...
encoding on a 1:3
duty cycleIn engineering, the duty cycle of a machine or system is the time that it spends in an active state as a fraction of the total time under consideration....
38kHz 950
nmA nanometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a metre. The name combines the SI prefix nano- with the parent unit name metre .The nanometre is often used to express dimensions on the atomic scale: the diameter...
infraredInfrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
carrier. There are 32 bits of encoded data between the
AGCAutomatic gain control is an adaptive system found in many electronic devices. The average output signal level is fed back to adjust the gain to an appropriate level for a range of input signal levels...
leader and the stop bit:
| Protocol | on (µs A microsecond is an SI unit of time equal to one millionth of a second. Its symbol is µs.A microsecond is equal to 1000 nanoseconds or 1/1000 millisecond...
) | off (µs) | total (µs) |
| leader |
9000 |
4500 |
13500 |
| 0 bit |
560 |
560 |
1120 |
| 1 bit |
560 |
1690 |
2250 |
| stop |
560 |
|
560 |
The 32 bits of data consist of a one byte remote ID (0-255), followed by a one byte command, followed by the two byte Apple custom code ID (0x87EE). Bytes are sent
LSBIn computing, the least significant bit is the bit position in a binary integer giving the units value, that is, determining whether the number is even or odd. The lsb is sometimes referred to as the right-most bit, due to the convention in positional notation of writing less significant digits...
first. The commands consist of:
| Value | Command | Button |
| 0x16 |
Menu |
Menu |
| 0x17 |
Play |
Play/Pause |
| 0x18 |
Right |
Next/Fast-Forward |
| 0x19 |
Left |
Previous/Rewind |
| 0x1f |
Up |
Volume Up |
| 0x20 |
Down |
Volume Down |
See also
- Apple TV
- Front Row
- iMac
The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
- iPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
- iPod Hi-Fi
iPod Hi-Fi is a speaker system developed and manufactured by Apple Inc. that was released on February 28, 2006, for use with any iPod digital music player. The iPod Hi-Fi retailed at the Apple Store for US$349 until its discontinuation on September 5, 2007....
- MacBook Air
The MacBook Air family is a line of Apple ultraportable Macintosh notebook computers.The first-generation MacBook Air was a 13.3"-only model, previously promoted as the World's Thinnest Notebook, introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. It featured a custom Intel Merom CPU...
- MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh portable computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple. It replaced the PowerBook G4 and was the second model, after the iMac, to be announced in the Apple–Intel transition...
- Mac Mini
The Mac Mini is a small form factor desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier mini-ITX PC designs, it is uncommonly small for a desktop computer: 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches tall. It weighs 2.7 pounds...
- iTunes Remote
- Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...