Apple’s just-announced Apple TV 4K Siri Remote introduces a feature that could solve one of its biggest pain points: losing the remote. The remote now has a built-in speaker and more—though the full tracking experience only works with the newest iPhones.
Speaker + Find My: What Any Apple TV Owner Can Use
The updated Siri Remote, which debuts alongside the latest Apple TV 4K model, includes a speaker that integrates with Apple’s Find My network. This tool lets owners use the Find My app to play a tone through the remote, helping locate it if it’s nearby—but out of sight.
Even if you don’t own the newest iPhone, you’ll still get this speaker feature when using the remote. It’s compatible with any existing Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD model.
Precision Finding: A Feature Locked to Newer iPhones
Beyond the speaker, the new remote’s headline upgrade is Precision Finding—a guided, step-by-step tracking experience similar to what AirTag owners already enjoy. But it’s not broadly available.
Precision Finding requires an Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip of the second generation—meaning you’ll need to own one of the newest iPhones: iPhone 17, 17 Pro (except the 17e variant), iPhone Air, Duo model, or iPhone 18 Pro. If your device doesn’t match that list, the remote will still work with Find My, but only via sound.
What This Means for Buyers
The upgraded Siri Remote sells separately for $59, so cost isn’t a steep barrier—but whether you get full utility depends on your iPhone. For owners of compatible phones, Precision Finding could be a significant convenience when dealing with misplaced remotes. If you don’t have one, you lose out on the visual guidance, though the speaker still offers basic locating help.
For many, this could shape the decision to upgrade not just their remote, but possibly their iPhone—especially if they’re prone to misplacing things. For others, the speaker feature might be enough to satisfy basic needs without requiring a pricey new handset.
Why This Matters: Apple has long marketed UWB tech as a differentiator for device tracking, spatial awareness, and accessory coherence across its ecosystem. Locking Precision Finding to the latest UWB chips preserves that value, but increases trade-offs for users with older phones.
Going forward, it’s worth watching whether Apple expands Precision Finding support via firmware or software updates, or whether this remains exclusive to the newest hardware. Either way, the enhanced remote makes Apple’s Find My network more central to everyday device use—and nudges users toward upgrading phones to unlock the full feature set.
