Can Apple TV Control Your Sound Bar? All You Need to Know

Apple TV is a fantastic streaming device since it produces high-quality video and audio. A soundbar is a similarly game-changing accessory; however, can it be operated by an Apple TV?

Can Apple TV Control Your Sound Bar?

Yes. By connecting via Bluetooth or HDMI, Apple TV can control your home theater system. The audio quality difference between Bluetooth and HDMI may be minimal depending on the quality of the Bluetooth connection.

Do you want to connect your Apple TV to your soundbar? Read on to learn the specific steps for linking your Apple TV to your home theater system’s soundbar. Here, I’ll break down the steps involved and offer some advice on using the Apple TV remote to operate your soundbar.

Can my Apple TV remote control my soundbar?

Yes, the Button Remote for Apple TV can only be programmed to control either the TV or the soundbar or external audio device, but not both at the same time

How To Connect Your Soundbar to an Apple TV

There are three pieces of equipment to consider when setting up an Apple TV with a soundbar: the TV, the soundbar, and the Apple TV hub. Although the prospect of doing this may seem daunting at first, it’s actually pretty easy once you break it down into manageable steps.

Because of how simple it is to troubleshoot, this configuration is ideal for connecting all three devices.

The TV will serve as an intermediary between the Apple TV and the soundbar. An HDMI cable is required for this procedure.

A few easy steps are all that’s required:

1. You must plug your Apple TV into an electrical outlet. Connect the Apple TV’s end of the power cord to its charging port, and then plug the other end of the cord into a wall outlet.
   Put your sound bar’s power cord into an outlet.
2. The soundbar, like the Apple TV gadget, will include a power cord with a dedicated connection and a socket that plugs into an electrical outlet.
3. It’s time to hook up Apple TV to the living room set. Just plug your Apple TV’s HDMI cable into its port and your TV’s HDMI 2.0 port, and you’ll be good to go.
4. A TV soundbar connection is required. Connect the soundbar’s HDMI ARC port to the TV’s HDMI ARC input via a second HDMI cable.
5. Do the necessary steps to establish communication. Make sure Match Content is turned on in Apple TV’s settings.

Following these instructions, the volume on the soundbar should be automatically adjusted when using the Apple TV remote. However, if it doesn’t, don’t worry; I’ll explain how to teach your remote to operate the soundbar manually.

How to Connect Your Apple TV to the Soundbar Directly via HDMI

Another option is to use an HDMI connection to link the Apple TV and the soundbar together.

The connected connection provided by this method is preferable since it allows for crisper audio.

If you want to use an Apple TV with a soundbar, you can do so by:

1. Establish power to both the Apple TV and the soundbar. Connect the devices to the power source using the appropriate power cables.
2. Bring everything together with an HDMI cable. Connect the Apple TV to the soundbar by inserting the HDMI cable into an available HDMI port on the TV.
3. Use an HDMI cable to link your soundbar to your TV.
4. Do the necessary steps to establish communication. Enable Match Content in the Settings menu.

How to Connect Apple TV and Soundbar via Bluetooth

This approach isn’t ideal because Bluetooth could degrade the sound quality from the soundbar, but it’s convenient because it doesn’t require a lot of cords and connectors.

Sound quality might be drastically diminished if there are many barriers between the soundbar and the TV.

If you go this route, place the soundbar as close to the TV as possible for optimal results.

I found a wonderful post that can help you fit your soundbar underneath your TV.

Still, it is a simple procedure with only a few steps.

1. Turn on Bluetooth pairing for your soundbar. Many soundbars have different methods for accomplishing this, but in general, you must push the Source button on your soundbar until BT Pairing shows on the display.
2. If you can’t find yours, try Googling the model of your soundbar followed by “Bluetooth.” As an example, consider the Panasonic Bluetooth soundbar.
3. When you match your soundbar model with this, you will normally get various results.
4. Go to Apple TV and open the Settings app.
5. Locate Remotes and Devices and then Bluetooth.
6. The device will begin looking for available Bluetooth connections, so wait until the name of the soundbar appears and choose it.

If you have an Apple TV 4K, you can take an extra step for the best and most immersive experience. After connecting your devices, follow these steps:

1. Head over to Settings on your Apple TV.
2. Select Audio and Video, and then go to Format.
3. Check and make sure 4K HDR is enabled

How To Control the Soundbar Using the Apple TV Remote

Once the connection is made, you should be able to control your soundbar using Apple TV. If it doesn’t work automatically, you can manually connect both devices.

Before trying this method, ensure that your soundbar has an IR receptor so the remote can control it.

Here’s how to manually link your soundbar and Apple TV remote:

1. Open the Settings menu with the Apple TV remote
2. Go to Remotes and Devices.
3. Select Volume Control and then “Learn New Device.” Make sure your soundbar is in pairing mode for this step.
4. Choose your soundbar model from the list and wait a few seconds to allow the devices to connect.

Final thoughts: Can Apple TV Control Your Sound Bar? 

You can connect an Apple TV device with a soundbar to watch TV with high-quality audio. You can connect them in a variety of ways, but HDMI cables provide the finest audio quality.

Although using Bluetooth is usually easier and avoids the wire management issue, the audio quality may suffer depending on the distance between all three devices.

If you still can’t manage the soundbar after connecting it, you can manually link your remote to it from the Apple TV settings menu.