iOS 17 and tvOS 17, both released to the public on Monday, allow users with an Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K to restore their set-top box by using a nearby iPhone, says a new Apple support document.
If you see a black screen with an iPhone appear on your TV, unlock your iPhone, hold it close to the Apple TV, and follow the on-screen recovery steps on the iPhone’s screen.
Here’s how to do it (from the Apple support document):
- Update your iPhone. You must have an iPhone with iOS 17 or later to restore your Apple TV.
- Unlock your iPhone and hold it close to your Apple TV.
- Follow the steps that appear on your iPhone.
- You can use your iPhone as you normally would while your Apple TV recovers. Leave your Apple TV connected to power while recovery completes.
If these steps don’t work for you, contact Apple Support.
While the Apple TV HD sports a USB-C port that allows the device to be restored over a wired connection to a Mac, there is no USB-C port on the Apple TV 4K, so Apple TV 4K users were advised to contact Apple support to restore those devices. That will no longer be necessary.
