ATV Desktop Remote bsharper

apple-tv appletv atvremote pyatv remotecontrol smartbox tvos

Use this command to install ATV Desktop Remote:

winget install --id=bsharper.ATVDesktopRemote -e

ATV Desktop Remote is a menu-bar application designed to control an Apple TV from your desktop. This tool simplifies the process of managing your Apple TV by enabling seamless interaction through your computer’s interface.

Key Features:

Keyboard Shortcuts: Navigate menus, select options, and access features using familiar keyboard inputs.
Long Press Simulation: Hold keys to simulate long presses on a remote control for precise navigation.
Multiple Device Pairing: Connect and switch between multiple Apple TV devices effortlessly.
System Tray Accessibility: Access controls directly from the system tray for quick and convenient operation.
Cross-Platform Support: Available for both macOS and Windows, with support via winget for easy installation.

Audience & Benefits:

Ideal for Apple TV users seeking a streamlined way to control their device without additional hardware. ATV Desktop Remote enhances productivity by integrating smoothly into your desktop workflow, allowing you to manage your Apple TV directly from your computer.

ATV Desktop Remote

A simple menubar app that allows you to control an Apple TV from your desktop

What this application looks like when running in either light or dark mode

Installation

If you have homebrew installed brew install atv-remote

macOS and Windows versions can be downloaded from here: https://github.com/bsharper/atv-desktop-remote/releases

Usage

Keys are mapped to the keyboard when the application is open (pressing return or enter on the keyboard for select, delete for Menu, etc).
Press Option, or Alt on Windows, to see what the characters are mapped to when the application is open.
Long press buttons now works to simulate long presses on the remote

Running

Run npm install (yarn and pnpm should also work)
Run npm start
The application runs in the menubar. Look for a tiny remote icon and click on it. Right-click for more options.
The first time the app runs it will need to pair with an Apple TV. You can pair with more than one.
Press Cmd+Shift+R to open the application from anywhere. On Windows its Win+Shift+R

Building

electron-builder is used to create a standalone application.

Notes

This is cobbled together from a few projects I've worked on. It works well enough for me for daily use, so I figured others might like it.

This project is built using pyatv.