Itsytv says “No Apple TVs found.”

Itsytv needs local network access to discover Apple TV devices. If you declined the permission prompt, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Local network and enable Itsytv. Your iPhone and Apple TV must also be on the same Wi-Fi network.

My Apple TV doesn't show a PIN code when pairing.

Your Apple TV is probably restricting which devices can connect. Open Settings → AirPlay and Apple Home, set Allow access to Anyone on the same network, and make sure Require password is Off. Then check Settings → General → Restrictions and confirm AirPlay Settings and Remote App Pairing are both Allow. Keep them there — Itsytv needs them that way to maintain a connection.

The remote panel closes a few seconds after connecting.

Your AirPlay access is set to Only people sharing this home. Open Settings → AirPlay and Apple Home on your Apple TV and change Allow access to Anyone on the same network. Done.

Now playing information isn't showing.

Itsytv relies on AirPlay to receive now playing updates. Open Settings → AirPlay and Apple Home on your Apple TV and make sure AirPlay is set to On.

Now playing shows the wrong show or movie.

Apple TV occasionally reports now playing information from a previously used app instead of the current one — a known quirk of the Apple TV protocol itself. Restarting the streaming app on your Apple TV or switching playback usually clears it.

Netflix doesn't show now playing details.

Netflix recently updated their Apple TV player and no longer reports show information to the system. That means Itsytv can't display the title, artwork, or episode for what's playing in Netflix. This is a Netflix-side limitation. Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Apple TV+, and most other streaming apps continue to work normally.

Volume buttons aren't working.

Volume control depends on your Apple TV configuration. If your TV uses HDMI-CEC for volume, the buttons will work. If your Apple TV is set to control volume over IR (infrared), commands from Itsytv won't reach the TV. Check Settings → Remotes and Devices → Volume Control on your Apple TV to see which mode is active. The mute button isn't supported by the protocol yet.

On Mac: I launched the app and nothing happened.

Itsytv on Mac is a menu bar app — a tiny TV icon in the top-right, not a Dock tile. On MacBooks with a notch, macOS silently hides menu bar icons that don't fit behind the notch. Hold ⌘ Cmd and drag unused icons off the menu bar; when Itsytv reappears, ⌘-drag it somewhere safe.

Itsytv · Guides

How to control Apple TV from your Mac

Updated 2 July 2026

macOS has no built-in Apple TV remote – Control Center on the Mac, unlike on the iPhone, has none. The practical answer is Itsytv, a native menu bar remote that is free and open source on the Mac: install it with `brew install --cask itsytv`, pair with the PIN shown on the TV, and control the Apple TV with your mouse or entirely from the keyboard.

Set it up

Install. Homebrew: brew install --cask itsytv. Or download the DMG from GitHub releases, or get it from the Mac App Store. The Mac version is MIT-licensed open source – the code is at github.com/nickustinov/itsytv-macos.
Pair. Click the TV icon in the menu bar, select your Apple TV, and type the four-digit PIN that appears on the TV screen. Credentials are stored in the macOS Keychain and communication is end-to-end encrypted.
Drive it from the keyboard. Arrow keys navigate, Return selects, Escape goes back, Space toggles play/pause, and you can type straight into Apple TV text fields with the Mac keyboard – the fastest way to enter passwords tvOS has ever seen. Global hotkeys open the remote for a specific Apple TV from anywhere.

Automate it: AppleScript, Shortcuts, and scripts

Itsytv on the Mac exposes AppleScript commands, which makes the Apple TV scriptable from anything that can run AppleScript: Shortcuts, Keyboard Maestro, Hammerspoon, Raycast script commands, or a plain shell.

From the terminal: osascript -e 'tell application "itsytv" to pause' – and the same with play. Wire that into a Shortcuts "Run AppleScript" action to pause the TV when a meeting starts, a Hammerspoon hotkey, or a cron job that pauses playback at bedtime.

There is also a Shortcuts action to open the remote panel for a specific Apple TV, useful on a Stream Deck or a Raycast hotkey.

Alternatives

For command-line purists, pyatv (atvremote) is an excellent open source Python library that scripts Apple TVs without any GUI – it is the tool Itsytv's protocol implementation credits. There is no first-party Apple option on macOS; AirPlay lets a Mac send video to an Apple TV but not control it.

Frequently asked questions

Does macOS have a built-in Apple TV remote?

No. iPhones and iPads have the Control Center remote, but macOS has nothing equivalent. A third-party app such as Itsytv (free and open source on Mac) fills the gap from the menu bar.

How do I install an Apple TV remote on my Mac?

brew install --cask itsytv, or download the DMG from GitHub releases, or install from the Mac App Store. Pair by typing the PIN the Apple TV shows on screen.

Can I pause Apple TV playback from a script?

Yes. Itsytv exposes AppleScript commands: osascript -e 'tell application "itsytv" to pause' (and play). That works from Shortcuts, Keyboard Maestro, Hammerspoon, or any shell script.

Is the Mac version really free?

Yes – free via Homebrew and GitHub, MIT-licensed open source. The $4.99 one-time App Store purchase covers iPhone and iPad too and supports development.

Related guides

Get Itsytv

Itsytv turns your iPhone, iPad, and Mac into a full Apple TV remote – circular d-pad, app launcher, now-playing panel, real keyboard, and multi-room switching. A one-time $4.99 purchase, no subscription. The Mac version is free and open source via Homebrew. Download on the App Store →