Itsytv

A native macOS menu bar app for controlling your Apple TV. macOS has no built-in Apple TV remote – Itsytv fills the gap: d-pad, keyboard navigation, live text input, now playing, and an app launcher, speaking the same local-network protocol the Siri Remote uses. Free and open source (MIT), installable via Homebrew.

Also on iPhone

Itsytv is now available on iOS with the same core experience plus features designed for mobile:

• TMDB lookup for what's playing – poster art, ratings, and details for movies and TV shows
• Ergonomic design for left- and right-handed use

Features

• Menu bar remote – control your Apple TV from a compact floating panel
• D-pad and buttons – circular d-pad with directional navigation, select, home, menu/back, play/pause
• Keyboard navigation – arrow keys, Return, Backspace, Escape, Space mapped to remote buttons
• Text input – type directly into Apple TV text fields with a live keyboard
• Now playing – artwork, title, artist, progress bar, and playback controls
• App launcher – grid of installed apps with icons fetched from the App Store; drag to reorder
• Multiple devices – pair and switch between multiple Apple TVs
• Global hotkeys – assign keyboard shortcuts to instantly open the remote for specific Apple TVs
• Per-device panel position – remembers where you placed the remote for each Apple TV
• Launch at login – optional auto-start from the menu bar
• Unpair – remove pairing credentials from the panel menu
• AppleScript & Shortcuts – script play/pause from anything that runs AppleScript

AppleScript and Shortcuts automation

Itsytv exposes AppleScript commands, so the Apple TV becomes scriptable from Shortcuts, Keyboard Maestro, Hammerspoon, Raycast, or a plain shell:

Both commands are no-ops when nothing is playing, so they are safe to fire blindly. Some ideas:

• A Shortcuts automation that pauses the Apple TV when a calendar meeting starts (Run AppleScript action)
• A Hammerspoon or Keyboard Maestro hotkey that toggles playback without touching a remote
• A cron job or at timer that pauses playback at bedtime

There is also a Shortcuts action to open the remote panel for a specific Apple TV – handy on a Stream Deck.

Perfect companion to Itsyhome

Itsytv pairs naturally with Itsyhome (opens in a new tab) – a free macOS menu bar app for controlling your HomeKit devices. Manage lights, cameras, thermostats, locks, scenes, and 18+ accessory types without ever opening the Home app.

Apple TV doesn't show a PIN code when pairing

If you send a pairing request but no PIN appears on your TV screen, your Apple TV is likely restricting which devices can connect to it. To fix this: