You’re staring at that little silver or black box, the white light is glowing, and your TV is still blaring some Netflix screensaver. You want to go to bed. But there’s no power button on the remote. It’s weird. Honestly, it’s one of those classic Apple design choices that feels elegant until you’re tired and just want the thing to stop glowing. If you've ever wondered how do you turn off the Apple TV, the short answer is: you don't. At least, not in the way you’d turn off a toaster or a vacuum cleaner.
Apple TVs are designed to never actually shut down. They enter a low-power state called "Sleep." Think of it like your iPhone when you click the side button; the screen goes dark, but the phone is still "alive" enough to check for texts or updates. On the Apple TV, this keeps your apps ready to launch instantly and allows the device to download software updates in the middle of the night so you aren't stuck waiting for a progress bar when you just want to watch Severance.
The Siri Remote shortcut you’ll actually use
Most people use the Siri Remote (the one with the clickpad or the touch surface). Since about 2015, Apple has leaned heavily on the Control Center.
To get there, you just hold down the TV/Control Center button. It’s the one that looks like a little computer monitor or a rectangle. Hold it for about two seconds. A side menu pops out from the right side of your screen. You'll see options for your profile, WiFi, and game controllers. Right at the bottom, there’s a big "Sleep" icon. Tap that. The TV goes black, the light on the box fades out, and you’re done.
It’s fast. It’s reliable.
But what if you have the older, silver aluminum remote? Or the tiny white plastic one from a decade ago? For those, you usually just hold the Play/Pause button for five seconds while on the Home screen. It feels like an eternity when you’re sleepy, but it works.
Using the Settings menu (The long way)
Maybe your remote is acting up, or you just like doing things the "official" way through menus. You can always scroll over to the Settings app—it's the one with the silver gears.
Once you’re in there, don’t bother looking for a "Power" section. It doesn't exist. You have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the main list. There, sitting all by itself, is "Sleep Now." Click it. Boom. Everything shuts down.
It’s a bit of a trek through the UI, but it’s a good fallback if you forget the button shortcut. Some people prefer this because it feels more deliberate, but honestly, once you master the Control Center shortcut, you’ll probably never open Settings for this again.
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Why won't my TV turn off too?
This is where things get annoying. You put the Apple TV to sleep, but your actual television stays on, showing a "No Signal" message. That’s a communication breakdown.
Basically, there’s a technology called HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control). Apple calls it "Control TVs and Receivers." When it works, it’s magic. You turn off the Apple TV, and it sends a signal through the HDMI cable telling your Samsung, LG, or Sony TV to shut down as well.
If this isn't happening, go to Settings > Remotes and Devices. Look for "Control TVs and Receivers" and make sure it’s toggled to "On." You might also need to dig into your actual TV’s settings menu to enable CEC there. Samsung calls it "Anynet+," LG calls it "SimpLink," and Sony calls it "Bravia Sync." It’s a mess of branding, but it’s all the same thing.
Sometimes a bad HDMI cable can break this connection. If you’ve toggled everything on and it’s still failing, swapping the cable is usually the fix.
The "True" Power Off (Pulling the plug)
Is there a way to actually turn the power 100% off? Not through software.
If you’re moving the device, cleaning behind your entertainment center, or if the software has completely frozen up, you have to pull the power cord. Apple doesn't include a physical toggle switch. Most tech experts, including those at iFixit, note that these devices are incredibly energy-efficient in sleep mode anyway. We’re talking about maybe 0.3 to 0.5 watts of power. It costs pennies a year.
However, if your Apple TV is acting glitchy—apps crashing, AirPlay not showing up—pulling the plug for 30 seconds is the best "hard reset" you can do. It clears the system RAM in a way that "Sleep" just can't.
Auto-Sleep: Let the box handle it
If you’re the type of person who falls asleep mid-binge, you should check your Sleep Timer.
- Go to Settings.
- Hit General.
- Select "Sleep After."
You can set it for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or a few hours. This is great for saving your TV’s backlight from burning out if you leave a static menu on the screen for eight hours while you snooze.
Turning off Apple TV from your iPhone
You don’t even need the physical remote. If you’ve lost it in the couch cushions (we’ve all been there), swipe down from the top right of your iPhone to open the Control Center. Tap the Remote icon. If it’s not there, you can add it in your iPhone’s settings.
From the iPhone remote interface, the process for how do you turn off the Apple TV is identical to the physical remote. Just long-press the "TV" icon in the top right of the digital remote, and select Sleep. It’s honestly easier than digging through the cushions for the real remote.
Troubleshooting: When it won't stay asleep
Sometimes you put the Apple TV to sleep, and five minutes later, it wakes back up. This is usually caused by a few specific things:
- Ghost AirPlay signals: A neighbor’s device or a rogue app on your phone trying to connect.
- Bluetooth interference: A wireless game controller or headphones accidentally getting bumped.
- Network Activity: Sometimes the "Wake for Network Access" feature gets a bit too excited.
If your Apple TV is a chronic "insomniac," try disabling "Wake for Network Access" in the Network settings. It might mean your remote app takes an extra second to connect, but it’ll stop the TV from turning itself on at 3 AM.
Next Steps for a Better Setup
To make sure your Apple TV stays in sync with your home theater, verify that your HDMI cable is "High Speed" or "Ultra High Speed" (HDMI 2.1). This ensures the CEC signals for power and volume control travel correctly between devices. If you frequently use your iPhone as a remote, go into your iPhone’s Control Center settings now and ensure the "Apple TV Remote" widget is active so you aren't scrambling to find it when the physical remote goes missing. Finally, if you haven't updated your tvOS in a while, run a manual update in Settings to ensure the "Sleep Now" shortcuts haven't been moved or changed in the latest software revision.