How-To Geek

How to Factory Reset or Reboot an Apple TV

There may come a time when you want to sell your Apple TV or give it to someone else. Or, maybe you bricked it with a bad jailbreak or failed system update (it happens). In any event, it’s good to know how to factory reset your Apple TV.

Reseting your Apple TV can be accomplished in two ways. You can reset it from the settings, which assumes you’re able to boot the device up and click through the menus. This is obviously the preferred method because it means your Apple TV is working properly.

Alternatively, maybe your Apple TV is just sitting there unused and you decide to sell or donate it. You can use iTunes on your computer to quickly wipe it so any sensitive account data on your unit is erased.

This other method can also used when something goes awry, say someone gets adventurous and tries to jailbreak the device, the power sadly goes out during an update, or anything that can brick your Apple TV and render it unbootable.

If Your Apple TV Boots

To reset your Apple TV from the console, you first want to click on “Settings” from the main menu.

On the next screen, click the “General” settings option. It will the very first choice.

Once you’re on the “General” options screen, you need to scroll all the way to the bottom. Notice, there is an option to reboot your Apple TV gracefully (versus unplugging and plugging it back in).

To reset you Apple TV however, choose the aptly-named “Reset” option.

On the reset screen, you can cancel, completely restore the device to factory new, or if you just want to reset your accounts and configuration, you can choose the less destructive “Reset All Settings” option.

Note, when you click “Restore” not only will your Apple TV be wiped clean, it will also download and install any available software updates.

If Your Apple TV Will Not Boot

If your Apple TV will not boot properly, or something has gone wrong and the unit isn’t operating properly, you can almost certainly restore it by connecting it to your PC and using iTunes to factory reset it.

First, unplug your Apple TV. You still need to power it back up, but before you do that, make sure to plug a mini USB cable in the back of your Apple TV (right below the HDMI port) and then to a USB port on your PC.

Once your Apple TV is connected, plug it back in. iTunes should open (if it’s not already running) and recognize it. Now you have two options, but since we’re here to fix it, we want to click “Restore Apple TV…”

Confirm your intention by clicking the “Restore and Update” button. Once you do this, the latest version of the Apple TV software will be download and installed, thus restoring it to minty fresh condition.

Once the process is complete, you can safely eject the Apple TV, and it should now boot after you reconnect it to your HDTV.

It’s definitely good to know how to factory restore your various streaming devices, and the Apple TV is no different. Once Apple finally updates the hardware (we think it’s long overdue for a refresh), many current Apple TV owners may end up passing down their Apple TVs or selling them. The last thing you want to do is to ship your Apple TV off to some stranger with all your sensitive account information.

If you have anything you’d like to add, please leave your comments or questions in our discussion forum.

Matt Klein is an aspiring Florida beach bum, displaced honorary Texan, and died-in-wool Ohio State Buckeye, who fancies himself a nerd-of-all-trades. His favorite topics might include operating systems, BBQ, roller skating, and trying to figure out how to explain quantum computers.

  • Published 04/17/15

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