Apple TV blinks fast: That’s what it means – and that’s what you can do

Normally, the white LED operating light on the Apple TV shines continuously or reacts to input commands with short intervals. However, if the light flashes quickly and rhythmically, there is most likely a problem with the streaming box.

As you probably already know from the legendary British sitcom “The IT Crowd”, the device should be restarted before any panic. Depending on the remaining operating options, you have different methods to choose from:

If you can still control your Apple TV with the remote control despite the frantically flashing LED light, select the gray gear button in the main menu to access the settings. There you select the option “System” and press there on “Restart”.

Possibility 2: Force restart via remote control

If the Apple TV no longer responds to your navigation commands or you no longer see a menu, you can also force a restart of the device using the remote control:

Siri Remote 1 (black): Press and hold the screen button and the menu button at the same time until the restart occurs.

Siri Remote 2 (silver): Press and hold the screen button and the back button at the same time until the Apple TV restarts.

Option 3: Disconnect Apple TV and restart

If the Apple TV does not respond to the restart command from the remote control either, you can only restart the device by disconnecting it from the power source. To do this, pull the Apple TV’s power supply unit from the socket and, after a short wait, reconnect it to the power supply.

Way 4: Reset Apple TV via iTunes

If your attempts to restart the Apple TV in the usual mode using the buttons on your remote control are unsuccessful and if disconnecting the power connection also proves to be unsuccessful, you will have to reset your Apple TV to its factory settings for better or worse.

This Netzwelt guide explains how you can reset your Apple TV to factory settings via iTunes on your Mac or PC.