Apple on Tuesday confirmed that its new Apple TV Siri Remote does not integrate a U1 chip, meaning it can’t be located with pinpoint accuracy through Apple’s Find My network. The latest iPad Pro models also appear to lack the locator.
Rumors leading up to today’s announcement suggested Apple would integrate Find My functionality to a next-generation Siri Remote, a logical addition considering remote controls are commonly lost in couch cushions. Those rumblings, however, appear to be incorrect.
Apple’s specifications sheet shows the device does not integrate a U1 chip, a component that plays a key role in the company’s Ultra Wideband device-locating technology. The tech giant confirmed U1’s absence in a statement to The Verge.
While Find My can locate Bluetooth-connected objects without U1 (see AirPods), the capability was not mentioned during today’s special presentation or corresponding press release, nor is it listed as a feature on the dedicated Apple TV webpage. That said, Apple has not gone on record as saying the new Siri Remote is incompatible with Find My. Support could be added at a later date, though chances are sim.
Interestingly, the two iPad Pro models unveiled today also lack U1, meaning they are not capable of navigating to lost AirTags through the Find My app.
Introduced in 2018 with iPhone 11, the U1 chip’s UWB-based spatial awareness functions were initially limited to filtering AirDrop recipients. AirTags take the technology further by offering precise location information — derived from UWB ranging pulses — to compatible devices.
Apple’s U1 silicon is installed on iPhone 11 and 12 series handsets, HomePod mini and the new Apple TV 4K.
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