Why Apple Didn’t Put an AirTag in the Newest Siri Remote

It is well known that one of the top complaints about Apple’s last Siri Remote for its Apple TV was its ability to get itself lost in the abyss of living rooms. Apple could have fixed this with its second-generation Siri remote by adding, for instance, a handy dandy AirTag. Apparently though, the company thought that since its new remote is a bit thicker, it wouldn’t get lost.

Apple Vice President Tim Twerdahl said as much in an interview with Mobile Syrup published on Friday. When asked about whether Apple considered adding some AirTag-like technology to the remote, which the interviewer admitted he lost in his couch cushions frequently, Twerdahl said there because the new Siri remote is thicker, the need to have other network devices find it seemed lower.

“We are super excited about AirTags and what we’re doing with [the U1 chip], and part of that power is the Find My network and the fact that we can leverage a billion devices around the world to help you find stuff,” Twerdahl told Mobile Syrup. “To your point, [the Find My network] is the most powerful out of the home. With the changes we’ve made to the Siri Remote—including making it a bit thicker so it won’t fall in your couch cushions as much—that need to have all these other network devices find it seems a little bit lower.”

For those who haven’t tried the new Siri remote, the Verge notes that Twerdahl does have a point and that the remote seems to be couch-proof.

Now, I am not a Siri remote user, but as the user of a dumb and thick remote, I would like to point out that just because a remote is bigger doesn’t mean it’s easier to find when you need it most. My remote has been eaten by my couch, hidden by piles of clean laundry (which are sometimes on the couch), and kidnapped by the piles of paper around my house. (Don’t judge. Pandemic life, y’all). There are times where I wished there was a way for me to know at least in what area it was. An AirTag would be a way.

Although Apple did not make frustrated Siri remote owners happy this time around, some decided to make their AirTag remote tracking system a reality, at least when it comes to the older generation remotes. Since AirTags were revealed in April, clever makers have developed a remote case that lets you stick an AirTag on the back of an older Siri remote.

Considering that some of the other options floated on the internet included double-sided tape, velcro, and sticky silicone, this one seemed to be the smartest and most elegant choice. Of course, you could also make sure to always stick your remote on a table, put it in a basket, or develop some other way to keep it from disappearing. I sure haven’t mastered this yet, but it doesn’t mean you can’t.