Note: Rowmote currently supports only the classic (pre-2010, white) Apple TV, not the new (2010, black) Apple TV. We're investigating support for the new model!
With Rowmote for Classic (pre-2010, white) Apple TV, you can use your iPhone or iPod Touch to control your Classic Apple TV® wirelessly. Finally, the Classic Apple TV® can hide within your entertainment center! Rowmote will control both the original Apple menu system and third party software add-ons, like XBMC, Boxee, and Firefox.
Important disclaimer: Due to the nature of adding third party software to an Apple TV® (“ATV”), installation is not quite as easy as it is on the Mac. The process below is not supported by Apple; while these instructions have worked well for me and for many others, I can not guarantee they will work for you. If for some reason the installation fails, you can always ‘factory restore’ your Apple TV.
See ‘Update Instructions’ below for how to update a Rowmote Helper installation; you can use these instructions, too, if you already have patched your AppleTV.
See 'Multiple AppleTVs' if you have more than one AppleTV you wish to control.
Initial Patchstick-based Installation Instructions (Classic Apple TV 2.2 to 3.x, Mac or Windows)
- Update your AppleTV to the current version (or the version your plan to use) before starting. A later update may require redoing the Patchstick installation steps, as standard Apple TV updates may remove it.
- Unlock your AppleTV with the free Patchstick Maker application via your Mac or Windows PC. You will need a USB drive such as a keychain drive (“jump drive”). Once it is unlocked, use your hardware Apple remote to go to the new LaunchMore menu item on your AppleTV, select Scripts, and select Install Rowmote. Connect to your AppleTV in Rowmote and put that old hardware remote away!
- If you have Rowmote Pro, you’ll be able to control the mouse and keyboard in apps like Boxee and Firefox. Installation of those apps is up to you. You have several options:
- You could go the free route and create a new patchstick with atvusb-creator, which will install Boxee and XBMC for you. This open source app, which also supports both Mac and Windows, generally works well, but there’s no technical support available.
- The full version of Patchstick provides an automated, menu-based solution for installing apps and comes with technical support. It costs $40 per year. You purchase the upgrade on your computer; you then enter your login information into the LaunchMore menu system you installed above, so no further patchsticking is needed. We are not associated with Patchstick; please contact them with any questions or concerns regarding their paid solution.
- The AwkwardTV Wiki has details and links to third party apps and plugins if you feel up to manual installations, though it’s a bit hard to navigate.
Update / Manual Installation Instructions
If you already have ssh enabled on your Classic Apple TV and don’t want to create a new patchstick, or if you want to update Rowmote Helper manually, follow the steps below. I’m working on a better update mechanism than this manual process.
- Mac users: Download and run the Rowmote Helper ATV Installer. For it to work, your ATV and Mac must be on the same wireless network, and you must have completed the patchstick installation on your ATV. It will perform all the needed steps; you do not need to follow the ‘manual installation’ steps below.
- Windows users: Follow the manual installation instructions below.
Manual Installation Instructions
If you prefer to install the plugin manually, just follow these steps:
- Download the current version of RowmoteHelperATV.frappliance
- Extract the downloaded archive. You should get a single folder: RowmoteHelperATV.frappliance.
- Copy this folder to your ATV’s home folder (~). I recommend using a graphical FTP program like Cyberduck or Transmit to copy to the home folder of the ‘appletv.local’ server. The password is ‘frontrow’.
- Mac users: Load Terminal from /Applications/Utilities on your computer.
Windows users: Load the ssh client of your choice. - Connect to your ATV. The command to do so from Terminal is:
ssh frontrow@appletv.local
The password is frontrow - Issue the following command (all one line) to your ATV via ssh once you are connected:
sudo mount -uw / ; sudo /bin/rm -rf /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/PlugIns/RowmoteHelperATV.frappliance ; sudo /bin/mv ~/RowmoteHelperATV.frappliance /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/PlugIns ; sudo chmod +x /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/PlugIns/RowmoteHelperATV.frappliance/Contents/Resources/RowmoteHelperATV ; sudo /sbin/reboot
As before, the password is frontrow. This removes any existing copy of RowmoteHelperATV and then moves the copy you put in your home directory to the appropriate installation location. It then reboots your ATV.
Apple TV is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Rowmote is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc.