Legacy Apple TV (1st & 2nd generation) archive
Archived content. This page describes 2009–2012-era jailbroken Apple TV hardware — the silver 1st-generation and black 2nd-generation models. It is preserved for the hobbyists still running them, but it is not supported, and Rowmote cannot control 3rd-generation or later Apple TVs. Everything below refers to long-obsolete software and services.
Rowmote was the only app that could control both the standard Apple menus and third-party software such as XBMC on a jailbroken Apple TV, including full keyboard support with Rowmote Pro.
Apple TV, 1st generation (silver)
Rowmote Helper for Apple TV ran as a Finder appliance on the original 1st-generation Apple TV.
- Download: Rowmote Helper ATV 3.1 (frappliance)
- Installer build: RowmoteHelperATV1-Installer-3.6.zip
- Installation typically used a patchstick to enable SSH, then installed the Helper via the ATV’s plugin system (or via nitoTV’s Install Software menu).
Apple TV, 2nd generation (black)
Installation required jailbreaking with Seas0nPass — a process never supported by Apple, requiring a Micro-USB cable for the initial tethered step. Once jailbroken:
- nitoTV: run Update All in the Install Software menu, then choose Rowmote Helper and select Install.
- aTV Flash (black): install via the Maintenance menu.
Archived Seas0nPass bundles that included Rowmote Helper and nitoTV remain downloadable:
To connect after installation: launch Rowmote, tap Settings, select Apple TV, and tap Done.
There was never a jailbreak for the 3rd-generation (2012) Apple TV, so Rowmote’s Apple TV story ends with the 2nd generation. For controlling a modern Mac-based home theater, Rowmote and Rowmote Pro remain alive and well — see the Rowmote page.