5 Common Problems with Fire TV Stick Remotes

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The advent of the Amazon Fire TV remote and other similar gadgets is one of the main reasons why universal remotes simply aren’t necessary anymore. With just one remote, you can control more than just your Fire TV streaming device. In fact, the latest Fire TV remote model lets you pair it with select Amazon Fire TV smart TVs, third-party smart TVs that come with a built-in Fire TV, and even your Echo Show.

This convenience, however, comes at a price. Just like many other TV remotes, the Fire TV remote generally works well for the most part. But there are also times when it breaks down out of nowhere. Whenever your Fire TV remote isn’t working as expected, the first and easiest solution you can do is to remove the batteries and put them back in. This usually fixes any minor issues that are preventing you from using the remote as intended. If simply reinserting the same batteries doesn’t solve the problem, you may want to get a new set of triple A batteries and try those instead. If all else fails, we’ve outlined a few problem-specific fixes to get your Fire TV remote up and running again.

You may encounter cases where your Fire TV remote is connected to your TV, but some of its buttons don’t work. What can sometimes help fix this common Fire TV remote problem is a simple restart of the TV. Turn off the TV and unplug it from the wall outlet for at least ten seconds before plugging it back in. Sometimes this is enough to get the remote and TV communicating properly again. If, however, the faulty buttons on your Fire TV remote are specific to volume, mute, and power, there’s a good chance it’s because your TV and remote aren’t configured correctly. To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings in the Fire TV menu.
2. Click Device Control.
3. Choose Manage Equipment.
4. Go to TV.
5. Verify that the TV your Fire TV device is connected to is the same as the TV mentioned in the Change TV section.
6. If it’s not set up on your TV, tap Change TV.
7. Use the on-screen guide to complete the setup.

If it’s just the volume knob that’s not working, there may be a non-existent receiver or soundbar in your equipment list. Go to Equipment Control in Settings and open Manage Equipment. Then select Change soundbar (or receiver) and delete the erroneous entry (if there is one). From there, go to Change TV again and switch to the correct TV. Another possible solution is to change the home button settings. You can also find it in the Advanced Settings menu under Manage Equipment. Here you can set the Home button to HDMI-CEC only or IR and HDMI-CEC. Updating the IR interval (under Equipment Control) to 220 milliseconds also worked for some Reddit users.

Fire TV remotes are designed to automatically connect to your TV during initial setup. Simply place the batteries in the compartment and make sure your TV is turned on. If the remote suddenly becomes unresponsive or you see a “Pairing Failed” error on the screen, it may be because the remote is no longer paired with the TV. You can check if this is the case by using the remote’s troubleshooting mode. Here’s how to do it:

In compatible remotes (remotes whose LED lights up when you press and hold the mic button), press the right and rewind buttons simultaneously. Then click the menu button on the remote control to enter troubleshooting mode (the LED should turn green). Then press any other button. If the LED lights orange, this means that the remote control is not connected to your TV. In this case, you will need to manually pair your Fire TV remote to your TV:

1. Unplug your Fire TV device and leave it unplugged for at least a minute.
2. In the meantime, remove the batteries from your remote control.
3. Reinsert the batteries after 30 seconds.
4. Plug your Fire TV back in and wait for it to finish booting up.
5. Hold the remote control ten feet or less from the TV.
6. Press and hold the Home button on the Fire TV remote for ten seconds to pair it with your TV.

You can also complete the pairing process using your smartphone through the Fire TV app. Simply go to Bluetooth Controllers & Devices in the Settings menu, navigate to Amazon Fire TV Remotes, and tap Add New Remote. During the pairing process, your phone must be on the same Wi-Fi network as your Fire TV device.

Some Fire TV remotes, particularly Alexa Voice Remote Pro, come with two reprogrammable buttons. While this is handy for allowing you to customize your remote, you might encounter cases where the buttons don’t work as expected.

One of the common issues with this Fire TV remote is that the menu for assigning actions to the buttons doesn’t appear when you long-press either button. When this happens, you cannot program the buttons. To resolve this issue, first restart the TV by removing it from the wall outlet and plugging it back in. Then check that your remote control is properly paired to your television. The volume buttons, Home button, and any other buttons should work. It’s also important to make sure you’re not signed in to a Child profile, as these profiles cannot use customizable buttons. Finally, try holding either button for at least ten seconds to see if the assignment panel appears on the screen. If not, you can go to Controllers & Bluetooth Devices in Fire TV Settings to assign the shortcut from there.

If you can see the assignment panel but can’t program it to a certain voice command, try repeating the command and confirm that it works with your TV. You should then be able to see this recent command in the list of options. If you’re having trouble scheduling an app to launch, make sure the app is actually installed and working. If you have successfully programmed the buttons but they suddenly stop working, a simple reassignment could solve the problem. Simply press and hold the button until the assignment panel appears. If it was a voice command, issue it again so you can select it from the panel.

The Fire TV remote’s batteries would last at least a few months. Despite this, many users have reported that these devices drain batteries quickly. Some users even noticed that they had to replace the batteries every few days. If you encounter this problem, you can try to resolve the problem by replacing the batteries with high-quality AAA models. The best choices are alkaline models, like Amazon Basics Long-Life Alkaline Batteries. Once you have your new set of batteries, remove the old ones, wait about 30 seconds and insert the new batteries. Next, press and hold the Home button on the Fire TV remote to save it to the TV.

If the new pair of batteries also drain quickly, you may have a problem with the remote control. It’s worth checking if any buttons are stuck, which may keep the remote active all the time. While you’re at it, you might also want to clean your TV remote, including the battery contacts. If the buttons are clean and working as expected, you can also try resetting the Fire TV remote to factory settings. Here’s how to do it:

1. Unplug your Fire TV Stick and leave it unplugged for a minute or two.
2. On your Fire TV remote, press the Left and Menu buttons simultaneously for 12 seconds.
3. Release both buttons.
4. Wait five seconds.
5. Remove the batteries.
6. Connect the TV to the wall outlet.
7. Wait about a minute.
8. Reinsert the batteries into your remote control.
9. Pair the remote with the TV by pressing the Home button for ten seconds.

If a reset isn’t enough, contact Amazon Support for a replacement and use your Fire TV app as an alternate remote in the meantime.

One of the handy features built into Alexa Voice Remote Pro is the Remote Finder. Whenever your Fire TV remote goes away somewhere, you can simply ask Alexa to find your remote and the remote will make a sound. However, this command can sometimes misbehave. You might receive an error saying that you need a remote paired to the TV or that your TV needs to be turned on, even if these items are already true. Sometimes the command just won’t make your Fire TV remote sound.

To resolve this issue, you can first try restarting your TV, including unplugging it and then plugging it back in. Then make sure your Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Smart TV is set up to work with Remote Search. The Fire TV Stick must be powered by a USB adapter, and the smart TV must have “Voice commands when TV screen is off” enabled in its settings (you can use your Fire TV app to navigate your TV in the meantime).

If you have multiple Fire TV remotes paired to your TV, the remote finder will search for the first connected remote. If it is not an Alexa Voice Remote Pro, the command will not work. Try removing other paired remotes except Alexa Voice Remote Pro. Then repeat the command to see if the sound is played. You can add all the other remote controls later. You can also try finding your Fire TV remote with the Fire TV app associated with your Fire TV device. Simply tap the remote finder icon next to your specific remote to make it ring. Sometimes the remote does not ring immediately, so you may have to wait several seconds.