How to fix a Firestick Remote that isn’t working

Fire TV is not responding to the remote

One of the most annoying things about a variety of products these days is the technology not working. The Firestick remote should automatically work and respond to the Fire TV and vice versa. Alas, it’s rarely that simple. Whether it’s your Bluetooth headphones struggling to pair with your smartphone or having to download a game that you bought physically specifically to avoid download times, the world we live in is filled with technological annoyances.

With the advice in this article, it should be demonstrably less infuriating.

Refine the distance of your Firestick remotes from the Fire TV Stick.

The advertised range of Firestick remotes from the second generation onwards is about 30 feet (around nine meters) however, as we know a lot of brands like to exaggerate the abilities of their products. Don’t just assume your remote will work from your couch that is 29 feet away from your television. The first step to diagnosing the reason your Fire TV isn’t responding to your actions on the Firestick remote is to get closer to the television.

If you discover that the Fire TV has no issue responding to the remote when you’re closer to the TV, you can use the Firestick extension dongle to bring the Fire TV closer to the remote. You could also consider reconfiguring your room or seating choice so that you’re closer to the TV when using the remote.

Unpair and Re-pair the Firestick remote to the Fire TV stick or Cube.

Much like turning a device off and on again is the first port of call when trying to fix a device, pairing your remote from the Fire TV and then re-pairing it is a solid choice for any of your problems.

Follow the steps below to unpair your remote and then pair it to your Fire TV Stick again.

1. Press and hold the Back and Home buttons on your Firestick remote for 10 seconds. This unpairs the remote from the Fire TV.
2. Press and hold just the Home button for 10 seconds to re-pair the remote to the Fire TV stick.
3. The remote is now paired to the Fire TV Stick and should be working.

If this process doesn’t work, check the CEC settings on your television and confirm that CEC is enabled on the Firestick by making your way through the Equipment Control settings.

Firestick Remote Battery; Poorly installed, Weak or Dead.

Batteries are fragile, finicky and oftentimes, and annoying to handle. In most cases, whether it’s a power drill, Firestick Remote or laptop if the product isn’t working; the battery is suspect number one.

We’ve all installed a battery “correctly”, only to find out a few days or weeks later that it has been working on half power because it wasn’t installed properly – leading to multiple presses of a button to make it work rather than one crisp one. As with anything in life, accidents happen and battery installation is no different. Don’t let your Firestick Remote trick you. Just because it was working fine yesterday, this morning or an hour ago, doesn’t mean the battery isn’t the problem now.

Ever tried to turn on the TV or wake up your Firestick, only for the power button on your remote to have no effect? So you smash it into your palm a few times and suddenly it’s working perfectly… for a limited amount of time. You can only injure the palm of your hand so many times until it starts to get tiring. When it gets to that point, before you damage your hand or Firestick remote battery, it’s time to take action.

1. Remove the batteries from the back of the remote – paying close attention to how they were initially installed.
2. Study the direction marks inside the Firestick remote to make sure that the batteries you just removed were installed correctly. Curious kids or nosy adults have been known to fiddle with remotes and remove batteries, before re-inserting them incorrectly.
3. If they were installed in the opposite slots or generally incorrectly, install them in the correct position and try to use your Firestick remote. Still not working? Grab a fresh pair of batteries, make sure they’re the same brand (mixing different batteries is never a good idea) and install them into your Firestick remote.

If you’ve undertaken these three steps carefully and are certain you have batteries with a full charge installed correctly in the back of your Firestick remote, the problem is likely to be found elsewhere.

Firestick remote water damage

Whether you dropped your remote in the sink, threw it against the wall or spilled the slightest amount of water on it that has slowly made its way into its innards over months, chances are your remote will be damaged at some point.

If you have been through a few of the processes above and your remote still isn’t working, there could be internal faults or water damage that aren’t outwardly visible. Your remote might not be useless yet, but it will be. Prepare to buy a new firestick remote shortly.

No blue light on Firestick remote/ Firestick remote light not working

There is no bigger sign of a significant problem with your Firestick remote than the light at the top of it not working or not showing at all. Sure, maybe there is an issue with the light itself. However more often than not the lack of light is a sign of bigger issues.

Nonetheless, there are a few quick and easy possible resolutions before you find the gumption to call customer service or write an anger-fueled email.

Old and trusty: Unplug your Fire TV Stick

It may sound like something your grandfather might tell you to do because it worked with his Commodore TV game, totally unplugging your Fire TV Stick both from the power source and the television can work wonders for any number of issues, including the absence of a remote light.

1. Unplug the power cord from your Fire TV Stick and disconnect it from the TV.
2. Wait 20 seconds.
3. Plug the power cord back into the Fire TV Stick.
4. Connect the Fire TV Stick to the TV.
5. Often, it is just an inability to connect to the remote that means the light doesn’t register. In most cases, the simple process above will have your Firestick remote working as good as new.

If the steps above didn’t make a difference, there are a few things you should check before we get into the next fix.

• Are the batteries working correctly? If you’re unsure, swap them for new ones just to be safe.
• Are you within the recommended distance from the TV to the remote? It’s best to stand as close as possible to ensure you know what the problem with your Firestick remote is.

Batteries fully charged Fire TV Stick unplugged and replugged, with your face pressed up against your TV screen and still no light on your remote?

Is my Firestick remote compatible with my Fire TV?

Amazon.com makes it so easy to buy things and have them quickly delivered to your house, it isn’t unheard of to order the wrong product because you didn’t read the details carefully enough. If you have recently replaced your Firestick remote with a newer model, you may have found that it hasn’t been working with your Fire TV. This may be because it is incompatible.

Unfortunately, there is no process to turn an incompatible remote into one that will work with your Fire TV stick. You will have to return your new remote and order the version that you had previously and know works – or buy a newer Fire TV stick. Luckily it isn’t all doom and gloom.

You can easily turn your smartphone into a firestick remote, allowing you to use your Fire TV until your new remote arrives. While it’s quite convenient and useful, an actual remote is recommended for extended use.

Just download the Fire TV App for iPhone or Android depending on your phone, and follow the steps below to control your Fire TV from your phone.

1. Head to your phone’s app store and download the Amazon Fire TV app.
2. Turn your TV on either manually or using its remote and log into your Amazon Fire TV account through the smartphone application.
3. Find and select your Fire TV device.
4. A four-digit code should be displayed on the TV. Submit that code into the allocated slots on your smartphone.

Fire TV is not responding to the remote

One of the most annoying things about a variety of products these days is the technology not working. The Firestick remote should automatically work and respond to the Fire TV and vice versa. Alas, it’s rarely that simple. Whether it’s your Bluetooth headphones struggling to pair with your smartphone or having to download a game that you bought physically specifically to avoid download times, the world we live in is filled with technological annoyances.

With the advice in this article, it should be demonstrably less infuriating.

Refine the distance of your Firestick remotes from the Fire TV Stick.

The advertised range of Firestick remotes from the second generation onwards is about 30 feet (around nine meters) however, as we know a lot of brands like to exaggerate the abilities of their products. Don’t just assume your remote will work from your couch that is 29 feet away from your television. The first step to diagnosing the reason your Fire TV isn’t responding to your actions on the Firestick remote is to get closer to the television.

If you discover that the Fire TV has no issue responding to the remote when you’re closer to the TV, you can use the Firestick extension dongle to bring the Fire TV closer to the remote. You could also consider reconfiguring your room or seating choice so that you’re closer to the TV when using the remote.

Unpair and Re-pair the Firestick remote to the Fire TV stick or Cube.

Much like turning a device off and on again is the first port of call when trying to fix a device, pairing your remote from the Fire TV and then re-pairing it is a solid choice for any of your problems.

Fix Firestick Remote Light by Pairing it to the TV
Unpairing and pairing your Fire Stick remote to the Fire TV is your last resort for any insignificant problems. If this and the previous process don’t have any effect, then your remote may be in more trouble than your at-home troubleshooting can fix.

If you are facing the ‘no light’ issue that is somewhat common for Firestick remote users, your remote may not be paired to the TV.

How this came to be when you were using it yesterday is a question for another day. For now, let’s pair it up again and see if that works.

1. Turn on your Fire TV Stick using the Power button on your Firestick remote.
2. Reduce your distance from the TV and hold down both the Back and Home buttons for 10 seconds.
3. The device is now unpaired.
4. Hold down the Home button on your Firestick remote for 10 seconds.
5. The device should now be paired. Repeat the process as necessary, as it is easy to not hold the button down for long enough.

Your Firestick remote is now paired and the light should now be visible on your remote. Not working? It’s time to check the batteries and your distance to the TV.

If everything is as it should be, you’re close to the TV with a remote filled with fully charged batteries and there is still no light, it may be time to move on.

Be sure to head to Firestick TV Support at Amazon to speak to a professional and look at your options for a refund or replacement.

Firestick Remote Volume not working

Issues with volume control or lack thereof are a common complaint with Firestick remote users and there are several reasons that this may be the case. Luckily, whatever the reason behind the problem, the fix stays the same.

Before we get to that, let’s run through some fixes so simple you’ll feel silly even trying it and even sillier if it works. However, you’d rather feel a bit silly than waste time, wouldn’t you?

• Press the mute button on your Firestick remote and any other remotes connected to the Television. It’s easy to accidentally press this button and hard to know when the TV is muted.
• Change the batteries of your Firestick remote. You may have accidentally muted the TV before the batteries died, leaving you with no way to change the volume.
• Remove any obstacles between your remote and your Fire TV Stick and TV as well as the distance between the remote and the TV.

If none of the above steps gave your remote volume control, it’s time to open up the settings of your Fire TV stick.

Follow the steps below to fix volume issues with your Firestick remote by changing the Equipment Control settings.

1. Find and select the settings on your Fire TV.
2. Open the Equipment Control subcategory.
3. Select Manage Equipment.
4. Enable audio control from the Firestick remote for your TV and any speakers.
5. Select Add Equipment from the Equipment Control menu if you don’t see your speakers in the Manage Equipment section.
6. Turn your TV off with the Firestick remote.
7. Wait 10 seconds.
8. Turn your TV on with your Firestick remote.

Firestick Remote stopped working after update

Folks who like to rebel against the yearly upgrade system that we see with iPhones and other products will be used to updates for their devices ruining their day. For owners of the Fire TV Stick, though, this issue shouldn’t occur.

There are a few simple ways to fix this problem, however, it may take some time to go through them and find the one that works for you.

Take the time and go through them all until your remote is working correctly.

1. Unplug your devices from the power outlet, wait 10 seconds and plug them back in.
2. Hold down the Home button for 10 seconds to pair your remote in case it was unpaired.
3. Check for obstructions between your remote and the TV
4. Replace the batteries of your remote.
5. Reset your remote by following these steps (there is a different process for every remote. Find the one related to your remote and follow it) made for the 2nd and 3rd generation remotes.
   a. Unplug your Fire TV and wait 1 minute.
   b. Press and hold the Left button, Menu button and Back button at once for 12 seconds.
   c. Release all three buttons and wait 5 seconds.
   d. Remove the batteries from your Firestick remote.
   e. Plug your Fire TV back in and wait 1 minute.
   f. Insert the batteries back into your remote.
   g. Press the Home button on your Firestick remote.
   h. The remote should now be paired and working. If not, hold down the Home button for 10 seconds to pair it.

Firestick remote not working after factory reset

The only thing that is supposed to fix any problem you encounter with your Firestick remote, the factory reset, is now the reason it’s not working. How ironic; and annoying.

Don’t throw your Firestick remote in the bin just yet. Go through the steps below to reverse whatever impacted your remote during the reset process.

1. Restart the Fire TV.
   a. Make your way to the remote pairing screen.
   b. Once there, unplug the Fire TV from the outlet and wait 10 seconds.
   c. Reinsert the Fire TV.
   d. Pair the Firestick remote by holding the Home button for 10 seconds.
2. Change the batteries of your Firestick remote, paying close attention to installing them correctly.
3. Try another remote or download the Fire TV App on your smartphone. If that works, the issue sits with your remote. If not, it is the Fire TV itself that is the issue.

There is nothing quite as annoying as a product you paid good money for, no matter the age of it, stops working. With this guide, you should be able to handle anything your Fire TV Stick and Firestick remote throw at you.

If you’re still unable to get the remote to work as intended even with the advice in this article, it’s time to contact Amazon’s customer service or purchase a new remote or Fire TV device.