Amazon Firestick is one of the best streaming video player gadgets made by Amazon. It revolutionized the entertainment industry because of its easy access, portability, and reliability. It is an entry-level product by Amazon prices at $40 on their website.
While Amazon Firestick has definitely made life easy for many media entertainment enthusiasts, it still faces issues every now and then. It has been found that the remote that comes bundled with the Firestick is a nuisance and stops working randomly.
This is one of the most discussed matters in the Amazon Firestick community, and the same query arises over and over again that ‘what to do when Firestick Remote Not Working’. So if you are facing the same of your Firestick remote issues, then keep reading this article to get it fixed.
We will be discussing some of the main reasons for your Firestick Remote Not Working and how to fix them using solutions that we have discovered.
Reasons and Fixes – Firestick Remote Not Working
We have highlighted some of the main causes with your Firestick Device Remote Not Working. We want you to go through all of them to find out the right issue among them, and it is highly unlikely you would leave without getting your problem fixed from here. So keep reading.
Firestick Remote Battery Check
As already discussed above, Amazon Firestick is undoubtedly one of the best streaming devices ever made in the entertainment industry. Thus to run such a magnificent device, it needs a power source that can provide just the right amount of power. It is a power-hungry accessory and requires powerful rechargeable batteries to operate.
After a lot of research for the battery drain test and heavy usage, we can safely say that if the Firestick remote stops working, then there is a high chance that the batteries might have died out.
The Firestick remote batteries run out of charge without giving any prior warning. We are not too sure about why the Firestick remote juice up so much battery. We have found that the battery compartment runs out within a couple of weeks, even when the device is inactive. The Firestick uses Alexa voice remote command technology and voice recognition, so you can say put the blame on it even if the device is kept idle.
Now, coming to the solutions, it is obvious that you must always have spare batteries handy. We recommend you use alkaline batteries, which are heavy-duty batteries and run for longer hours. However, don’t go for the cheap alkaline batteries, rather get a good set of alkaline batteries from a reputed brand.
This may sound like a basic solution, but checking the negative and positive ends of the batteries and aligning it with either side of the Firestick remote battery slot can get the job done. Also, make sure to keep the connectors clean from any potential leakage.
Firestick Remote Pairing
Generally, the bundled Firestick remote comes paired with the device already. However, if it still seems to be unpaired, then you can do it manually too. Most of the time, the new Firestick remote doesn’t work because it is unpaired with your Firestick device.
So here are the steps for Firestick Remote Pairing:
- Plug the Firestick device in the Smart TVs or the PCs HDMI port.
- Start the TV and Firestick device.
- After the booting up of the Firestick device, press the Home button of the remote for about 10 seconds.
- Done! Your Amazon Firestick remote has finished pairing and is ready for use.
Sometimes the remote requires pairing after trying the same process several times. The Amazon Firestick can be paired with around 7 devices in total, so it could be possible that your firestick device is already connected to 7 devices already including your remote control. Therefore, you need to unpair one of the paired devices to pair the new remote. Here are the steps to do that.
- Go to settings on the top menu bar of the Firestick home screen.
- On the next screen, select Controllers & Bluetooth Devices
- A menu will pop up with all the devices connected to it. Just select the device that you want to unpair and then follow the instruction guide to proceed further.
Again, you might face some issues while trying to unpair a device in your first attempt, so you need to keep trying. And if all these steps still fail to work for you somehow, then follow the next step below.
Firestick Remote Button Not Functioning Properly
This is another common and annoying reason why the Firestick remote has stopped working. This is due to the unfinished pairing of the remote controller with the Firestick device. To fix the buttons when they are not working properly, press the remote controller’s Home button for well over 10 seconds and keep trying until it’s successfully paired.
- If it still fails to connect, follow the below-given steps.
- Disconnect the Firestick device from its HDMI port, power socket, or adapter.
- Now navigate to the given buttons and hold them all together for over 20 seconds at the same time:
- Back button
- Menu button
- The left side of the navigation ring
- Take out the Firestick remote batteries.
- Reboot the Firestick device, wait until the home screen appears on your TV or PC.
- Re-insert the batteries back into the remote controller.
- Wait for a few minutes.
- Your Firestick remote must have gotten paired by now. If it still hasn’t paired, then press the Home button again for 10 seconds.
Firestick Remote Compatibility Check
This method is useful only for those who have purchased a brand new Firestick remote that comes unpaired out of the box. Users facing issues with the remote controller that came bundled with your Firestick device may skip this step and move on to the next one.
There are few third-party remotes that work decently well with the Firestick as well as other my fire tv devices. Firestick is also compatible with various gaming controllers and uses their remotes for navigation. Any product officially launched by Amazon is compatible with a firestick device. However, there are few exceptions when it comes to pairing it with third-party controllers. You must ascertain the work function of the Firestick device with the third-party controller.
Cheap replicas are also available in the market that are built exactly alike with similar layout design too. They pass most of the originality tests but fail to function properly in the longer run. Therefore, always make sure that you check the authenticity of the Firestick device seller before purchasing it from Amazon.
Damaged Firestick Remote
You have installed new batteries, the remote is paired properly, you have the original product, yet the problem with your Firestick remote still persists. So what is the solution now?
It could be highly possible that your Firestick remote could be damaged. But in this scenario, the only option that you are left with is to purchase a brand new remote. You are lucky that you don’t have to think about getting your pockets emptied because the replacement remotes ain’t that expensive. They cost around $10 on the official Amazon website.
There are few customizable remotes with additional features specially designed for Netflix navigation available too. But do remember that customized remotes are not that necessary, and you can just find the product with the highest rating and best reviews.
Remote App Backup On Amazon Fire TV
You have tried all the solutions given above, but your Firestick remote is still acting like a nuisance? So what’s next? Resetting can help!
Well, it would be too quick to judge the Firestick remote as useless. You can still control your Amazon FireTV Stick with any Remote TV Fire app. By converting your smartphone or iphone into a remote, you can physically control your Amazon Fire TV with the help of an application called ‘Amazon Fire TV Remote App’.
This Firestick remote app is compatible with both Android and iOS devices and is available in google play, play store and Apple Store. You can go to the respective app store and download the latest version of the Amazon Fire TV App on your smartphone and control your Amazon Fire TV. One thing to be noted is that all your devices must be connected to the same wifi network, or else it won’t work.
Other Generic Problems and Solutions
There are a few other reasons that your Firestick Remove Not Working. The given problems below are highly unlikely; however, we still felt like they must be shared and put all the research and knowledge to good use.
- The Amazon Firestick distance from the device might also be the factor to consider. The connectivity range of the Amazon Firestick TV Remote is within 10ft. In case you have a bigger space in your room, then we recommend you bring the remote closer to your TV.
- The Amazon Firestick remote uses Bluetooth to pair with the device. Therefore, both the devices don’t necessarily have to be aligned with each other to connect, unlike infrared rays. However, keeping the remote in a closed area or cabinet obstructs the signals, so it’s best to use the remote in an open area.
- Make sure that there are not many electrical devices nearby the Firestick remote as the interference of signals might be the cause of the problem.
Final Thoughts:
Most of the Firestick problems are related to the batteries. The remote works have been found to notoriously suck out the battery power faster than you realize. Therefore we recommend you always have spare batteries with you. Also, keep the Amazon Fire TV Remote Application downloaded and paired with the Firestick at all times, as you never know when your Firestick remote dies out.
In this article, we have tried our best to cover up all the possible problems and solutions that we came up with. We hope this guide helped you to find your problem and fix it as soon as possible so you can continue watching your favourite content on Amazon Firestick in your line of sight without any hassle.