Fire TV remote not working, or how to pair it again
If your Fire TV remote stopped working, the cause is usually flat batteries or the remote needing to be paired again. This guide covers the usual fixes.
Try the simple things
- Fit fresh batteries. Try new alkaline batteries.
- Keep the remote within about 3 metres of the Fire TV, and not behind a closed cabinet door.
- Unplug the Fire TV, wait five seconds and plug it in again.
Pair the remote again
The steps are:
- Press and hold the Home button for about 10 seconds, until you see a message saying to press Play/Pause to start.
- If that does not work, take out the batteries, wait 30 seconds, put them back and hold Home again.
- If that fails, press and hold Left, Menu and Back together for 12 seconds, then press Home again.
When it pairs, you should see a message on the lower right of the screen.
A phone can help
If the remote is dead, you can use the Fire TV app on your phone as a remote. It needs your phone to be on the same Wi-Fi as the Fire TV. Use it to pair a replacement remote.
Alexa voice remote
The voice remote has a microphone button. Hold it and speak, for example, "Open BBC iPlayer" or "Find Strictly". If the button does nothing, re-pair the remote as above. The TV volume and power buttons only control the TV if the remote has been set up for it, and not all models have these.
Good to know
A maximum of seven controllers can be paired at once, so remove an old one before adding another.
When to get more help
If a new remote will not pair at all, there may be a fault with the Fire Stick. Vision Tech can help work out which one needs replacing.