Why has my firestick remote stopped working

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Ever since I turned my old LCD TV into a smart one with a Fire Stick, I had been having a lot of fun with it.

Suffice to say, it put a considerable dent in my experience with the Fire Stick when the remote stopped working all of a sudden.

I didn’t think much of it and rebooted the device. It went back to normal, but when I tried to use the remote again later, it didn’t work.

As I was Googling why my remote seemed to stop working out of nowhere, I came across several solutions and remedies.

Although simply changing the batteries on the remote worked fine for me, I realized other users seemed to face this issue persistently.

Not only can this be frustrating, but trying to go through different web pages for solutions can be time-consuming as well.

Hence, I compiled a list of the tried-and-tested solutions that get your Fire Stick remote working within minutes, every time.

The easiest is to troubleshoot if your Firestick remote doesn’t work is to replace the batteries and check the compartment for any residue, but there are several other fixes.

Ahead, I’ve provided more details for different solutions you can try out.

Check the Fire Stick Remote Batteries

You’ll quickly realize that the Fire Stick remote consumes the battery pretty quickly.

So if your Fire Stick remote stops working without any warning, then it is most likely the batteries that are to be blamed.

Check your remote batteries, and always keep spare alkaline batteries, as the remote offers no warning in case your batteries are running low.

While you’re checking the batteries, ensure that there are no deposits or residue if your battery has leaked, as they interfere with your remote working properly.

Is the Fire Stick remote paired?

Batteries seem fine, but your remote still doesn’t work? Check if your remote is paired correctly.

If your Fire Stick is brand new, then it should come pre-paired with the device.

However, if you have bought a replacement remote or notice that your remote is not paired, you will need to manually.

To pair your Fire Stick remote here is what you can do:

• Plug the Fire Stick device into your TV’s HDMI port
• Turn on your Fire Stick and TV
• Once the Fire Stick device is on, press the “Home” button on the remote for at least 10 seconds.
• If the device fails to pair, press the “Home” button again for 10 to 20 seconds. Sometimes, you will need to repeat the process 2-3 times before the pairing is successful.

Keep in mind that your Fire Stick can only connect to 7 devices via Bluetooth.

If you have reached this limit, you will need to disconnect at least one device.

Here’s what you can do to disconnect a device:

• On the Fire Stick Home Screen, select the “Settings” option from the top menu bar
• Select “Controllers & Bluetooth Devices”
• From the list of devices, select the one you wish to unpair and follow the instructions that come up

Reset the Fire Stick remote.

If your Fire Stick remote has not paired correctly with the device, then the buttons may not work.

In some cases, pairing the device can fix this issue. However, if that doesn’t work, you can reset the device and re-pair it again.

Here’s how you can reset your device:

• Unplug your Fire Stick adapter, or the device from its power source
• Simultaneously press the Menu, Back, and the Left button on the Navigation ring for at least 20 seconds
• Remove the batteries from your Fire Stick remote
• Connect your Fire Stick device or adapter back to the power source and wait for the Home screen to appear
• Insert the batteries back into your Fire Stick remote
• Wait for a minute or two to see if your remote pairs up with the device automatically
• In case it doesn’t, press the Home button on the remote for at least 10 seconds to pair with the device

Is Your Fire Stick Remote Compatible?

The remote that came with the Fire Stick is compatible with your device. However, if you’ve bought a replacement for your remote, ensure its compatibility.

Fire Stick supports a wide range of in-house remotes, along with Amazon and third-party controllers.

For Amazon products, you will notice that the product clearly states whether it is compatible with Fire Stick, and so should third-party controllers.

Unfortunately, there are several cheap replicas of Fire Stick remotes that are available online.

While these devices seem to work for some time, they are not a permanent solution.

Amazon Fire TV Remote App – Your Backup 

If no other method seems to work, or you’ve run out of spare batteries, you can download the Amazon Fire TV Remote App on your smartphone.

The app is available for Android and iOS and converts your smartphone to a Fire Stick remote.

Before downloading the app, ensure that your Fire Stick device and smartphone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Other Ways To Deal With An Unresponsive Fire Stick Remote

With these easy solutions, your Fire Stick remote should be working in no time.

Another thing to keep in mind is that even though the Fire Stick remote controls the device via Bluetooth and not infrared, it should still be within 10 feet of the device.

Keep the remote out in the open, without any obstruction or electrical device close to it, as they may interfere with the signal.

You could also get yourself a universal remote for your Fire Stick.

You May Also Enjoy Reading

• Fire Stick No Signal: Fixed In Seconds
• Fire Stick Remote App Not Working: How To Fix In Seconds
• Fire Stick Keeps Restarting: How To Troubleshoot
• How To Unpair Fire Stick Remote In Seconds: Easy Method
• How To Use A Fire Stick On A Computer

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I unfreeze my Fire Stick remote?

Simultaneously press the select button and the play/pause button for at least 5 to 10 seconds until you see that the device is restarting.

How do I hard reset my fire stick?

To hard reset your Fire Stick:

• Simultaneously press the Back and Right button on the Navigation circle for 10 seconds
• On the screen, select “Continue” to go ahead with Factory resetting
• If you do not select any option (“Continue” or “Cancel”), the device will automatically reset after a few seconds.

How do I pair a new Fire Stick remote without the old one?

To pair a new Fire Stick remote:

• Go to Settings > Controllers and Bluetooth Devices > Amazon Fire TV Remotes > Add New Remote
• Press the “Home” button on the remote for at least 10 seconds.

How do I fix an unresponsive Firestick remote?

How do I fix an unresponsive remote?

How do I restart my Firestick remote?