To fix a Fire Stick remote that won't pair, put in fresh batteries and hold the Home button for 10 seconds. If that fails, reset the remote by holding Left, Menu and Back together for 12 seconds. Then pair it again.
What You Need Before You Start
- Two fresh AAA batteries. Weak batteries are the most common reason a remote won't pair.
- Your Fire TV Stick plugged into wall power. Use the power adapter from the box, not a USB port on the TV.
- A clear path to the TV. Stand within a few feet of the stick.
- About 10 minutes. Most of that time is waiting.
- Optional: your phone. The free Amazon Fire TV app can act as a backup remote over Wi-Fi.
How to Reset and Reconnect Your Fire Stick Remote
Do these steps in order. Finish each one before you move to the next.
- Unplug the Fire TV Stick from power. Wait 60 seconds.
- On the remote, press and hold Left (on the round ring), Menu (three lines) and Back at the same time for 12 seconds.
- Let go of all three buttons. Wait 5 seconds.
- Take the batteries out of the remote.
- Plug the Fire TV Stick back in. Wait about 60 seconds, until the home screen shows.
- Put the batteries back into the remote.
- Press the Home button once.
- If the remote still does nothing, hold Home for 10 seconds while you point it at the TV.
- Wait for a message on the screen that says your remote is paired.
- Check the result in "Settings > Controllers & Bluetooth Devices > Amazon Fire TV Remotes". Your remote should be listed there.
If a Step Fails
Don't worry if it doesn't work the first time. Pairing often needs two or three tries.
The remote light doesn't come on
Check the batteries first. Make sure the + and – ends face the right way. Try batteries from a new pack, not from another device.
No pairing message shows on the TV
Move closer to the TV and hold Home for 10 seconds again. If your stick sits behind the TV, use the HDMI extender cable that came in the box. It moves the stick out from behind the TV, where the signal is weak.
The remote pairs, then stops working
This is often caused by interference. That means other wireless signals get in the way. Move speakers, game controllers and Wi-Fi routers away from the stick. Then restart it with "Settings > My Fire TV > Restart".
Quick Comparison: Which Fix Should You Try?
Start at the top of this table. Move down only if the easier fix does not work.
| Fix | Best for | Time needed | Erases your apps? |
|---|---|---|---|
| New batteries | Remote is slow or dead | 1 minute | No |
| Hold Home for 10 seconds | New remote or lost connection | 1 minute | No |
| Remote reset (Left + Menu + Back) | Remote won't respond at all | 5 minutes | No |
| Pair from the phone app | You have no working remote | 5 minutes | No |
| Remove old remotes | Too many devices listed | 3 minutes | No |
| Factory reset the Fire TV Stick | Nothing else works | 20+ minutes | Yes |
How to Pair a Remote When You Have No Working Remote
To pair a new remote, you normally need to open a menu. That's hard when your only remote is broken. Here are two ways around it.
Use the Amazon Fire TV app on your phone
The app turns your phone into a remote. It works over Wi-Fi, so your phone and stick must be on the same network.
- Install the Amazon Fire TV app from your phone's app store.
- Open the app and pick your Fire TV Stick from the list.
- Type in the code that shows on your TV.
- In the app, go to "Settings > Controllers & Bluetooth Devices > Amazon Fire TV Remotes > Add New Remote".
- Hold Home on the new remote for 10 seconds.
- Press Select in the app to confirm the remote shown on screen.
Phone remote apps ask for access to your network. If you want tips on keeping your phone and home Wi-Fi private, Privacy Guides is a helpful place to start.
Use your TV's own remote
Many TVs support HDMI-CEC. This is a feature that lets one remote control devices plugged in by HDMI. Turn it on in your TV's settings. On the Fire TV Stick, it's in "Settings > Display & Sounds > HDMI CEC Device Control". Then use the TV's arrow keys to reach the "Add New Remote" menu.
Remove Old Remotes That Get in the Way
Old or lost remotes can stay linked to your stick. Clearing them out can help a new remote connect.
- Go to "Settings > Controllers & Bluetooth Devices > Amazon Fire TV Remotes".
- Highlight the remote you no longer use.
- Press the Menu button.
- Press Select to confirm and unpair it.
- Pair your working remote again by holding Home for 10 seconds.
Why Fire Stick Remotes Stop Pairing
Your remote talks to the stick using Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless link, like the one wireless earbuds use. A few things can break that link.
- Low batteries. The remote may light up but still fail to pair.
- Distance and walls. A stick hidden behind a big TV gets a weaker signal.
- Interference. Other wireless gadgets nearby can crowd the signal.
- The wrong remote. Not every Fire TV remote works with every Fire TV model. Check the box or product page before buying a spare.
- A software glitch. A simple restart often clears it.
Bluetooth problems are common on many home devices, not only the Fire Stick. Tech sites like ReadWrite cover general news and guides on wireless gadgets if you want to learn more.
Last Resort: Factory Reset Your Fire TV Stick
A factory reset sets the stick back to how it was when new. It deletes all your apps, logins and settings. Only try it after every other fix fails.
- Go to "Settings > My Fire TV > Reset to Factory Defaults".
- Press Select to confirm.
- Wait while the stick resets. This can take several minutes.
- When setup starts, hold Home on your remote for 10 seconds to pair it.
- Follow the on-screen steps to sign in and connect to Wi-Fi.
If you can't reach the menu, use the phone app or your TV remote, as shown above.
Once Your Remote Works: Set Up Smooth Streaming
With your remote back, you can set up your apps again. If you want a stable stream, SubTV IP is a paid premium subscription. It runs on an anti-freeze server cluster with 99.9% uptime. It also supports 4K at 60 fps using HEVC, a video format that keeps file sizes small.
It works on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, plus other devices:
- Samsung Smart TV (Tizen) and LG webOS
- Android TV Box and Xiaomi Mi Box S
- Apple TV
You can use it with TiviMate 5.x, IBO Player Pro, IPTV Smarters Pro, Kodi 21 or Flex IPTV.
Two settings help if your internet provider slows down video, which is called throttling:
- Use Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1). DNS works like your internet's address book. Set it in your router or network settings.
- Set the buffer to 5,000 ms. A buffer saves a few seconds of video ahead of time. You'll find it in your player app's settings.
Plans come in 1, 3 or 12 months. Activation is instant after you order. You can pay safely by PayPal or credit card, and help is available on WhatsApp.