The Fire Stick and other Fire TV devices use remotes that are a bit different from most other remotes in your house. Since these remotes are different from the ones you’re probably used to, it can be hard to figure out why your Fire Stick remote has suddenly stopped working.
What causes the fire wand remote control to stop working?
There are many things that can cause the Fire Stick remote to stop working or prevent it from working in the first place. Common problems include battery problems, obstructions blocking the remote’s signal, and interference from other electronics.
Here are the most common reasons why a Fire Stick remote stops working:
- Batteries: The most common reason Fire Stick remotes stop working is due to battery issues. Misplaced batteries, low battery power, and other related issues can cause the Fire Stick remote to stop working.
- Pairing: If your remote isn’t paired with your Fire Stick, it won’t work. Replacement remote controls should always be paired before use.
- Distance: Fire Stick remotes use Bluetooth, not infrared, so they have a theoretical range of about 30 feet. The actual range is typically lower.
- Obstructions: You don’t need a direct line of sight between your Fire Stick and the remote, but obstructions can dramatically reduce range.
- Interference: Devices that can interfere with Bluetooth connections can prevent the remote from working properly.
- Compatibility: If you’ve purchased a replacement remote for your Fire Stick, make sure it’s compatible.
- Damage: External damage, such as from water, and internal failure due to faulty components can cause the Fire Stick remote to stop working.
Remote control battery problems
The most common reasons for Fire Stick controllers to stop working have to do with batteries. The main problem is that Fire Stick controllers use Bluetooth instead of infrared, and the Bluetooth connection can become erratic when the batteries die.
Fire Stick and Fire TV remotes consume quite a bit of power compared to other remotes. If you use your Fire TV a lot, you can expect the batteries to drain at a faster rate than you might expect. So even if you’ve recently changed the batteries, it’s worth checking.
How to rule out batteries as a problem when the Fire Stick remote stops working:
- Remove the batteries from the Fire Stick remote.
- Pay attention to how the batteries are installed and make sure they are not upside down. If they were upside down, reinstall them and try the remote again.
Look inside the battery compartment and you will see a diagram showing which way the batteries should be installed.
- Install new batteries.
Since the Fire Stick remote uses Bluetooth instead of infrared, properly functioning batteries in your TV remote may not work when swapped out for the Fire Stick remote. Use new batteries if possible.
- If the remote still does not work, try different batteries.
Rechargeable batteries only provide 1.2V compared to 1.5V for alkaline batteries. If you have problems with rechargeables, try fresh alkaline batteries.
- If the remote still doesn’t work, the batteries probably aren’t your problem.
Pairing a Fire Stick remote
When you buy a new Fire Stick or Fire TV device that comes with a remote, the remote must already be paired. This means that when you first set up your Fire Stick, or Fire TV device, it should already recognize the inputs from the remote without you having to do anything special.
In some cases, the Fire Stick and remote may not be paired, or the Fire Stick and remote may have become unpaired over time due to a glitch. When that happens, remote control repair usually takes care of the problem.
When you buy a replacement remote, you always have to pair it before you can use it.
How to pair a Fire Stick remote:
- Plug in your Fire Stick and make sure it’s turned on.
- Wait for the Fire TV to turn on.
- Keep your remote close to your Fire Stick.
- Press and hold the Home button on your Fire TV’s remote control.
- Continue holding the Home button for at least 10 seconds.
- Release the Home button and check if the remote works.
- If the remote still doesn’t work, try holding down the Home button again. Sometimes it takes several tries for this process to work.
Distance and Obstruction Issues with Fire TV Remotes
The Fire Stick and Fire TV remotes use Bluetooth instead of infrared, so you don’t need a direct line of sight between the remote and the device. You don’t even need to point the remote at the device, as the orientation of the remote has nothing to do with the strength of the Bluetooth signal.
Bluetooth devices like the Fire Stick remote control have a theoretical range of about 30 feet, but many things can reduce that range. Any obstruction between the remote and the Fire Stick or Fire TV can drastically reduce the range of the remote.
How to check if distance or obstructions are your problem:
- Physically move your remote closer to your Fire Stick.
- Remove any obstructions between your remote and your Fire Stick.
- If the remote only works when you hold the remote behind the TV, or when you are very close to the TV, use the Fire Stick extension dongle to reposition the device.
You may need a longer extension to get the Fire Stick out from behind the TV if the TV is mounted in an alcove or entertainment cabinet.
- If you have your Fire TV device inside an entertainment cabinet or similar cabinet, remove it from the cabinet and see if your remote works.
Remote controls and interference
Bluetooth has some advantages over infrared, such as not having a line of sight between the remote and the Fire Stick only reduces the range rather than preventing the remote from working at all. However, Bluetooth remotes are susceptible to interference that infrared remotes are not.
Check if you have any of the following devices near your Fire Stick:
- Microwaves
- Wireless speakers
- Unshielded coaxial cables
- Wireless phones
- Wireless speakers
- Other wireless devices
If you have any wireless devices, or anything else that might cause Bluetooth interference, near your Fire Stick, try moving them. If that’s not an option, try turning them off and unplugging them one by one to see if that allows your Fire Stick remote to work. This should allow you to identify the source of the interference and deal with it accordingly.
Fire Stick Remote Compatibility
If your problem started when you bought a replacement Fire Stick remote and you couldn’t pair it properly, you may have a compatibility issue. There are multiple generations of Fire Sticks, other Fire TV sticks, and Fire TV remotes, and they don’t all work together.
Amazon maintains a list of Fire TV remotes and devices