Roku Remote: How to Program and Fix Not Working Issue
You can control your Roku streaming player using the Roku remote. But do you know that you can also use it to control your TV? Once you set it up, you will be able to adjust the volume of your TV and power it on/off.
Though the function is limited to volume and power, it is quite useful. After all, those two functions are the most things that we use on a remote, including navigation.
However, there are also cases where your Roku remote is not working properly. That’s why you will learn how to fix the issue too in this post. So, whenever you’ve got a problem, you know what to do.
Let’s get started!
What is Roku Remote?
Roku remote is a device to control your Roku device and TV. The remote has all the basic functions that you need in order to operate your Roku device, such as navigations, TV power, volume control, mute, voice button, channels shortcut, instant replay, and back.
The remote is powered with two AA batteries. To make the remote works properly with your Roku device and TV, you need to set it up in advance. Scroll down for the tutorials.
How to Program a Roku remote
There are two methods to program a Roku remote: during early setup and activation, and after early setup and activation
A. During early setup and activation
You need to program your Roku remote before using it for the first time. What should you prepare? Internet connection. As it is connected, you will see a screen telling you that you can control the volume and power of your TV.
Try to increase and decrease the volume of your TV using the remote to make sure that it is working properly. Then, set the volume to an audible level.
Now, it’s time to set up your remote. Do the following steps carefully:
1. Select Check remote settings to start.
2. A notification message saying, “Music is currently playing. Do you hear it?” Click Yes if you can hear music playing and No if you cannot hear it.
3. Another pop up appears saying, “Did the music stop playing?” On this step, your Roku player is trying to mute the selected TV brand using codes. If you cannot hear the music, select Yes.
Click No if the music is still playing. It means that your Roku player cannot recognize your TV brand. Hence, you should choose a TV brand manually by selecting Enter TV brand.
Use the on-screen keyboard to enter your TV brand. After that, the Roku player will play music again. Select Yes if you hear it. Then, it will try to mute the music by inserting codes and ask you if the music has stopped. Choose Yes when it does.
4. Select OK. Now, you have successfully programmed your Roku remote to control your TV’s volume and power.
Note: The remote works well with the listed TV brand. If your TV brand is on the list, the remote may not work properly, either it’s not working or it’s working partially (you can only adjust the volume).
B. After early setup and activation
It is also possible to program your Roku remote after early setup and activation. In this method, you can set up your remote through the Settings menu.
Here’s how:
1. Push the home button on your remote.
2. Navigate to Settings.
3. Select Remote > Set up remote for TV control.
4. Choose Start and the set up will run automatically.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the set up.
Can I control other devices using my Roku remote?
Your Roku remote is able to control your TV’s volume and power. However, it cannot directly control other devices that connect to your TV like sound bar or audio/video receiver.
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How to Fix Your Roku Remote Not Working Issue
There are times when your Roku remote won’t work. It is quite annoying because you cannot control your Roku player when this happens. Thus, you can follow the methods in this section to fix your Roku remote not working issue.
Before we jump to the fixing methods, probably you are wondering, “Why does your Roku remote not work?” There is no single reason that causes your remote to stop working. In fact, there are several things that cause your Roku player or TV not responding to the remote, such as:
- unsupported TV brand
- increasing Roku remote’s temperature
- malfunction codes programmed
- low battery power
- blocked signal
The factors mentioned above were the most reasons why your Roku remote stopped working. However, there could be other unknown reasons that trigger the problem.
Whatever the reasons, you need to fix the problem so that it works normally again. Do the following methods to fix the Roku remote not working issue:
1. Reset your Roku remote and device
- Remove the batteries from the remote compartment.
- Unplug the power cable from the Roku device and wait for 5-10 seconds. Then, plug the cable into the device again.
- When you see the home screen of your Roku device, insert the batteries into the remote.
- Wait for 30 seconds to see if your remote connects to the Roku device.
Resetting your Roku remote will refresh the system and hopefully it can get rid of the problem. But if the issue persists, you can move to the next step.
2. Pair Roku remote
- Remove the batteries from the remote.
- Unplug the power cable from the Roku device and wait for 5-10 seconds. Then, plug the cable into the device again.
- When you see the home screen of your Roku device, insert the batteries into the remote.
- Press and hold the pairing button under the batteries for 3-5 seconds. The pairing light on the remote will start flashing. If it doesn’t, try again. Or, you can change the batteries.
- Wait for 30 seconds to see if your remote connects to the Roku device.
- A pairing dialog will show up when it succeeds.
Now, you should have successfully paired your Roku remote.
Other issues
The two methods we mentioned earlier were the basic troubleshooting that you can do whenever you face a Roku remote not working issue. But it’s possible that other issues may happen to your remote. When it happens, you can try the following methods to fix the issues:
1. My Roku remote is too hot or warm
When you hold your Roku remote and you feel that the backside of it is getting warmer or too hot, you can do these steps:
- Put your remote on a non-flammable surface like ceramic or glass.
- Wait until it gets colder.
- Change the batteries.
Note: Don’t try to replace the batteries when it’s hot.
2. I cannot hear the sound
If during the setup you cannot hear the music even though you have adjusted the volume to the audible level, try to check that the supported audio device is connected properly to your TV. You can also use different audio devices to see if your device is working properly.
If you still cannot hear the music even after changing the audio speakers, it could be that the remote doesn’t support your TV brand.
3. My Roku device is not responding to remote
In some cases, the Roku player is not responding when you press the button on the remote. Just for you to know, the Roku Express is using a standard IR remote. It means you must point the remote in line to the flat front edge of the Roku Express.
There are two things that you can do:
- Put your Roku Express in the visible place. You can put it in front of the TV, at the side, or above the TV. And make sure that there is nothing that can block the signal. Then, point the remote in line with the Roku player and try to press any buttons.
- If the remote is still not working even after you relocate the player to different places, try replacing the batteries. It could be that the batteries are getting low power.
4. My Roku remote can only do either adjust the volume or control power on/off
Every TV brand comes up with special remote codes. To control the TV, the remote should be able to recognize the codes. That’s why when you program your Roku remote for the first time, the Roku player will ask your TV brand.
Roku player does have a list of TV brands, but it is not complete. There are TV brands that are not on the list.
If during the initial setup you cannot find your TV brand in the list, you need to enter it manually. Therefore, in this case, it’s normal if your remote won’t work at all. Or, it works partially. For instance, it can only do either control power on/off or adjust the volume.
However, you can give the steps below a try:
- Restart the program process for your remote.
- When you see a question, “Did the music stop playing?” Do NOT answer the question.
- Adjust the volume to the audible level again using your TV remote.
- Select No to answer the question. The Roku player will seek other remote codes.
- When you hear the music stop, answer Yes. The Roku remote will be programmed with the new codes.
Lastly, if none of the methods above works, you may need to change with a new remote. Before purchasing, make sure that the Roku remote is compatible with your TV brand.
Remote control app
Or, you can try to download Roku remote control app from the Play Store and App Store for free. It will turn your smartphone into a remote to control your Roku device and TV. It even supports audio searching in English in the US, UK, and Canada only.
This Roku remote app allows you to stream movies and TV shows. You can also cast videos, photos, and music on your TV.
Note: You must connect your phone to the same network as your Roku device in order to use the features.
Final Words
Roku remote control is pretty essential to operate you device so you must take a good care of it.
And the Roku remote app can be a good alternative whenever you have a problem with the device.
