Is your Roku TV showing no response when pressing its remote buttons? If yes, then troubleshoot your Roku Remote, which is not working. There could be many reasons why your remote might not be working, and it is hard to pinpoint the exact issue by looking at it. So, we have given a sequence of steps with which you can find the exact cause. Do follow the steps in the exact order we’ve given below.
1. Check Remote Batteries
The first thing you need to check is your Roku remote’s batteries. If its batteries are entirely drained, you won’t be able to use your remote. Open your Roku remote and replace the existing set of batteries with a new pair. Point the remote at your Roku device and see if it is working normally.
2. Remove Obstacles
For your remote to work properly, it has to be in direct line of sight with your Roku device. If there are any obstacles, like a wall, sofa, etc., between your TV and remote signal, you won’t be able to control your Roku TV. So, remove those obstacles and check if you can use your Remote. It doesn’t matter if you are using an IR Remote or an RF Remote; obstacles need to be cleared out.
3. Re-Pair Roku Remote
Unpairing and re-pairing your Roku remote removes any glitch associated with your remote. To do this,
- Hold the Pairing button on your remote and release it when you see the Status light on it.
- Your remote will pair after this, and you will see a message on your TV.
- Now, your Roku remote will be working normally.
For a simple Roku remote, just removing and reinserting the batteries will suffice.
4. Restart Roku
If your Roku TV is glitchy, restarting it will remove all the files causing problems. These files can also cause your TV to become unresponsive to remote commands. To restart your Roku device, press the Power button to turn it off. Wait for a few more seconds, then turn it on. This will remove all the errors and glitches associated with your device.
You can even try Power Cycling your Roku device. This involves holding its power button for 30 seconds and removing the residual charge present in it.
5. Clean Your Remote
When your Roku remote is filled with dust, oil smudges, or debris in its circuit, the remote will stop working. So, in this case, you need to clean your Roku remote to get this back on track.
- Open the Roku remote carefully using the required tools.
- De-assemble the parts carefully and keep them apart.
- Using a micro-fiber cloth, carefully clean the dirt and debris on the remote.
- Assemble the remote back to normal.
Note: I highly recommend you open the Roku remote only if you have the required technical knowledge. If you don’t know how to do it, get help from Roku or local technicians help on this issue.
6. Check Connectivity
When your Roku Stick/box is partially connected to your smart TV, your remote commands will not work on Roku. So, make sure to connect your Roku device firmly to the TV device. Also, make sure to check if HDMI port/cables are damaged to fix this issue.
7. Check Remote Signal
This is a technique to check if your Roku remote is emitting enough IR signals.
- Take your smartphone and open its camera.
- Point the camera to the front of your remote and press any of its buttons.
- If a purple light appears on your camera, your remote will work properly. If it doesn’t, your remote might be facing problems.
8. Reset Roku Remote & Device
Here, we’ll reset the Roku remote and remove all the glitches or errors that have been causing it to not work.
- Remove batteries from your Roku remote and unplug all the connections from your Roku device.
- Leave your remote untouched for a few minutes and reinsert its batteries.
- Now, re-pair your remote with your Roku TV after turning it on.
- After this, the issue of your Roku remote will be solved.
Similar to this, you can also reset the Roku device to get rid of glitches and fix the remote not working issue easily. Resetting roku will remove all data from the device, so make sure to take the necessary backup before doing this.
9. Install the Roku Remote App
We recommend the Roku Remote app as an alternative if you are still unable to use your original remote. This involves the following steps.
- Get the Roku app on your smartphone from the Play Store or App Store.
- Sign in to your Roku account and connect your Smartphone and Roku to the same WIFI.
- Click Devices on the Roku app; select your Roku device and connect to it.
- Tap the Remote option in the next step and use it to control your Roku.
10. Contact Customer Support
If your remote is still showing problems and is not working properly, you need to contact Roku’s customer support. They will be able to point out the exact issue and provide the necessary solutions to it.
11. Purchase New Roku Remote
If every fix goes in vain, then replace the Roku remote as a final fix. As a heads-up, you can claim a Roku warranty to get a new remote replacement for free. However, the warranty only covers software issues. So make sure that your Roku remote doesn’t have any hardware defects before replacement.
You can also go through our Roku community forum, which has first-hand solutions from fellow Roku users.
FAQ
You can find the pairing button on the battery compartment of your Roku remote.
