How to Reset a Firestick Remote (Steps for Every Model)
To reset most Firestick remotes, unplug the Fire TV from power and wait 60 seconds. Then hold the Left, Menu and Back buttons together for 12 seconds, let go, wait five seconds and take the batteries out. Plug the Fire TV back in, wait for the message saying no remote was detected, put the batteries back and press Home. If it does not pair, hold Home for 10 seconds.
That covers most remotes. The Basic Edition and the first Alexa Voice Remote use different button combinations, so both are below. Resetting the remote leaves your apps, sign-ins and IPTV player settings alone, because the remote stores none of them. Before you reach for a factory reset of the whole Fire TV, try the remote reset first.
Try these first, before a full reset
A good share of dead remotes are not broken at all. These checks take a minute, and Amazon lists most of them in its own pairing help:
- Fresh batteries. Amazon specifically suggests a new pair of alkaline batteries. Weak batteries can still light the LED while failing to hold a connection.
- Distance. Stay within about 10 feet (3 m) of the Fire TV while pairing. If your stick is behind the TV or inside a cabinet, the TV itself can block the signal. An HDMI extender cable moves it into the open.
- Battery reseat. Take the batteries out, wait 30 seconds, put them back and hold Home for about 10 seconds.
- Power cycle the Fire TV. Unplug it from the wall (not just the TV), wait a few seconds and plug it back in. A frozen Fire TV looks exactly like a dead remote.
If the remote works after any of these, you are done. If not, move on to the reset for your model.
How to reset a Firestick remote (most models)
These are Amazon's steps for most current Fire TV remotes, including the Alexa Voice Remotes that ship with recent Fire TV Sticks:
- Unplug your Fire TV from power and from the HDMI port. Wait 60 seconds.
- On the remote, press and hold Left (on the navigation ring), Menu (three lines) and Back at the same time. Hold them for 12 seconds.
- Release the buttons and wait five seconds.
- Take the batteries out of the remote.
- Plug the Fire TV back in and wait until the screen says it cannot detect a remote.
- Put the batteries back in.
- Press Home. The LED blinks blue when the remote pairs. If nothing happens, hold Home for 10 seconds.
Not every remote has an LED, so on some models the only confirmation is that the on-screen message disappears and the cursor responds.
How to reset the Basic Edition remote
The Basic Edition has no voice button, and its reset is longer:
- Press and hold Home. While holding it, press Menu three times.
- Release Home.
- Press Menu nine times.
- Take the batteries out of the remote.
- Unplug the Fire TV from power and HDMI. Wait 60 seconds.
- Put the batteries back in, then plug the Fire TV back in.
- When the Home screen appears, press and hold Home for 40 seconds.
- Wait 60 seconds for setup to finish.
How to reset the Alexa Voice Remote (1st generation)
The first-generation Alexa Voice Remote follows the main method but without the Back button. Unplug the Fire TV for 60 seconds, hold Left and Menu together for 12 seconds, release, wait five seconds, take the batteries out, plug the Fire TV in, wait for the no-remote message, put the batteries back and press Home. Hold Home for 10 seconds if it does not pair.
Not sure which remote you have? Try the main method first. If it does nothing and your remote is an older one with a voice button, try this version. If your remote has no voice button, use the Basic Edition steps.
Pairing a new or replacement remote
If the old remote is truly dead, or you bought a replacement, you can pair the new one in two ways.
With your old remote still working
- Open Settings on the Fire TV.
- Select Controllers & Bluetooth Devices.
- Select Amazon Fire TV Remotes, then Add New Remote.
- Put the batteries in the new remote. It should appear in the list. If it does not, hold its Home button for 10 seconds.
Without the old remote
Unplug the Fire TV, plug it back in and wait for the no-remote message. Put the batteries in the new remote and it should pair by itself. If it does not, hold Home for 10 seconds.
Two things to know. A Fire TV holds up to seven paired controllers, so if you have collected several over the years you may need to remove one before a new one will pair. And not every Fire TV remote works with every Fire TV device, so check compatibility before buying a replacement.
Use your phone as a remote in the meantime
The free Fire TV app for iPhone and Android turns your phone into a remote, as long as the phone and the Fire TV are on the same Wi-Fi network. It is also a way out when the remote is lost: you can use the app to open Settings, go to Controllers & Bluetooth Devices, then Amazon Fire TV Remotes, and pair a replacement from there.
The catch is that the app needs the Fire TV to already be on your Wi-Fi. A stick that has never been set up, or one that has been moved to a new network, will not show up in the app.
Why a remote reset will not affect your IPTV app
This matters if you watch live TV through a player app on the Firestick. The remote is just an input device. It stores no apps, no playlist links, no login details and no favorites. Resetting it, re-pairing it or swapping it for a new one leaves all of that exactly where it was.
A factory reset of the Fire TV itself is a different thing. It wipes every app you installed and every sign-in, so afterwards you would reinstall your player and enter your account details again. Some troubleshooting pages jump straight to it for a remote problem. Try the remote reset, a new set of batteries and the phone app first. If the remote really has failed, a replacement remote costs far less effort than setting the whole stick up again.
If you ever do need to start over, our guide to installing IPTV on a Firestick walks through the setup again, and the Fire TV tutorial covers the app side.
Remote works, but something else does not
Sometimes the remote is fine and the problem is somewhere else. This table sorts the common cases:
| What you see | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| No response at all, LED does not light | Dead batteries or unpaired remote | New alkaline batteries, then hold Home for 10 seconds |
| LED lights but nothing happens on screen | Remote lost its pairing | Full remote reset for your model (above) |
| Remote works up close, not from the sofa | Signal blocked by the TV or a cabinet | Move the stick out with an HDMI extender |
| Navigation works but volume and power do not | TV controls are set up separately from pairing | Check Equipment Control in the Fire TV Settings |
| Remote works in menus, but one app freezes | The app, not the remote | Force stop the app and clear its cache |
| Everything is slow to respond | Fire TV is overloaded, not the remote | Restart the Fire TV and clear app caches |
For the last two rows, our guide on how to clear cache on a Firestick covers the steps. If live channels pause to load rather than the remote lagging, that is a network issue, and this buffering guide is the better place to start.
Frequently asked questions
How do you reset an unresponsive Fire Stick?
Start by restarting the Fire TV itself. Unplug it from the wall, wait a few seconds and plug it back in. If the remote still works, you can also restart it by holding Select and Play/Pause together for about five seconds. If the stick responds after the restart but the remote does not, follow the remote reset steps above.
Why is my Firestick remote not working?
The usual causes, in order, are weak batteries, a lost pairing, the stick being blocked by the TV or a cabinet, and the Fire TV being frozen. Fresh alkaline batteries and holding Home for 10 seconds fix most cases. If not, the full remote reset re-pairs it from scratch.
How do I reboot my remote?
A remote has no restart option of its own. The nearest equivalent is taking the batteries out for 30 seconds, putting them back and holding Home for about 10 seconds. If that does not bring it back, use the full reset for your model.
How do I hard reset a Firestick remote?
Unplug the Fire TV for 60 seconds, hold Left, Menu and Back together for 12 seconds, release, wait five seconds, take the batteries out, plug the Fire TV back in, put the batteries back and press Home. The Basic Edition and the first Alexa Voice Remote use different button combinations, listed above.
How do I pair a Fire Stick remote?
New remotes usually pair on their own when you insert the batteries with the Fire TV switched on. If one does not, hold Home for 10 seconds while standing within about 10 feet of the stick. To add an extra remote, go to Settings, Controllers & Bluetooth Devices, Amazon Fire TV Remotes, Add New Remote.
Will resetting my Firestick remote delete my apps?
No. Resetting or re-pairing the remote changes nothing on the Fire TV. Your apps, logins and IPTV player settings stay as they are. Only a factory reset of the Fire TV device removes them.
Amazon's own instructions are on its Reset Your Fire TV Remote help page. If you are a HoxyTV customer and still stuck after trying everything here, our support page is the next stop.