Ask anyone the first thing they like to do after working a long day, most will have the same answer. A quiet night watching some TV. But what if you sit down and your Roku remote is not working. We have curated a list of troubleshooting steps so you can perform to get you back to your screens.
Know Your Roku Remote
It is always best to know and understand the type of Roku remote you use. Before troubleshooting, take a look at this breakdown of Roku models and which remotes ship with your streaming stick or player.
Roku IR Remotes come with the following Roku models:
- Roku LT
- Roku HD, XD, XDS
- Roku N1
- Roku 1
- Roku 2
- Roku 2 HD, XD, XS
- Roku 3
- Roku Express
- Roku Express+
The Enhanced, Point Anywhere, Voice, and Gaming remotes come with the following Roku models:
- Roku Streaming Stick (Model 3600 and 3800)
- Roku Streaming Stick+
- Roku 4
- Roku Premiere
- Roku Premiere+
- Roku Ultra
- Roku 2 (Model 4210)
Is Your Roku Remote Not Working? Try THESE Fixes
1 IR Remotes Only: Check for Blocked IR Signal
IR remotes require an obstruction-free signal for the player to receive instructions. Anything that blocks its signal from the remote, will ultimately stop the remote from working. Lift the remote higher for a clearer signal. To make the Roku remote work, ensure that it is pointing right at the front of the player.
2 Check Your Batteries
Working batteries are the main aspect of an IR remote. Weak or dead batteries have higher chances of malfunction. In order for it to work, remove the batteries, then re-seat them. If that doesn’t work, replace the batteries altogether and retry.
If the remote remains unresponsive, you may need to purchase a new remote or download the Roku app from the Google Play Store or App Store.
3 For Enhanced Remotes: Restart Roku Remote and Roku Player or Stick Roku enhanced remote
- The first step towards enhancing the remote is removing the batteries from your remote.
- Then remove the power cable from your Roku player/stick, wait about 5 seconds
- Reconnect power to the device.
- When the Roku logo displays on the home screen, reinstall the batteries in the remote.
- Wait approximately 30 seconds to see if the remote re-establishes a connection with your Roku device.
4 Re-Pair the Roku Remote
Repairing your Roku Remote isn’t the same as taking it apart piece by piece. All you have to do is re-setup the remote and the player to coordinate them with each other.
Follow these steps to make it happen
- Open the battery compartment and remove the batteries from the remote.
- Before reconnecting the power cable, unplug it from your Roku device and wait for 5 seconds.
- Once the Roku logo appears on the home screen, reinsert the batteries in the remote.
- For the pairing light to appear, Press and hold the button inside the battery compartment of the remote for 3 seconds.
- Wait to see the pairing light on the remote begin to flash.
(Tip: If the light doesn’t flash, repeat this step.)
Now pause for about 30 seconds while the remote establishes a connection with the Roku player.
After a successful pairing, a dialog should appear on your TV screen.
5 Roku Streaming Stick Only: Check Your HDMI Connector HDMI connector
Roku Streaming sticks install on your TV via the HDMI port. In case your device is plugged directly into the HDMI port, you could be getting some possible glitch. To break that, you need an HDMI extension. The best news is Roku provides this cable for free. All you need is your Roku serial number
that should be on a sticker on your device.
Another possibility is moving the streaming stick to a different HDMI port, in case you have a spare one.
NOTE: Moving it to another port means re-setting up your Roku again, nonetheless it may be effective in eliminating a faulty HDMI port from the list of potential issues.
6 Check Your Network Connection wireless router
Your Roku device’s network connection is based on which Roku player or streaming stick you use.
While Roku players mostly have both wired and wireless options; streaming sticks only offer wireless network connectivity.
If at this stage your Roku remote is nonfunctional, you may have to download the app to check settings.
- On your Roku menu, scroll down to Settings and tap OK on the app.
- Tap Network.
- Tap About. On the right-hand side of the screen, you should see Status. If it says Connected, you know your issues aren’t related to your network.
7 Download the Roku App
As mentioned above, if you cannot get your Roku remote to work, try downloading the Roku remote app. The app is available on both Google Play Store and the App Store.
The best thing about it is that it consists of all the features of your Roku remote. Additionally, having an app makes it easier to enter a text search. A definite bonus for app users.
8 Roku Replacement Remote
The first signal your remote gives you is when it becomes too hot to touch. If that is the case, stop using it immediately. Put your remote on a non-flammable surface for it to cool down. Once the temperature settles, remove the batteries. Overheating can cause irreparable damage
to your remote.
Malfunctioning or melting of batteries can render your remote useless. In that case, you’ll need to replace the remote. However, You can either purchase a new remote from Roku.com or visit sellers like Amazon which sells both licensed Roku remotes and third-party compatible ones.
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