The basic connection process

Your Fire Stick remote connects wirelessly using Bluetooth, not infrared like older TV remotes. When you first turn on a Fire Stick, the remote pairs automatically in most cases — you just need to point it at the device and press a button. If that did not work, or if you are reconnecting an old remote, you can manually pair it in about two minutes.

The remote does not need to be pointed directly at the Fire Stick the way an infrared remote does. Bluetooth works through walls and around corners, so you can control your Fire Stick from another room. The remote will work as long as it is within about 30 feet of the device and there are no major obstacles between them.

Key Takeaways

  • Most Fire Stick remotes pair automatically when you first set up the device, so you may not need to do anything at all.
  • If your remote is not working, restart the Fire Stick by unplugging it for 30 seconds, then plug it back in and try again.
  • To manually pair a remote, hold the Home and Back buttons together for 10 seconds until the light on the remote blinks.
  • If pairing still fails, check that your Fire Stick is powered on and that the remote has fresh batteries.
  • A single remote can control multiple Fire Sticks, but you need to pair it to each device separately.

Check if your remote is already paired

Before you try to pair your remote, test whether it is already working. Press the Home button on the remote — this is the button with a house icon on it. If the Fire Stick menu appears on your TV screen, your remote is already paired and you do not need to do anything else.

If nothing happens when you press Home, move closer to the Fire Stick and try again. Sometimes the remote is paired but out of range. If you are within a few feet and still nothing happens, the remote needs to be paired or repaired.

Restart the Fire Stick first

Before you go through the pairing steps, restart your Fire Stick. This fixes most connection problems and takes less than a minute. Unplug the power cable from the back of the Fire Stick — the small black box connected to your TV — and wait 30 seconds. Then plug it back in.

The Fire Stick will take about 30 seconds to start up. You will see the Amazon logo appear on your TV screen. Once the main menu is visible, try pressing the Home button on your remote again. If it works now, you are done.

Manually pair the remote to the Fire Stick

If restarting did not work, you can force the remote to pair. Make sure the Fire Stick is powered on and the main menu is visible on your TV. Then hold down the Home button and the Back button at the same time. Keep holding both buttons for about 10 seconds.

While you are holding the buttons, watch the light on the front of the remote. It will blink orange or white, which means the remote is searching for the Fire Stick. Keep holding the buttons until the light stops blinking and stays solid. This usually takes 10 to 15 seconds total. Once the light is solid, release the buttons — your remote is now paired.

Test the remote by pressing Home again. The menu should appear on your TV. If it does not, wait a few seconds and try once more, because the Fire Stick sometimes takes a moment to respond after pairing.

Replace the batteries if the remote is not responding

A remote with dead batteries will not pair, and it will not work even if it is already paired. The remote uses two AA batteries. Open the battery compartment on the back of the remote by sliding the cover down, and check whether the batteries are there and making contact with the metal springs.

If the batteries look corroded or if you have not changed them in over a year, replace them with fresh AA batteries. Make sure the positive and negative ends are facing the right direction — there is usually a diagram inside the compartment showing which way they go. Close the cover and try the pairing steps again.

If you have just replaced the batteries and the remote still will not pair, the remote itself may be broken. Amazon sells replacement Fire Stick remotes, and they are the same price as a basic remote for any other streaming device.

Pair a second Fire Stick or replace a lost remote

If you have more than one Fire Stick in your home, the same remote can control all of them. However, you need to pair the remote to each device separately. To pair a remote to a different Fire Stick, go to that Fire Stick's main menu, then hold Home and Back for 10 seconds just as you did before. The remote will pair to whichever Fire Stick menu is currently on your TV screen.

If you lost your remote or it stopped working permanently, you can buy a replacement from Amazon or from most electronics retailers. When you plug in the new remote, it will pair automatically to your Fire Stick during setup. If it does not, use the Home and Back button method described above.

You can also control your Fire Stick using the Fire TV app on your phone. Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, connect it to the same Wi-Fi network as your Fire Stick, and you can use your phone as a remote. This is useful if your physical remote is broken and you are waiting for a replacement to arrive.

Troubleshoot if pairing is still not working

If you have tried restarting the Fire Stick, replacing the batteries, and holding Home and Back for 10 seconds, but the remote still will not pair, check a few more things. Make sure the Fire Stick is plugged into a power outlet and not into a USB port on your TV — Fire Sticks need full power to pair remotes. Also make sure you are holding the correct buttons. The Home button has a house icon, and the Back button has an arrow pointing left.

If your Fire Stick is more than a few years old, the Bluetooth receiver inside it may have failed. In that case, you can still control the device using the Fire TV app on your phone, or you can buy a new Fire Stick. Current Fire Stick models are inexpensive and include a remote that pairs automatically.

If you just bought a new Fire Stick and the remote will not pair at all, even after restarting, contact Amazon customer service. There may be a defect with the device or the remote, and Amazon will replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a Fire Stick remote with a different brand of streaming device?

No. Fire Stick remotes only work with Amazon Fire Sticks and Fire TV devices. They will not work with Roku, Apple TV, or other streaming devices. Each brand uses its own pairing system.

Do I need to pair the remote every time I turn on the Fire Stick?

No. Once a remote is paired to a Fire Stick, it stays paired even if you turn the device off and back on. The pairing only breaks if you factory reset the Fire Stick, if the remote loses power for an extended time, or if you manually unpair it.

How far away can the remote be from the Fire Stick?

Bluetooth remotes typically work within about 30 feet of the device. The exact range depends on obstacles like walls and metal objects. If your remote stops responding, try moving closer to the Fire Stick or removing any large metal objects between them.

What if I have two Fire Sticks in the same room — will one remote control both?

A remote will only control the Fire Stick it is paired to. If you have two Fire Sticks in the same room, you need two remotes, or you can use the Fire TV app on your phone to switch between devices. You can also pair the same remote to both devices, but it will only work with whichever one you paired it to most recently.

Can I pair a Fire Stick remote without the TV being on?

The Fire Stick itself needs to be powered on, but the TV does not have to be on. You can plug in the Fire Stick, wait for it to start up, and then pair the remote even if your TV is off. However, it is easier to see what is happening if the TV is on, so you can watch for the light on the remote to stop blinking.