Firestick not connecting to WiFi and remote not working

I’ve changed the Fire TV Voice Remote control batteries 5 times already but it still keeps disconnecting and now it’s gone completely dead!

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

Amazon Fire TV Lite

Trust me, by the end of this article, we’ll have your Fire TV Remote connected and fully working again!

Fire TV Remote Solution 1:

I know you don’t want to hear it, but trust me.

Update: The most probable cause for your Fire TV remote not working is going to be the batteries. I know, you’re already thinking “I’ve already changed the batteries twice… gimme a break…”

Well my friend, the Fire TV remote is a fickle beast and only likes new fully charged batteries before it will re-connect to your Fire TV Stick or Box. I’ve tried switching in batteries from other remotes that are all working fine, but with no success. Unopened new batteries are often the key to this power-hungry remote.

Related: Has your Amazon Fire TV Box or Fire TV Stick become slow? See My Fire TV Slowdown Solution.

This need for new batteries is especially true when your Fire TV is next to a complicated TV setup… think AV, Speakers, WiFi Router all piled up next to each other. Signal interference is definitely an issue with some Fire TV remotes.

If you’ve already tried a shiny new set of batteries and it’s still not working then you might have the same issue I had with the remote. Luckily, a quick and completely free fix.

Don’t forget to check out help & tips in the comments at the end: You can also leave any questions you have, plus there’s tons of useful FireTV hacks.

Okay, so let’s get to Solution 2 of ‘My Fire TV Remote Won’t Connect!’.

If you’ve felt the annoyance of your Fire TV Voice Remote suddenly not connecting then I know how you feel. I’ve owned every Fire TV since October 2014 and, up until last week, it handled everything I’ve threw at it. Then out of nowhere, the remote suddenly kept disconnecting then died completely showing no signs of life.

Related: You can now control your Fire TV Device with the New Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen).

I went through an array of different fixes to try and get this remote working again but then finally I had a brainwave and managed to bring the remote back to life.

It wasn’t through trawling internet blogs and YouTube videos that I found this solution, it was actually from inspecting the remote carefully. No, it wasn’t Amazon’s fault for building inferior products, it was actually my own fault and partly the fault of cheap pound store batteries that litter the UK.

When I took the battery cover off the Fire TV remote it looked completely normal. It wasn’t until I raised the remote up to eye level that I noticed that there was a slight chalky residue on the connectors of the battery compartment. It then dawned on me as I looked across the room at a packet of cheap pound shop batteries. One of the cheap batteries had leaked battery acid onto the Fire TV remote connectors blocking the current from getting through.

I’ll show you how to fix this below in Solution 2. First, some quick tips to help you out.

How to use your Fire TV when the remote won’t turn on?

Luckily, Amazon has an App for that called Amazon Fire TV Remote that is also available in the Android App Store and the Apple App Store. You can then control the Fire TV using the app and proceed to the next step below.

How to check if your Fire TV remote is connected to your Fire TV?

To see if your Fire TV remote is connecting to your Fire TV box or dongle you need to head to the settings menu.

1. Settings > Controllers and Bluetooth Devices.
2. Amazon Fire TV Remotes

This will show you what devices are currently paired and from here you can see if your remote is connecting. In my case when fiddling with the batteries my remote would appear here for a few minutes then disappear.

If all else fails, you can get an official Amazon Fire TV Remote replacement. But first, let’s try and fix that remote!

Fire TV Remote Broken: Solution 2

I took a flat head screwdriver and gently scraped the connectors of the Remote at each end. Wiping the residue off with a dry cloth as I scraped. The connector should look shiny and new again at the end of this process. I placed the batteries back in and the remote connected again straight away.

If you want to be a bit more professional, you can follow some of the suggestions in the comments and use a Qtip with some isopropyl.

Great news, I’ve had no problems with the remote since and I guess the moral of the story is sometimes you get what you pay for… utter crap leaky batteries this time around.

Repairing Fire TV Quick Tips

1. Hold down the Select button for 5 seconds to put the remote into pair mode.
2. Hold down the Select + Play buttons together for 5 seconds to Restart the device.
3. Restart the device: Settings > System > Restart, then once restarted unplug the power cable for 5 seconds then plug back in.

On some newer Fire TV models try holding the ‘Home‘ button for 10 seconds.

Fire TV Remote Not Syncing Bonus Tips

Some users have reported that interference from their routers WiFi channel has been the issue. Changing this requires getting a little bit more technical, but isn’t difficult.

Login to your router (details on the unit). Find WiFi Channel and switch to another channel. You can use ‘WiFi Analyzer’ from Google Play to see the least used channel for your home.

Let me know if this last tip worked in helping to reconnect your Fire TV Remote?

I hope this helps you out and gets your Fire TV all connected again. If you’ve had problems or know any fixes then please leave a comment and I can update the guide.

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James Gil

https://review-hub.co.uk

Technology Writer / Full Time Geek. When I'm not hacking my home entertainment system or importing Chinese gadgets you can find me drinking unhealthy levels of Coffee in Manchester, UK. Feel free to get in touch.

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