Roku remote stopped working? Try this

We hadn’t used the Roku in one of our rooms in a couple of months, and when we went to use it the other day, the remote didn’t work. Not even after changing batteries. If your Roku remote stopped working, here’s how to fix it.

It wasn’t just dead batteries

Of course, if you’re Roku remote doesn’t work, batteries are the first thing to suspect. But normally, if the batteries are dangerously low or even dead, Roku flashes a battery icon in the upper right of the screen to warn you that it’s time to change the batteries. In this case, we weren’t getting any of that. The Roku booted up happy enough, but the remote wouldn’t respond to any key press.

It turns out that if the batteries go completely flat, the remote loses its pairing with the Roku. Pair the remote again, and it’ll work happily.

How to pair the Roku remote

roku remote stopped working
If your Roku remote stopped working, this obscure button (where the pen is pointing) pairs the remote again and restores operation.

You paired the remote when you set the Roku up, but if it’s been a while, here’s a refresher.

Open the battery compartment. Inside the battery compartment, on the lip of the case, there’s a small push button. Power your Roku on if it isn’t already and let it boot up. Once you see the Roku home screen, press and hold that little button for a couple of seconds and then release it. You’ll see the spinny ring pop up on your Roku screen along with the message that it’s pairing the remote. This can take a few seconds. Once that’s done, you can replace the battery cover. And then the remote should start responding.

In my case, the remote acted hyper responsive to any button press, but after I gave it a few minutes, it started working normally and I could use the Roku again.

This helped me get my Roku remote working. I hope it helps you get your Roku remote working again too.

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