How To Connect Roku Remote to a TV

Ivan Stevanovic

Updated: May 6, 2023

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Nothing is quite as frustrating as grabbing your favorite beverage, some snacks, and sitting down in front of the TV to binge-watch a Netflix series or a movie with the help of a Roku device, only to discover that your remote isn’t working. 

Fortunately, the solution to your problem is relatively simple. In this article, we’ll show you how to connect a Roku remote to a TV so you can go back to enjoying your favorite content.

Roku Remote Pairing

If your Roku remote stops responding, the solution is usually very simple. Either you need to pair it with your device again, check your internet connection, or the signal is being blocked by something. 

All of these issues are simple to resolve, and if your remote is damaged beyond repair, you may use the Roku app until the replacement remote arrives. But before we get to it, let’s cover a couple of things first.

What Is Roku?

Roku is a brand of hardware digital media player manufactured by a company of the same name. It provides access to multiple streaming media formats and cable TV with the little help of the Roku player, which ranges from Roku sticks capable of providing 4K streaming content all the way up to RokuTV, which is capable of doing anything that a smart TV can do.

Roku has 65.4 million active user accounts, with more users each month. The company’s business is pretty simple. It only sells Roku devices, without any monthly fees, and the user can pick which streaming service they want to subscribe to.   

While you can watch streaming content on your laptop or a smart TV, this product is designed for people without a smart TV who still want to stream content on a big screen. As long as your TV has a free HDMI port, you’re good to go. 

Types of Roku Remotes

Because the Roku device connects to a TV, you’ll have to pair the Roku remote with it. But pairing and the initial setup are different depending on the type of remote you use. Before we get to troubleshooting, you should know that there are two types of Roku remotes: 

• Roku simple remote
• Roku voice remote

Roku’s simple remote uses infrared light, and it works like any other remote. You just need to insert the batteries, and you’re good to go. 

Meanwhile, the Roku voice remote, also known as the Roku enhanced remote, comes in two variants: regular and Pro. Both use wireless connections and have to be configured during the installation process. All Roku voice remotes have either a button with a magnifying glass icon or a microphone on the front. 

How To Connect Roku Remote to a New TV

Before you begin the initial setup, make sure that the volume on your TV is high enough. 

To start setting up your Roku TV remote, go to “Check remote settings.”

1. During the first step, the remote will try to play the music from the TV. You’ll be presented with two options, Yes and No. If you can’t hear the music, check the TV volume again and select the appropriate response. 

2. In the second step, the Roku remote will attempt to mute the same music, and you’ll have to choose the appropriate answer based on whether or not it was successful.

If you select No, you can decide to set up the remote later or enter the TV brand manually. We would advise you to enter it manually to avoid any potential headaches later on.

When you find your brand, the process will repeat. Some TV brands will allow only volume control but no power control. In those circumstances, you should see if HDMI-CEC can be enabled on your TV in order to regain power control.

Troubleshooting Roku Remote

It’s not uncommon for the Roku remote to randomly stop responding to input and leave you wondering why. In most cases, the remote has to be paired again, and you should be good to go. 

Roku Simple Remote

An IR remote doesn’t have a dedicated Roku pairing button since it functions just like any other remote. Make sure that there’s nothing obstructing the line between your remote and the Roku device. Don’t place your device inside a cupboard or behind the TV. 

Replace the batteries in your remote and reset the Roku device by pressing its “Reset” button and try again. If the issue persists, try using the Roku mobile app. If you’re able to control the Roku device with the app, then the problem is in the remote, but if you’re unable to interact with the Roku device even with the mobile app, then the problem lies with the device. If that’s the case, feel free to contact Roku support for assistance. 

Roku Voice Remote 

Unlike a simple Roku remote, the voice version communicates with the Roku device via a dedicated wireless connection. Therefore, you don’t need to have a clear line between it and the Roku player. You can place it behind the TV or in an out-of-sight location.

If the remote stops responding, the first thing you should try is pairing your Roku remote with the device again. First, power cycle the Roku streaming device by unplugging it from the power for five seconds and then plugging it back in again. 

When the Home screen appears, you should press and hold the pairing button on your Roku remote. The pairing button is located at the back of the remote. 

Rechargeable Roku Voice Remote

The rechargeable voice remote has a button on the back. If you have a voice remote with regular batteries, you’ll find the button under the battery cover. We’ll cover the pairing of that model after the rechargeable one since they have slightly different pairing procedures. 

Rechargeable voice Roku remote

Keep holding the pairing button until the status light starts flashing, at first slowly and then rapidly. At that point, you can let go of the pairing button, and the remote will restart. Give it five seconds, and then press and hold the pairing button again for 10 seconds or until the light starts flashing. If the light doesn’t flash, recharge your remote. 

If the battery isn’t empty, the green light will start flashing. Give it 30 seconds to re-establish connection with the Roku device, and you should see a “Pairing remote” message appear on your TV.

Standard Roku Voice Remote

For the standard voice remote, the steps are the same until you need to look for the pairing button on the Roku remote. Instead of pressing the button, take out the batteries and wait five seconds before putting them back in. Then, press and hold the pairing button until the status light starts flashing. If nothing happens, try replacing the batteries and try again. 

Standard voice Roku remote

Once you finish with these steps, the “Pairing remote” message should appear on your screen, and you’re good to go. 

Voice Roku Remotes Without a Pairing Button

Not all voice remotes come with a conveniently placed pairing button. To program a Roku remote without a dedicated pairing button, you have to remove the battery pull tab from the back of the remote and then press and hold the Home icon and Backspace icon for five seconds. When the status light starts flashing, the remote is in pairing mode.

Internet Connectivity

If you still have a problem interacting with your device using the Roku remote, it could be that the problem doesn’t have anything to do with the remote, but with your internet connection.

First, make sure your internet connection is working. Try opening any internet page using your mobile device. If you’re unable to do so, try troubleshooting your router and the wireless connection. 

Since you can’t use the remote, download the Roku mobile app on your Android or iOS device. It works the same as a regular remote, so you should be able to access your Roku device with it hassle-free.

Once you install the app, go to Devices, and select the Roku device you’re trying to control. Tap on the remote icon, go to Settings, and then pick Network. You should see an option called “Set Up Connection,” select it and pick a wireless network that uses a 5 GHz band if possible. 

If you have access to your router, make sure to set your 5 GHz network to use non-DFS channels (U-NII-1, U-NII-2C, and U-NII-3). Roku devices don’t support DFS channels. If you have no other choice, use a 2.4 GHz network, although you may notice a quality dip due to network limitations. Still, it will suffice for testing purposes.

While it’s unlikely that you’ll face issues with your connection and Roku remote pairing at the same time, it’s not impossible.

Software Update

If none of the other steps worked, but you’re still capable of connecting to your Roku device with the help of the Roku app, you should try updating the software on your device.

Start the app and select the remote option. Press the Home icon and then go to Settings, find System, and pick System update. Select Check Now and give it a moment. If there are any updates, the device will install them and reboot. Once it updates, try to pair the remote with it again. 

Pairing Remote With Roku Mobile App

If your pairing button is physically damaged or simply doesn’t work, you can try pairing your Roku devices with the Roku mobile app. 

1. Install the app on your smartphone, then tap on Remote at the bottom of the screen.
2. Go to Settings>Remotes & devices. 
3. Pick Set up a new device.
4. Click on a checkbox next to the remote. 

You’ll see the remote as an option as long as the remote itself isn’t paired with some other Roku device or unless it’s damaged.

Conclusion

Services like Roku are a must-have for many people in the age of media streaming – after all, the average Netflix user spends one hour and 11 minutes watching content each day. 

Our detailed instructions for solving Roku remote connection problems may look tedious, but the truth is that the whole process of pairing the Roku remote should take no longer than two minutes.