by You pick up your Firestick remote to watch the latest episode of your favorite show, press the power button, and…nothing happens. Instead of turning on your Fire TV, the remote starts blinking orange. What gives?!
You’re not alone – this is an issue that drives countless Firestick users crazy. The good news is there are ways to get your remote working again.
Why Is My Firestick Remote Blinking Orange?
In this guide, we’ll walk through the top 6 fixes to get your Firestick remote to stop blinking orange and start controlling your Fire TV again. We’ll also provide 10 troubleshooting tips to help prevent this from happening in the future.
So read on to solve this frustrating problem once and for all!
Why Is My Firestick Remote Blinking Orange?
Before jumping into the fixes, let’s review why your Firestick remote may start incessantly blinking orange in the first place.
Here are the most common culprits behind a blinking orange light:
- The remote’s batteries are running low on charge – This is one of the simplest explanations. If the batteries are draining, connectivity with your Firestick becomes spotty.
- Loss of pairing between the remote and Firestick – The devices may have become disconnected from one another. This could happen if one or the other device lost power suddenly.
- Interference from other devices – Electronics like baby monitors, microwaves, or Bluetooth speakers can interfere with the signal between your remote and Firestick.
- You’re too far away from the Firestick – The remote works via Bluetooth signal which has a limited range. If you move beyond the connectivity range, you’ll lose the pairing.
- Network connection issues – An unstable internet connection can also lead to pairing problems between devices.
The good news is that all of these issues can be resolved fairly easily. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions!
Top 6 Ways to Fix Firestick Remote Blinking Orange
Follow these solutions in order until your remote connects properly again:
#1. Change the Batteries
Let’s start with the simplest fix first – swap out those batteries!
Follow these steps:
- Turn the remote upside down and slide open the battery cover
- Remove old batteries and discard
- Insert 2 new 1.5V AAA batteries, matching +/- ends
- Replace battery cover
Pro Tip: Use name-brand alkaline batteries for the longest life.
If inserting fresh batteries fixes your blinking remote, the battery charge was indeed the culprit! You can now happily use your remote.
If the orange blink persists, move on to the next fixes.
#2. Reduce Interference
As outlined earlier, interference from other electronics can disrupt the connection between your Firestick and its remote.
Try these tips to reduce signal interference:
- Move Firestick away from potential sources of interference like baby monitors, microwaves, Bluetooth speakers, etc.
- Position the Firestick so there is a clear line of sight between it and the remote. This prevents walls and objects from blocking the signal.
- Ensure the remote and Firestick are within 33 feet of one another. This is the connectivity range for most Firestick models.
- Turn off nearby electronics that could cause interference.
Again, test your remote after making these adjustments. If the blinking orange light continues, more troubleshooting is needed.
#3. Reset Your Remote
Resetting your remote essentially clears any existing paired connections and allows you to set up a fresh connection between devices.
Follow these steps:
- Unplug the Firestick from the power source.
- Press and hold the left arrow + play/pause + back button on the remote for 15 seconds.
- Release and remove batteries from the remote for 30 seconds.
- Reinsert the batteries in the remote and plug the Firestick back into the power.
- Point the remote at your Firestick and press the home button to begin pairing.
Once you press the home button, the remote’s status light should turn solid blue and flash 4-5 times before turning back orange. As long as it stayed blue for a bit, re-pairing was successful!
Note: If the blue light fails to appear at all, press and hold the home button for another 10 seconds.
Now try controlling your Fire TV with the remote as normal. If the blinking continues, we’ll have to dig deeper into other potential connectivity issues.
#4. Check Your Internet Connection
While it seems counterintuitive, an unstable internet connection can also be the culprit behind your blinking Firestick remote.
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Here is how to evaluate and improve your network connection:
A) Diagnose Connection Issues
- Run an internet speed test at speedtest.net
- Restart your modem and router
- Unplug both and wait 60 seconds
- Plug in the modem first and wait 2 minutes
- Plug in the router and wait 1 minute
- Press the router power button if available
B) Upgrade Internet Speed (if needed)
- Calculate 25 Mbps per person in home
- Family of 4 = 100 Mbps internet speed needed
- Contact internet provider about faster internet packages
Once you have a stable, high-speed internet connection, try using your Firestick remote again. Often this alone will solve pairing issues that were causing that pesky orange blinking light!
#5. Restart Your Firestick
If all else fails, restart your Firestick device itself using one of these options:
- Via remote: Press and hold the select + play/pause buttons for 10+ seconds.
- Via device: Unplug the Firestick power cable for 60 seconds, then plug it back in.
Once your Firestick reboots, press the buttons on the remote to try pairing again. A restart often clears up system-level issues that were interfering with connectivity.
#6. Use Mobile App as Remote
Finally, if your remote still blinks orange and won’t control your Firestick, bypass the remote altogether by using the free Fire TV app.
You can access all your Firestick features through this app instead.
To set up:
- Download the Fire TV app from the App Store or Google Play store.
- Ensure the phone and Firestick are on the same WiFi network.
- Open the Fire TV app and select your Firestick.
- Enter the code displayed on the TV into your mobile app.
- You can now use your phone as a remote!
While mobile control probably isn’t your long term preference, it does give you back full access while sorting out your blinky remote issues.
Top 10 Tips to Prevent This Issue
To ensure your Firestick remote stays paired in the future, remember these handy tips:
- Maintain fresh batteries in the remote.
- Keep remote + Firestick within 33 ft range.
- Position away from potential interference.
- Upgrade internet speed if needed.
- Update Firestick when new software is available.
- Clear stored data on remote/Firestick.
- Use the Fire TV mobile app as a backup.
- Access Fire TV settings to manually unpair devices.
- Contact Firestick support if issues persist.
- Consider investing in the Firestick 4K model for a wider coverage area.
FAQs on Firestick Remote Blinking Orange:
For quick answers to common questions about Firestick remotes blinking orange, check this FAQ guide:
- Q: Why does my Firestick remote keep losing connection?
A: Frequent loss of connectivity likely means there is an interference, network, battery, or device pairing issue. Run through the troubleshooting fixes above.
- Q: How far can my Firestick remote work from?
A: Standard Bluetooth range is 33 feet, but can vary by model. Check your user manual for exact remote range details.
- Q: Why won’t my Firestick turn back on?
A: If your Firestick is powered off and unresponsive to remote signals, unplug and re-plug the Firestick’s power cable to reboot the device.
- Q: What happens if I factory reset my Firestick remote?
A: Factory resetting your remote clears any existing paired connections, allowing you to set up a fresh connection. You may need to re-enter WiFi password, Amazon login, etc.
- Q: Can I use my Fire TV mobile app if my remote stops working?
A: Yes! The free Fire TV app lets you control video playback, search content, access settings, etc without a physical remote.
- Q: How do I manually unpair my Firestick remote?
A: From Firestick settings, select Controllers > Other Bluetooth devices > Forget device to unpair your remote.
- Q: Should I upgrade to the Firestick 4K model?
A: The 4K model does boast a wider connectivity range between remote and Firestick. If you have consistent pairing issues, 4K is worth considering.
- Q: Why does my Firestick remote blink blue and then orange?
A: The blue light means it is trying to pair. If it then blinks back orange, the pairing fails. Review the connectivity tips above to troubleshoot.
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Conclusion:
Few things are as frustrating as a Fire TV remote that blinks orange instead of controlling your device!
Luckily as you now know, this issue can almost always be resolved with some simple battery changes, signal boosts, device resets, and software updates.
Be sure to run through each solution above until your remote connects properly and stops blinking. And implement those tips to minimize future pairing problems.
With a happily-working remote in hand, you can finally get back to streaming your favorite movies and shows!
So here’s to happy binge-watching…no more blinky orange distractions!
