How to Pair an Amazon Remote to Your TV
To pair an Amazon remote to your TV, put in fresh batteries and hold the Home button on the remote for up to 10 seconds. The small light near the top flashes amber, then a message on the TV says the remote is paired.
That connects the remote to your Fire TV Stick. To make the same remote control your TV power and volume, you turn on Equipment Control in the settings.
Here is each part, step by step, plus what to do when the remote will not pair.
How to Pair the Amazon Remote to Your Fire TV
This is the Alexa Voice Remote that comes with your Fire TV Stick. Most of the time it pairs on its own the moment you add batteries.
If it does not, pair it by hand.
- Put fresh batteries in the remote.
- Stand within 10 feet of the Fire TV Stick.
- Press and hold the Home button (the house icon) for up to 10 seconds.
- Watch the little light near the top. It flashes amber slowly, then flashes fast.
- Let go when a message on your TV says the remote is connected.
Older guides say to look for a blue light. On today’s Alexa Voice Remotes the pairing light is amber, so do not wait for blue.
How to Add or Replace an Amazon Remote
If you bought a new remote or a spare, you add it from the Fire TV menu using a remote that already works, or the Fire TV app on your phone.
- Open Settings from the top of the Fire TV home screen (the gear icon).
- Select Controllers & Bluetooth Devices.
- Select Amazon Fire TV Remotes, then Add New Remote.
- Hold the Home button on the new remote for 10 seconds until its light flashes fast.
- The new remote appears in the list once it pairs.
A Fire TV Stick can hold several remotes at once, so your old one keeps working too.
How to Make the Remote Control Your TV Power and Volume
Pairing the remote to the Fire TV does not automatically control your TV. For the power and volume buttons to work, you set up Equipment Control.
Your remote needs the row of buttons at the bottom: power, volume up and down, and mute. Older basic remotes without those buttons cannot control the TV.
- Open Settings from the Fire TV home screen.
- Select Equipment Control, then Manage Equipment.
- Select TV, and check that the brand shown matches your TV.
- If the brand is wrong, choose Change TV and follow the steps on screen.
- Test the power and volume buttons. Adjust if a step did not take.
Once it is set, one remote turns the TV on and off and changes the volume, so you can put the TV remote in a drawer.
Use Your Voice Instead of Buttons
Every Alexa Voice Remote has a microphone button. Once Equipment Control is on, you can skip the buttons entirely.
Hold the Voice button (the microphone icon) and say something like turn up the volume or turn off the TV. Your Fire TV sends the command to the television for you.
You can also pair Bluetooth audio to the same stick. Our guide on connecting AirPods to a Fire TV Stick walks through it.
If the Amazon Remote Will Not Pair
When pairing fails, it is almost always power or distance. Work through these in order.
- Swap in a fresh set of batteries. Weak batteries are the top cause of pairing trouble.
- Move within 10 feet of the Fire TV Stick, with nothing large blocking the path.
- Unplug the Fire TV Stick from power, wait 60 seconds, and plug it back in.
- Once the home screen loads, hold the Home button for 10 seconds again.
If it still will not connect, use the free Fire TV app on your phone as a stand in remote while you sort it out. If your Fire TV keeps losing power on its own, our guide on why a Firestick keeps needing an unplug can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color light shows the Amazon remote is pairing?
The light near the top of the remote flashes amber while it pairs. It flashes slowly at first, then quickly right before it connects. Older remotes that showed a blue light are the exception, not the rule today.
Why will my Fire TV remote not control the TV volume?
The volume buttons only work after you set up Equipment Control in Settings. Your remote also needs the power and volume button row at the bottom. Basic remotes without those buttons cannot control the TV.
How many remotes can I pair to one Fire TV Stick?
A Fire TV Stick can hold several remotes at once. You can keep a backup paired and use either one, which is handy in a house where remotes go missing.
Can I use my Fire TV remote on a second Fire TV Stick?
Not at the same time. A remote pairs to one Fire TV Stick, so you would need to unpair it first. It is easier to keep a separate remote for each device.
Deciding between streamers? Our Roku versus Fire Stick comparison breaks down which remote and platform feel better to live with.