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Pair a replacement Fire TV remote using the phone app

If your Fire TV is on Wi-Fi and the Fire TV app can see it, you can pair a replacement remote entirely from the phone. If the Fire TV can’t be reached at all, there is still an Amazon pairing method that needs only the Fire TV and the new remote. Which one you use depends on whether the phone can control the device right now.

By TV Remotely · Updated · Sources and testing policy

Pair the remote using the Fire TV app

  1. Put the phone on the same Wi-Fi as the Fire TV, open the Amazon Fire TV app and select the Fire TV. Enter the four-digit code shown on the TV if asked.

    The app’s directional pad moves the highlight on the TV.

    If the device isn’t listed, sign in with the same Amazon account as the Fire TV and recheck the network; see the TV-not-found guide.

  2. Go to Settings → Controllers & Bluetooth Devices → Amazon Fire TV Remotes → Add New Remote.

    Fire TV starts searching for a remote.

    Menu names move between Fire OS versions. Look for Remotes in Settings.

  3. Put fresh batteries in the new remote and press and hold Home for about 10 seconds.

    The remote appears in the list. Select it with the phone.

    If it doesn’t appear, check that the remote is compatible with your Fire TV model, then try batteries from a different pack.

  4. Test a direction key, the Select key and Back before putting the phone away.

    The new remote works on its own.

    If it connects but TV volume and power do nothing, that is TV-control setup, not pairing; see below.

If the phone can’t connect

Amazon’s documented route is to unplug the Fire TV for a few seconds, plug it back in and wait for the “Press Home to pair remote” or remote-detection screen, then insert batteries in the new remote and hold Home. A limit of seven paired controllers applies; if you’re at the limit, remove one you no longer use under the same Remotes menu.

Replacement remotes that don’t pair

  • Compatibility: remotes are made for specific generations. A voice remote for a Fire TV Stick may not pair with a Cube, or an older Fire TV may not accept the newest remote. Check the model listed on Amazon’s compatibility page.
  • Old remote nearby: an unpaired or failing old remote can still compete. Take its batteries out while pairing.
  • Wrong remote type: infrared-only remotes sold as “Fire TV replacements” don’t appear in the Bluetooth Add New Remote list at all; they just need to be pointed at the device.
  • Weak batteries: new remotes with low-grade batteries sometimes light but fail to hold the pairing; use fresh alkaline batteries.

Related guidance

Sources for these instructions