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TV remote not working? How to find the cause and fix it

Most of the time it is the batteries, a remote that has lost its pairing, or something in the way between the remote and the TV. Go through these checks in order. Each one rules something out, and most people find the cause within a few minutes.

Updated 16 October 2026

First, check the TV itself. Press the power button on the TV. If the TV reacts, it works, and the problem is the remote. On a Samsung the button is usually in the center under the logo, on an LG under the bottom edge or on the back, and on a Sony usually under the bottom edge in the center. If the TV does not react to its own button either, the problem is the TV, not the remote: see our guide to a TV that won't turn on.

Fresh batteries, the right kind

Replace both batteries with new ones, even if only one seems flat. LG's rule for its Magic Remote: if the light on the remote does not come on when you press a button, change both batteries. Sony says not to use rechargeable batteries in its battery remotes.

Some remotes have no batteries to change:

  • Samsung SolarCell remote. It charges from light, including ordinary indoor lamps, or through the USB-C port on the bottom. If its light stays on for 5 seconds after you press a button, the battery is low. On Samsung's 2025 remotes, light only extends the running time, so charge it with a USB-C cable. On a brand-new one, pull off the plastic film first.
  • Sony rechargeable remotes. A Sony remote with a USB-C port on the bottom is rechargeable. Charge it instead of resetting it.

If fresh batteries do not help, reset the remote. Samsung: take the batteries out, then hold the Power button for 8 seconds. Sony: take the batteries out, press Power for 3 seconds, and if that does not help, leave the batteries out for about a minute. Then put the batteries back in.

Check the signal with your phone camera

Most remotes send an infrared light that you cannot see, but many phone cameras can. Open the camera, point the remote at the lens, then press and hold a button, such as Power. If you see a flashing or colored light on the phone screen, the remote is sending.

  • No light at all? Many phones filter infrared, so first check your phone with another remote. On an iPhone, Samsung suggests the front camera, and Sony says to hold the remote within about 5 cm (2 inches). LG suggests an Android phone.
  • Still no light with fresh batteries? Then the remote is probably faulty.
  • Light, but the TV does nothing? The remote works. Check the way to the sensor, below.
  • Light for some buttons only? LG says the buttons that show no light may have failed.

Our sister app TV Remote has a camera tester that does this in your phone's browser. One limit: Bluetooth remotes do not show up this way. Sony notes that some of them send infrared only from the Power button. For a Bluetooth remote, pairing it again is the better check.

Clear the way to the TV's sensor

The remote's signal goes to a small sensor at the bottom edge of the TV. Samsung puts it at the lower right or the bottom center. Sony puts it on the left, in the middle or on the right of the bottom edge.

  • On a new TV, Sony says to remove the blue protective tape from the sensor.
  • Light can drown out the signal. Sony names low-energy bulbs, fluorescent and halogen lights, and direct sunlight. LG says to switch off nearby fluorescent lamps.
  • Distance matters. LG gives 10 meters (33 feet) for its Magic Remote, Samsung 6 meters (20 feet) for its Smart Remote.

Restart the TV properly

Switching off with the remote only puts the TV in standby. A real restart means unplugging it from the wall, waiting, and plugging it back in. Each maker gives its own waiting time:

TVLeave it unplugged for
Samsung30 seconds (Samsung US) to a minute (Samsung Australia)
Sony with Google TV or Android TV2 minutes
Google TV10 seconds
TCL with Android TV60 seconds

Two minutes is the longest any of them asks for. After plugging a Sony back in, Sony says to wait about 10 to 20 seconds before you try the remote.

Pair a smart remote again

Remotes with a microphone or a pointer usually talk to the TV by Bluetooth, and they can lose the connection. Pairing them again often fixes a remote that suddenly does nothing.

Samsung Smart Remote and SolarCell remote

Stand within 30 cm (1 foot) of the TV and point the remote at it. Hold Return and Play/Pause together for at least 5 seconds. Samsung's pages give 3 or 5 seconds, so 5 covers both. If it still does not work, hold Return and Enter (the center of the round pad) for 10 seconds to restart the remote, then pair it again. On Samsung's 2025 remotes, holding Return and the Voice button for 3 seconds resets the remote. A Samsung Smart Remote works with one TV at a time.

LG Magic Remote

Hold Home and Back together for 5 seconds. The power button on the remote flashes when the old pairing is cleared. Then switch the TV on, wait about 20 seconds, point the remote at the TV and press the wheel (OK). If the pointer does not appear, LG says to keep the Wi-Fi router at least 20 cm (8 inches) away from the TV.

Sony with Google TV or Android TV

Sony has no button combination for this. You pair from the TV menu: Settings, then Remotes & Accessories, then Remote control, then Connect via Bluetooth. The names vary a little between models. Pairing can fail if the remote's battery is low. If you cannot reach the menu without a remote, use the Google TV app on your phone, which Sony also points to.

Google TV and Android TV devices

For a Chromecast with Google TV or a Google TV Streamer, hold Back and Home for 3 seconds. Philips gives the same for its Google TVs in Europe: hold Back first, then also Home, within 1 meter of the TV. Remotes from other TV makers can differ, and the TV then shows its own steps on screen.

TCL and Hisense

TCL with Android TV: stand within 1 meter (3 feet) and hold Home and OK together until the TV shows the pairing message. Hisense with VIDAA: the TV must be on, not in standby. Switch Bluetooth on, stay within 3 meters, and press any button except Power and the microphone.

Only some buttons do not work

  • Find out which ones. Our TV Remote Button Test runs in the TV's browser and lights up every button the TV receives. Samsung says the color and playback buttons cannot work in its TV browser, so on a Samsung check those with the camera test above.
  • Numbers and channels do nothing on a set-top box input. LG and Sony both say so. Use the box's own remote for those.
  • A light on the camera with no button pressed means a button is stuck, and Sony says that can block the others. Take the batteries out and press every button a couple of times. Samsung adds that dirty buttons can press themselves.
  • The arrows work, but Power and Volume do not. For Google TV remotes, Google says that is probably an infrared problem.
  • Only the voice button fails. Voice needs an internet connection. On a Sony with Google TV that was set up as a basic TV, voice search does not work at all.

Use the TV without the remote

While you sort out the remote, the TV still works:

  • The buttons on the TV. One press switches it on. Samsung's Controller button sits at the bottom center or bottom right. On an LG, a press of more than 1 second switches it off.
  • The maker's phone app. Samsung SmartThings and LG ThinQ both need the phone and the TV on the same network, and both can switch the TV on. On LG that works from webOS 3.5, with the setting TV On With Mobile. The Google TV app works with Google TV and Android TV, including Sony. Hisense has the RemoteNOW app.
  • Our own app. TV Remote turns an iPhone, iPad or Android phone into a remote for Samsung, LG, Roku, Fire TV and Android TV, over the same Wi-Fi.

When to replace the remote

If the camera shows no light even with new batteries, Samsung says to replace the remote. LG says the same when none of these steps help. Sony's sign is a stuck button: if the light stays on after you have taken the batteries out and pressed every button, replace the remote.

Questions people ask

Why is my TV not responding to the remote?

Usually because of flat batteries, a Bluetooth remote that lost its pairing, or something blocking the sensor at the bottom of the TV. Press the TV's own power button first: if the TV reacts, the remote is the problem. Then change both batteries, check the signal with a phone camera, and pair the remote again.

How do I reset my TV remote?

It depends on the remote. Samsung battery remote: take the batteries out and hold Power for 8 seconds. Samsung Smart Remote: hold Return and Enter for 10 seconds. Sony battery remote: take the batteries out and press Power for 3 seconds. LG Magic Remote: hold Home and Back for 5 seconds, then press the wheel to pair it again.

How do I pair my Samsung remote with my TV?

Stand within 30 cm (1 foot) of the TV, point the remote at it, and hold Return and Play/Pause together for at least 5 seconds. Samsung's pages give 3 or 5 seconds, so 5 covers both. A Samsung remote with separate Play and Pause buttons pairs by itself.

How can I test if my TV remote is working?

Point it at a phone camera and press a button. A flashing light on the screen means the remote is sending. Many phones filter infrared, so try another remote first if you see nothing. On the TV, our Remote Button Test lights up each button the TV receives.

Can I use my TV without the remote?

Yes. The TV has its own power button, usually under the bottom edge. The makers' phone apps work as a remote over your network: SmartThings for Samsung, ThinQ for LG, the Google TV app for Google TV and Android TV. Our TV Remote app works with Samsung, LG, Roku, Fire TV and Android TV.

Sources

Every step on this page comes from the makers' own support pages: