Android TV & Google TV
Google TV remote not working? Causes and fixes
Nefarius Apps12 min read
A Google TV remote usually stops working for one of two reasons. The batteries are weak or not seated correctly, or the remote lost its Bluetooth pairing with the Chromecast, the Google TV Streamer or the TV. Start with the batteries, and watch the light on the remote: two quick flashes show that it has power. Then restart the streaming device and pair the remote again. If that does not work, remove the remote in the settings and reset it. While you do this, your phone can be the remote.
Which Google TV remote do you have?
The fixes depend on the remote. Google makes two Voice Remotes for its own streaming devices. A TV with Google TV built in comes with a remote from the TV maker.
| Remote | Comes with | Reset and pairing |
|---|---|---|
| Chromecast Voice Remote | Chromecast with Google TV | Hold Home while you put the batteries in; pair with Back and Home |
| Google TV Streamer Voice Remote | Google TV Streamer (4K) | Hold Mute and Select; pair with Back and Home |
| The remote of a TV with Google TV built in | Sony, TCL, Hisense and other TV makers | The TV maker's button combination, or the Google TV settings menu |
Both Google remotes use two AAA batteries. Both also have a small light below the power button. Google says that the light is only visible when it shows a status. If you are not sure that your TV runs Google TV, read how to tell Android TV and Google TV apart.
What does the light on the remote mean?
The light is the fastest way to find the problem. Google publishes a list of light patterns for its two Voice Remotes. The table puts the most useful patterns together.
| What the light does | What it means | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Flashes twice quickly when you put the batteries in | The remote has power | If the remote still does nothing, pair it again |
| No light when you put the batteries in | The light does not confirm power | Do the battery steps below |
| Pulses slowly | The remote is ready to pair. On the Chromecast remote, this can also mean that a pairing attempt failed | Pair the remote again |
| Pulses quickly (Google TV Streamer remote) | The remote tries to pair with the streaming device | Wait, and keep the remote near the streaming device |
| Blinks quickly 10 times (Google TV Streamer remote) | The pairing failed | Pair again, or reset the remote |
| Stays on | The microphone is on. On the Chromecast remote, a firmware update can also be in progress | Wait. If the light does not go off, do the battery steps |
Google's list has no light pattern for low batteries. If a website tells you that a pulsing light means low batteries, Google does not say this. A pulse means that the remote waits to pair or tries to pair.
Check the batteries first
Google starts every remote check with the batteries. This also applies after you put in new batteries. Do the steps in order, and watch the light each time:
- Remove both batteries from the remote.
- Put the batteries back in. Look for two quick flashes.
- If the light does not flash twice, remove and reinsert the battery within 2 seconds. Repeat until the light flashes twice.
- If there is still no double flash, put in the original batteries, or 2 new 1.5-volt AAA batteries.
- Remove both batteries and wait 5 minutes. Then put them back in, and look for the double flash.
If the light flashes twice but the remote still does nothing, the remote has power. The problem is usually the pairing or the streaming device, so go to the restart and pairing steps. If the light still does not come on, Google's next steps are the same: restart, unpair, then reset the remote.
Restart the Chromecast or the TV
A restart of the streaming device is Google's first step when the remote does not work at all. Google gives these methods:
- Chromecast with Google TV: open Settings at the top right of the screen, then select System and Restart.
- Google TV Streamer: select All settings at the top right of the screen, then System and Restart.
- Either device: unplug the power cable, leave it unplugged for one minute, and plug it in again.
The menu methods need a working remote. If the remote does nothing, use the power cable, or use your phone as the remote. Google says that a disconnection from the TV's HDMI port does not restart the device. Disconnect the power cable instead.
For a TV with Google TV built in, Google's Bluetooth page says to unplug the TV for 10 seconds before you pair a device again. TCL's page for its Android TV sets says to wait 60 seconds.
Pair the remote again
If the light flashes twice but the remote cannot control the screen, the remote has power but no connection. Google calls this a dropped Bluetooth connection. Pair the remote again.
On a Chromecast with Google TV or a Google TV Streamer, read this caution first. The button on the back of a Chromecast with Google TV also starts a factory reset of the Chromecast. This happens if you hold it until its light blinks yellow and then turns solid white. In step 4, release the button within 10 seconds.
- Stand near the streaming device.
- Press and hold Back and Home together for 3 seconds.
- If the TV shows "Start pairing" during the setup, hold Back and Home until the light on the remote pulses.
- If the remote still does not pair, press and hold the button on the back of the streaming device for 5 to 10 seconds. This starts Pairing Mode, and the remote usually pairs by itself.
On a TV with Google TV built in, the TV's settings have a pairing menu. On the home screen, select your profile, then Settings, Remote & Accessories, Pair remote or accessory. Put the remote in pairing mode, select it in the list, and select Pair. You need a working way to move through the menus for this, for example a phone (see below).
Some TV makers also give a button combination. TCL's page for its Android TV sets says to stand within 3 feet (1 metre) of the TV. Then press and hold Home and OK together until the pairing prompt appears. For other brands, use the combination on the TV maker's support page.
Forget the remote and reset it
If the remote does not pair, Google's next steps are to remove the remote from the streaming device, then reset the remote. You must move through the TV menus for this, so set up your phone as a remote first (see the phone section below).
To remove the remote:
- On the TV screen, select your profile, then Settings, then Remotes & Accessories.
- Select Voice Remote, then Forget, then Yes.
Before you reset the remote, read Google's warning: a factory reset clears your data, and you cannot undo it.
To reset a Chromecast Voice Remote:
- Remove both batteries and wait 5 minutes.
- Press and hold Home, and put the batteries back in.
- Keep Home pressed while the light is on.
- Release Home when the light starts to pulse.
- If the remote does not pair by itself, hold Back and Home for 3 seconds.
To reset a Google TV Streamer Voice Remote:
- Press and hold Mute and Select (the centre button) together. The light blinks white.
- Keep both buttons pressed. After 10 to 12 seconds, a countdown sound plays.
- Release the buttons when the light stays solid white.
Then pair the remote again with the steps in the pairing section above: Back and Home, or the button on the back of the streamer.
If the Chromecast remote still does not pair, Google gives one more method. Select Pair remote or accessory on the TV with your phone. Reset the remote again, and wait for the remote to appear on the screen. Then tap the select button on your phone.
Google's last step for a Chromecast with Google TV is a factory reset of the Chromecast itself, then a new reset of the remote. Use it only when nothing else works. After this reset, you must set up the Chromecast again.
Only the volume works, or everything except the volume
A Google Voice Remote controls the streaming device and the TV in different ways. Google describes a Bluetooth connection to the Chromecast or the Google TV Streamer. For the TV's power and volume, Google describes an infrared signal: you must point the remote at the TV for the volume buttons to work.
The symptom tells you which part failed:
- Only the power or volume buttons work. The infrared part works, but the Bluetooth pairing with the streaming device is usually gone. Pair the remote again. TCL says the same of its remotes: some can send basic commands, such as Power, without full pairing.
- Everything works except power or volume. Google says that this is probably an infrared problem.
To correct an infrared problem on a Chromecast with Google TV or a Google TV Streamer:
- Use another remote to make sure that the TV shows the input of the streaming device.
- Go to Settings, Remotes & Accessories, Set up remote buttons.
- Select your TV, then Set up buttons.
- Set up Volume, Power or Input again, and follow the steps on the screen.
- Point the remote directly at the TV when you test the buttons.
Google says that some TV models do not support volume, power or input control from its remote. For more about the two types of signal, read which remotes send infrared and which are paired.
If the remote reacts slowly
If the buttons work but the TV reacts late, Google says that you can be too far from the TV. Google gives four steps:
- Move the remote closer to the TV.
- Move the Wi-Fi access point away from the streaming device.
- Use an HDMI extension cable to move the streaming device away from other HDMI cables.
- Move the streaming device to a different position, then turn it over.
Use your iPhone as the remote while you fix it
Google's own fixes need a second way to move through the menus. To forget the remote, or to start the pairing from the TV, Google says to set up your phone as a virtual remote. A phone remote sends its commands over your Wi-Fi network, so it does not need the remote's batteries, pairing or infrared signal.
On an iPhone, you have these options:
- The Google Home app. Open the app, tap the Chromecast with Google TV or the Google TV Streamer, then tap Open remote. Google says that the iPhone needs iOS 14.0 or later.
- The Google TV app. Tap TVs nearby, select the device, enter the code that the TV shows, and tap Pair. It works with Google TV and Android TV devices.
Google says that for its virtual remote, the phone and the TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network.
Tivi is a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps. It finds the TVs on your Wi-Fi and controls Android TV and Google TV sets and streamers, including the Chromecast with Google TV, with no account. It also controls Samsung and LG TVs. To connect, you type the code from the TV screen into the app, so you do not need the physical remote. The free version runs the full remote on one TV, with the arrows, OK, Back and Home that Google's steps use. Tivi cannot turn on an Android TV or a Google TV, and it does not control Roku or Apple TV.
The connection steps are in how to control an Android TV or Google TV from an iPhone. If the app does not find the TV, go through the checklist for a TV that doesn't show up in a remote app.
When to replace the remote
Replace the remote if it still does not work after new batteries, a restart, a reset of the remote and a new pairing. Google sells replacement Voice Remotes for the Chromecast with Google TV and the Google TV Streamer on the Google Store.
To pair a new Google remote, turn on the streaming device. Hold the button on its back for 5 to 10 seconds, then put 2 AAA batteries into the new remote. Google says that the remote usually pairs by itself. If it does not, hold Back and Home for 3 seconds. Then set up the volume and power buttons again.
For a TV with Google TV built in, get the remote for your TV model from the TV maker. TCL says that a replacement or universal remote may not support the Bluetooth voice functions. The guide on what to do when you lose your TV remote shows where to find the model code.
The short version
Put the batteries in again and look for two quick flashes of the light. No flashes: try new AAA batteries, then follow Google's restart, unpair and reset steps. Two flashes but no control: the remote lost its pairing. Restart the streaming device, then hold Back and Home for 3 seconds, or hold the button on the back of the streamer for 5 to 10 seconds.
If only the volume works, pair the remote again. If everything except the volume works, set up the remote buttons again in Settings, Remotes & Accessories. For the steps that need a working remote, use your iPhone: the Google Home app, the Google TV app or Tivi. The setup is in how to use your iPhone as a TV remote.
Common questions
Why is my Google TV remote not working with new batteries?
New batteries correct only a power problem. If the light flashes twice when you put them in, the remote has power, and the fault is usually the pairing. Restart the streaming device, then hold Back and Home for 3 seconds. If the light does not flash, remove and reinsert the battery within 2 seconds, as Google describes.
Does a Google TV remote need Wi-Fi?
No. Google describes a Bluetooth connection to the streaming device and an infrared signal for the TV's power and volume. The remote does not use your Wi-Fi network. A phone remote is different: Google says that the phone and the TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network.
How do I know if the problem is the remote or the streaming device?
Control the streaming device from your phone. If the phone can move through the menus, the Chromecast or the TV works, and the fault is in the remote or its pairing. If the phone cannot control it either, restart the device and check that it is on your Wi-Fi network.
Does a reset of the remote delete my Chromecast settings?
Google says that a factory reset returns the Voice Remote to its factory settings. The reset of the Chromecast with Google TV is a separate step, with the button on the back of the Chromecast. Only that second reset makes you set up the Chromecast again.
Sources
- Google. Troubleshoot the Chromecast or Google TV Voice Remote.
- Google. LED states on Chromecast and Google TV Streamer voice remote.
- Google. Factory reset your Chromecast or Google TV Streamer Voice Remote.
- Google. Set up a replacement Chromecast with Google TV or Google TV Streamer Voice Remote.
- Google. Set up Chromecast with Google TV and Voice Remote.
- Google. Reboot your Chromecast or Google TV Streamer.
- Google. Set up volume, power and input control on your Chromecast or Google TV Streamer Voice Remote.
- Google. Use your phone as the remote for your Chromecast or Google TV Streamer.
- Google. Connect Bluetooth devices to Google TV.
- Google. Cast, connect & control your TV with the Google TV app.
- Google. Learn how to fix problems with the Google TV virtual remote.
- TCL. How to pair your remote with your TCL Android TV.