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TV remote: only the power button works? Why it happens and how to fix it

Nefarius Apps12 min read

When only the power button on a TV remote works, the remote has usually lost its wireless pairing with the TV or the streaming device. Many remotes send power, and often volume, as infrared light. Infrared needs no pairing, so these buttons continue to work. The other buttons use Bluetooth or a similar radio link, and they stop when the pairing is lost. LG says this about its Magic Remote: "If the connection is lost, the pointer will not appear, and only specific buttons like Power and Volume will work." The fix is to pair the remote again with your brand's button combination. On a universal remote, the code you programmed is probably only a partial match.

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Why does only the power button work?

Many TV remotes have two transmitters. An infrared transmitter sends light to a sensor on the front of the TV. A Bluetooth or radio frequency (RF) transmitter sends a radio signal to the TV or to the streaming device. The radio link must be paired once, and it does not need a line of sight.

The makers use the two links for different buttons. The basic TV commands, such as power and volume, often go by infrared. The menus, the pointer, the voice button and the apps go by the radio link. If the pairing is lost, the remote still sends the infrared commands. Thus the TV turns on and off, but the home screen does not react.

In one Reddit thread, the problem started after the TV was in storage. LG says that a Wi-Fi router near the TV can interfere with the link. Thus the first fix for all brands is the same: pair the remote again.

RemoteButtons that can still workHow to pair it again
Samsung Smart RemoteVolume and channelHold Back (Return) and Play/Pause, near the TV
LG Magic RemotePower and VolumePress the wheel (OK), or unpair first
TCL Google TV and Android TV remoteBasic commands, like PowerHold Home and OK
Chromecast with Google TV remoteThe TV's volume, when you point at the TVHold Back and Home for 3 seconds
Fire TV remotePower, Volume and Mute, which Fire TV sets up for the TV in Equipment ControlHold Home for about 10 seconds
Roku voice remoteThe TV's volume, when it uses infraredHold the pairing button, or Back and Home, for 5 seconds
Buttons that can still work when the pairing is lost, from each maker's page, and how to pair the remote again.

A basic remote that uses only infrared needs no pairing. If only the power button works on such a remote, see the sections on universal remotes and on buttons that do not work.

Samsung Smart Remote

A Samsung Smart Remote connects to the TV by Bluetooth. You can identify it by its single Play/Pause button. A standard Samsung remote has separate Play and Pause buttons and uses infrared. Samsung's pairing guide says that the standard remote pairs automatically.

When the Smart Remote loses its Bluetooth connection, its light blinks twice each time you press a button. Samsung's LED guide says that "some functions (volume and channel) can still be operated" in this state. Users with this problem report that the remote only turns the TV on and off. In a Reddit thread about a TV that came out of storage, one user fixed it when they held Return and Play/Pause to pair the remote again. Another user unplugged the TV, removed the batteries and held Power for 30 seconds.

To pair the Smart Remote again:

  1. Turn on the TV.
  2. Stand within 1 foot (30 cm) of the TV.
  3. Point the remote at the remote sensor on the front of the TV.
  4. Push and hold Back (Return) and Play/Pause together for 3 to 5 seconds.
  5. Release the buttons when the pairing message shows on the TV.

Samsung's Canada pages say to hold the buttons for at least 3 seconds. Samsung's Latin America page says at least 5 seconds. If the pairing fails, that page says to unplug the TV for 30 seconds, plug it in again and do the steps again.

If the remote still does not pair, reset it. For a remote with batteries, remove the batteries, hold the Power button for 8 seconds, and put the batteries back. For a solar remote (TVs from 2021 and later), hold Return and Enter for 10 seconds. Then pair the remote again.

LG Magic Remote

The LG Magic Remote is the remote with a pointer and a scroll wheel. LG says that "the Magic Remote and TV are connected via radio frequency". When the connection is lost, the pointer does not show, and only Power and Volume work.

To connect the remote again:

  1. Turn on the TV.
  2. Point the remote at the TV.
  3. Push the wheel (OK) button.
  4. Wait for the message that the remote is registered.

If the remote does not register, unpair it first, then pair it again. The button combination is different on different LG pages:

  • LG's page about the missing pointer says to hold Back and Home together for at least 5 seconds. The light on the Power button blinks when the remote is unpaired. Then push the wheel (OK) again.
  • LG's US page says to hold Back and Settings for at least 5 seconds to unpair. To register a remote of a 2021 or 2025 TV, it says to point the remote at the TV and hold Home and Settings for at least 5 seconds. For a 2020 TV, hold the Guide button.

LG also says that electronic devices near the TV can interfere with the signal. Keep the Wi-Fi router about 20 cm (8 in.) or more away from the TV.

To check the batteries, push any button. LG says that the Power button should light up. If it does not, replace the batteries.

Google TV, Chromecast and Android TV remotes

A Google TV remote talks to the TV or the streaming device by Bluetooth. For the TV's volume, Google says: "You must point your remote at the device for the volume buttons to work." Thus the volume buttons can work while the Bluetooth pairing is lost.

For a Chromecast with Google TV, Google says to hold Back and Home for 3 seconds if the remote did not pair automatically. When you put the batteries in, the light on the remote flashes twice if the remote has power.

For a TV with Google TV or Android TV built in, use the steps of the TV maker. TCL says that "some TCL remotes can still send basic commands (like Power) without being fully paired." To pair a TCL remote again:

  1. Turn on the TV.
  2. Stand within 3 feet (1 m) of the TV.
  3. Push and hold Home and OK together.
  4. Release the buttons when the pairing message shows.
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Fire TV remote

On a Fire TV stick or box, the remote pairs with the Fire TV device, not with the TV. Power, Volume and Mute control the TV. Amazon sets up these three buttons separately, in the Equipment Control menu. Amazon's page says that this menu lets the remote's volume and power buttons control a TV, a soundbar or a receiver. Thus these buttons can work when the remote is not paired with the Fire TV device.

To pair the remote again, Amazon gives these steps:

  1. Push and hold the Home button for about 10 seconds, until a message shows on the screen.
  2. If that does not work, remove the batteries for 30 seconds. Put them back in and hold Home again.
  3. If it still does not work, put in new alkaline batteries and hold Home again.
  4. If it still does not work, reset the remote: hold Left, Menu and Back together. Then hold Home again.

Amazon adds that a Fire TV device can have seven paired controllers. If you already have seven, remove one first. You can also pair the remote with Amazon's Fire TV app on your phone.

For the opposite problem, where only Power, Volume and Mute do not work, Amazon says to check the TV brand under Settings, Equipment Control, Manage Equipment, TV.

Roku voice remote

A Roku simple remote uses infrared and must point at the Roku device. Roku says that some voice remotes connect to the Roku device "using wireless signals (not infrared)". These remotes can also control the TV's volume. If the TV's volume works when you point the remote at the TV, the remote uses infrared for the TV.

To pair a Roku voice remote again:

  1. Restart the remote: remove the batteries, then put them back in.
  2. If the remote has a pairing button, hold it for 5 seconds, until the light flashes.
  3. If it has no pairing button, hold Back and Home for 5 seconds, until the light flashes.
  4. Wait for the pairing message on the TV.

If the remote still does not pair, Roku says to unplug the Roku player from power for 5 seconds, then plug it in again.

Universal remote: try the next code

A typical universal remote uses infrared. It sends the commands of the code that you programmed. A code can match the power command of your TV, but not the other commands. The GE universal remote manual says: "Some codes may operate only a few functions of your device. There may be another code in the Code List that controls more functions."

Thus, when only the power button works:

  1. Find the next code for your TV brand in the code list of the remote.
  2. Program that code.
  3. Test all the buttons, not only Power: volume, channel, the arrows, OK and the menu.
  4. If some buttons still do not work, try the next code again.

If no code works fully, use the automatic code search of the remote, if it has one. An infrared remote also reaches every TV of the same brand in the room. Our article on one remote that controls two TVs explains why.

If pairing again does not help

Do these checks in this order:

  • Put in new batteries. For a Fire TV remote that does not pair, Amazon also says to try new alkaline batteries.
  • Unplug the TV for 30 seconds, then plug it in again. Do the same with the streaming device, if you use one.
  • Look at the buttons that do not work. Press each one and release it. Samsung's troubleshooting page says to check "if any of the buttons are stuck or not functioning properly." A button that does not move freely can be the cause.
  • Move the Wi-Fi router, a soundbar or other wireless devices away from the TV, then pair again.

If the remote still does not pair, it is probably faulty. Get a replacement remote made for your TV or streaming device. LG says that if the remote does not work after new batteries, the remote or the TV may have a fault, and you should contact LG support.

Control the TV while you fix the remote

You can use the TV while the remote is not paired. Most TVs have a button or a small control stick on the back or under the bottom edge. Samsung says that its TVs from 2019 and later have a single button. A press of the button moves through its functions, and a press and hold selects one. Our guide on how to use a TV without its remote shows more ways.

A phone app is the easiest way. A smart TV on your Wi-Fi accepts commands from an app over the network. An app does not use the remote's batteries, its infrared light or its pairing. An iPhone cannot send infrared, so the TV must be on your network. Our article on why an iPhone can't send infrared explains this.

Tivi is a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps. It finds the TVs on your Wi-Fi and controls Samsung, LG, Android TV and Google TV sets without an account. It has the arrows and OK, volume, mute, channel, play and pause, Home and Back. The free version runs the full remote on one TV. The iPhone and the TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Tivi does not control Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV devices. For these, use the Roku app or Amazon's Fire TV app.

The first connection needs one action on the TV. A Samsung TV asks if you allow the phone to connect. LG, Android TV and Google TV sets show a code that you type in the app, for example the LG pairing PIN. If the remote's arrows do not work, Samsung's pairing guide says that you can answer a phone's permission request with the controller button on the TV. Samsung's example is the SmartThings app on a Galaxy phone. The brand guides give the full steps: Samsung, LG and Android TV or Google TV.

The short version

If only the power button works, the remote probably lost its Bluetooth or radio pairing. Its infrared buttons, usually power and often volume, still work. Pair it again: Back and Play/Pause on a Samsung Smart Remote, the wheel on an LG Magic Remote, Home and OK on a TCL remote, Back and Home on a Chromecast remote, Home on a Fire TV remote, and the pairing button on a Roku voice remote.

If the remote is a universal remote, try the next code in its code list. If nothing works after new batteries and a restart of the TV, replace the remote. Until then, use the button on the TV or a phone app on your Wi-Fi.

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Common questions

Why does my remote turn the TV on but not change channels?

On a paired remote, power often goes to the TV by infrared, and the other buttons go by Bluetooth or radio. If the pairing is lost, only the infrared buttons work. Pair the remote again. On a universal remote, the code may match only the power command, so try the next code.

Does a remote need to be paired again after new batteries?

Usually not. Amazon says that a Fire TV remote pairs automatically when you put in the batteries and turn on the TV, and a standard Samsung remote pairs automatically. If the menus do not react after you change the batteries, do the pairing steps for your brand.

Is the remote broken if only the power button works?

Usually not. The infrared part of the remote works, so the remote has power and sends signals. In most cases, only the pairing is lost. If the remote does not pair after new batteries, a reset and a restart of the TV, it probably has a fault.

Can I use my phone as the remote while I wait?

Yes, if the TV is a smart TV on your Wi-Fi. Use the maker's app or a universal remote app such as Tivi for Samsung, LG, Android TV and Google TV sets. The phone and the TV must be on the same network. A TV that is not on the network cannot get commands from a phone.

Sources

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