Fire TV Remote Keeps Saying Low Battery: How To Fix [2023]

written by

Doug Stevenson

updated March 16, 2023

Is your Fire TV remote constantly showing a low battery level notification even though you have recently changed batteries on your device? If so, here's what to do!

Fire TV remotes, unlike your run-of-the-mill TV remotes, house a fair few nifty features. And all these features can take a toll on the battery life.

And after a certain point, the battery low notification can become irksome. But fret not, for there's always a fix!

If your Fire TV Remote keeps saying low battery, change the batteries on the remote and check for interference. Next, check and clean the terminals on the remote, and reboot Fire TV and the remote. Check for any pending firmware updates on your Fire TV. If the issue persists, factory reset the Fire TV remote.

Keep reading to know why your batteries could be draining and how to work around this issue.

Change the Batteries on Fire TV Remote

The most common issue is often battery issues. This arises because the Fire TV remote uses Bluetooth over infrared. When the battery level is low, the Bluetooth connection can get erratic.

This is especially the case if you are using rechargeable batteries as they provide a lower voltage compared to alkaline batteries.

Rechargeable batteries give 1.2V compared to 1.5V from alkaline batteries. So try using fresh alkaline batteries on your Fire TV remote.

Since the device uses Bluetooth, you should be within about 30 feet of the Fire TV stick for the remote to work.

If not, you may have trouble accessing different features on your Fire TV such as the Fire TV channel guide, or if you want to quickly change the resolution on your Toshiba Fire TV.

Fire TV Remote Battery Life: How Much do You Get?

On average, the typical battery life of a Fire TV remote with fresh alkaline batteries should give you around 5-6 months of battery life.

Prolonged usage of your Fire TV stick can gravely impact the battery life. If you are having issues with your Fire TV stick from the get-go, contact amazon support right away.

The same can be said in the case of severe hardware damage on Fire TVs, especially with issues such as green screen issues on Toshiba Fire TV, RMA it right away.

Any external damage like water damage and internal faults due to failed components can also affect the battery life and functionality of the Fire TV remote.

Additionally, you should make sure that your remote and the Firestick are compatible with each other.

Check and Clean Battery Contacts on Fire TV Remote Routinely

The first check you need to complete is to make sure that you are using AAA batteries. Also, pay attention to how the batteries were installed.

If inserted backward, the remote will not work. There is a diagram on the back of the Fire TV remote that indicates how the batteries should be placed.

If your Fire TV remote is still not working or keeps showing a low battery level, take a look at the contact terminals of the remote.

Even if you do not spot any corrosion on the terminals, it is advisable that you clean the terminals.

A particularly useful way to clean the terminals is to use vinegar and q-tips. Dip the q-tip in vinegar and gently scrub the terminal surface with the q-tip.

Once you have scrubbed the surface, set the remote idle for a minute before inserting the batteries back into the remote. This solution has worked for many users.

Reboot Fire TV and Fire TV Remote

Rebooting your Fire TV and the Fire TV remote is also a great way to restore the proper functionality of your Fire TV and Fire TV Remote.

Doing so may also come in handy for issues such as Toshiba Fire TV being stuck on the loading screen or Toshiba Fire TV screen flickering.

Amazon team has programmed a reset method for the Fire TV remote for just such occasions.

You can simply unpair the Fire TV remote from the Fire TV and repair it with the Fire TV to restore proper function.

It is good logic to give your Fire TV a reboot as well while you reset the Fire TV remote.

Follow the steps below to reset your Fire TV remote.

Unplug the Fire TV device and let it idle for a minute.
To reset your Fire TV remote, press and hold the 'Left', 'Home', and 'Back' buttons for about 20 seconds.
Keep these buttons pressed until you see the light blink.
Then remove the batteries from the remote. Clean the terminals if you have to.
Wait for at least a minute before you pop the batteries back into the Fire TV remote.
While you wait, plug the Fire Tv device back into your TV.
Once the TV has been up and running for a minute, put the batteries back into the Fire TV remote.
Press the home button located at the center in between the back and menu buttons for 10 seconds.
Wait for the LED indicator to blink blue, indicating that your Fire TV Stick remote has been reset successfully and paired with your Firestick.
If your remote has not paired, try pressing the 'Home' button again as this process might have to be repeated till a successful connection has been made.

If your Fire TV remote is not working at all, you cannot do this process. In that case, you will have to rely on the Fire TV app on your smartphone.

To reset your Fire TV remote with the Fire TV app, follow the instructions below:

Download and install the Fire TV app on your smartphone. Pair the app with the Fire TV by following the instructions on the screen.
Go to 'Settings' and tap on 'Controller & Bluetooth devices'.
Now, tap on 'Amazon Fire TV remotes'. If you find that your Fire TV remote batteries are offline, unpair the physical remote using the remote app.
Then, go to add a new remote and now hold the 'Home' button for 10 seconds. You should be able to find your physical remote now.

Check for Firmware Updates

Another potential reason why you are getting notifications repeatedly that your Fire TV remote is low on battery could be due to pending firmware updates.

There could be updates pending on your Fire TV remote as well as your Fire TV firmware.

Outdated firmware versions can also trigger several other issues on your Fire TV such as Toshiba Fire TV not finding cable channels.

Check below for instructions on how to check for both of these updates.

To check for updates on your Fire TV remote, follow the instructions below:

Using your Fire TV remote or the Fire TV app on your smartphone, access 'Settings' on your device.
Navigate to 'Controllers and Bluetooth Devices'.
Select 'Amazon Fire TV remotes'
Here, you can select your remote from the list and if an update is available, you have the option to install it from here.

To check for updates on your Fire TV firmware, follow the instructions below:

Go to 'Settings' on your Fire TV and select 'My Fire TV'.
Tap on 'About'.
Here, you can tap on 'Check for System Update' to look for recent firmware update releases.

Make sure that you have the latest firmware installed on all your accessories for optimum functionality.

Factory Reset Fire TV Remote

If none of the solutions mentioned above have yielded any positive results for you, then you should think about factory resetting your Fire TV remote.

This action will reconfigure the Fire TV remote and on repairing the Fire TV, restores the proper functionality of the device.

There is no personalized or downloaded content on your Fire TV remote, so there is no risk of losing data by factory resetting your Fire TV remote.

Depending on the edition of the Fire TV remote you have, the process for factory resetting differs. Check below and follow the instructions for the Fire TV remote that you possess.

Basic Edition Fire TV Remote

To factory reset the basic edition remote, follow the instructions below:

Press and hold the 'Home' button. While these buttons are pressed, press the 'Menu' button three times.
Let go of the 'Home' button and press the 'Menu' button 9 times.
Now, remove the batteries from your remote and unplug your Fire TV.
Wait for at least 1 minute before you proceed with the next step.
Insert the batteries back into the remote and plug in your Fire TV.
Once the Fire TV has launched the Home screen, press and hold the 'Home' button for 40 seconds.
The setup to complete takes around a minute.
Check if your issue has been resolved.

Alexa Voice Remote (1st Generation)

The 1st generation Alexa voice remote does not have a power button or volume up/down buttons. To factory reset the Alexa Voice remote, 1st gen, follow the instructions below:

Unplug your Fire TV and wait for at least a minute.
Press and hold the 'Left' button and the 'Menu' button at the same time. Keep them held for 12 seconds.
Now. release the buttons and wait for 5 seconds.
Remove the batteries from your remote.
Now, plug in your Fire TV and wait for at least a minute.
Put the batteries back into your remote and press the 'Home' button.
The remote should now be paired with your Fire TV. If it has not yet been paired, press the 'Home' button for 10 seconds.
Check if your issue has been resolved.

Alexa Voice Remote (with Volume and Power Buttons)

This generation of Alexa Voice Remote has volume and power buttons. To reset this remote, follow the instructions below:

Unplug the Fire TV and wait for at least a minute before you proceed.
Now, press and hold the 'Left' button, 'Menu' button, and 'Back' button at the same time for around 12 seconds.
Release the buttons and wait for 5 seconds.
Remove the batteries from the Fire TV remote.
Plug in your Fire TV and wait for it to configure. This takes around a minute.
Now, put the batteries back in your remote and press the 'Home' button.
When the LED indicator blinks blue, it is an indication that the pairing has been successful. If the device has not paired successfully, press the 'Home' button for 10 seconds.
Check if your issue has been resolved.

Alexa Voice Remote Lite

This edition of the Fire TV remote has Alexa voice control but does not have a power button or volume up/down buttons. Follow the steps below to reset the Alexa Voice remote lite:

Unplug your Fire TV and wait for at least a minute.
Press and hold the 'Left' button, 'Menu' button, and the 'Back' button at the same time for around 12 seconds.
Release the buttons and wait for 5 seconds.
Now, remove the batteries from your remote.
Plug in your Fire TV and wait for a minute.
Put the batteries back in your remote and press the 'Home' button on the remote.
Check if your issue has been resolved.

Fire TV Edition TV Remote

If you have a Fire TV Edition TV remote, follow the instructions below to factory reset the remote:

Unplug your Fire TV and wait for at least a minute.
Press and hold the 'Left' button, 'Menu' button, and 'Back' button at the same time for around 12 seconds.
Release the buttons and wait for 5 seconds.
Now, remove the batteries from your remote.
Plug in your Fire TV and wait for at least 60 seconds.
Put the batteries back in the remote and press the 'Home' button.
When the LED indicator blinks blue, the remote has been successfully paired to your Fire TV. If not paired, press the 'Home' button for 10 seconds.
Check if your issue has been resolved.

Fire TV Edition Soundbar Remote

If you have a Fire TV edition soundbar remote, the instructions for factory resetting are given below:

Unplug the Fire TV and wait for a minute.
Press and hold the 'Left' button, 'Menu' button, and 'Back' button at the same time for 12 seconds.
Let go of the buttons and wait for 5 seconds.
Remove the batteries from the remote.
Plug in your Fire TV and wait for a minute.
Put the batteries back in your remote.
Press the 'Home' button on the remote. When the LED indicator blinks blue, it indicates successful pairing. If not paired, press and hold the Home button for 10 seconds.
Check if your issue has been resolved.

Fire Stick Remotes and Interference

A reason why your batteries might be draining quickly could be because of interference from other electronic devices with your Fire TV remote.

As mentioned above, the Fire TV remote uses Bluetooth over infrared. Due to this very reason, these remotes are susceptible to interference.

Not having a clear line of sight between the remote and the Fire Stick significantly reduces the range of the remote. Ideally, the remote should have a range of 30 feet.

Make note of where you have placed the following electronic devices:

Microwave ovens
Wireless speakers
Unshielded coaxial cables
Other wireless devices.

Basically, keep a note of all wireless devices that could cause interference with Bluetooth in the vicinity of the Fire Stick.

Final Thoughts

If you have exhausted all the solutions in this article and can still not solve the low battery issue, then it is highly likely that your device may have been damaged or is malfunctioning.

In such a case, the next best option is to use the Fire TV app on your smartphone as a replacement remote while you contact Amazon support.

This is a known issue of Fire TV remotes and there should be a set of protocols that Amazon support staff suggest when a ticket is raised.

Get in touch with Amazon support and keep a mental note of all the troubleshooting solutions you have tried.

Hope the solutions in this article have helped you resolve your issue.

Have a good day.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does Fire Stick remote listen all the time?

No, Fire Stick remote does not listen all the time. You have to activate the microphone button for the remote to activate Alexa and relay your request forward. However, devices like the current Fire TV and the Echo are constantly on the lookout for the trigger word 'Alexa'.

Can Firestick remote control multiple devices?

Yes, one Firestick remote can be paired to multiple TVs. However, this is not advisable if these devices are near each other. You could be pushing buttons in a room and making changes to the TV in the other room.

Do Firestick remotes interfere with each other?

Firestick remotes do not interfere with each other. It is advisable to use the remotes separately when you are streaming on a particular device.

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Doug Stevenson

Hey! I'm Doug, My passion for tech started by fixing phones and computers for my friends and family.

I started Blinqblinq to give reliable tech advice to anyone who needs it, for free! If you have questions on anything tech-related, feel free to contact me.

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