I can relate to how annoying it is to watch TV without a remote. Getting up from my couch to go increase the volume of my movie can be tiring especially after I have settled down.
The Firestick remote is one small device that could go missing easily. The few times I have temporarily misplaced mine have been characterized by a high level of uneasiness.
If you are currently in this mishap and have lost your Firestick remote then you are in the right place because, in this guide, I would show you ways to mitigate the distress it has caused you by trying any of the immediate solutions documented here.
How and where to find the lost Firestick remote?
You aren’t the only one here; it is quite common to lose our Firestick remote, the device itself is pretty small, and if not kept well, you could misplace it.
Nevertheless, below are few places to look; who knows, you may find the remote and not need to worry about replacing again.
- The couch, if you watch your Smart TV while sitting on a couch, it should be the first place to look. Check under it, behind it, in between the spaces, under your pillow, besides it, etc. You can even change your couch’s position if you still can’t find it; try the next place below.
- Check beside the TV. You might not realize this, but sometimes we think we’ve taken the remote back to our seats after operating it close to the TV. You can quickly go back to your TV and look around. Check under the TV stand, behind it, and also where the Firestick is plugged.
- Retrace your steps. Whenever I miss place something, what I do is think of the last place I was with it, then I start retracing my steps, checking every corner as I go. You can try this too. You probably had dropped the remote in your lobby when you wanted to pet your dog.
- Check other rooms. This is similar to the idea above. You should leave the room your TV is in and go to every room, especially those you likely must have entered, let’s say your bedroom, toilet, kitchen, laundry room, and others.
- You can also check your car. Although the remote is small, it is still big enough to be mistaken for a phone or your car’s remote. Who knows, you might have carried it in your vehicle thinking it was your phone. xD
- This may seem funny, but there’s a possibility your remote is in your pocket. I mean, it looks and feels like a phone.
- Ask around; finally, you should ask your household members if they have it. I mean, the remote hasn’t developed legs; they may have a clue where it is.
- Suppose you left with your Firestick and can’t find the remote on you. There’s a possibility you didn’t leave your house with it too.
If you still can’t find it and can’t get a worthy Firestick remote replacement immediately, go to the section below to see how to mitigate the pain resulting from the loss by navigating your way around your TV through other means.
What to do when you can’t find a lost Firestick remote?
1. Convert your mobile device to a remote
This method takes two forms, when you are at home and can still get access to your home TV and when you lost the Firestick remote away from your home WiFi.
A. When at home.
This method would only work if your mobile phone and your TV are connected to the same WiFi network.
So, first, connect your mobile device to the same network your Firestick is connected to.
Step 1: Visit your app store. If you use an iOS device, go to the Apple app store, while Android phones should visit the Google Play store.
Step 2: In the search box, type in Amazon Fire TV, select its option, and then install the app.
Step 3: Launch Amazon Fire TV from your app list. Usually, your Firestick should automatically detect your device. If it doesn’t, sign in with your Amazon account.
Step 4: Select your Fire TV Stick. Your device would prompt you to input a four-digit PIN on the mobile app. You can find this PIN on your TV, enter it and proceed.
Step 5: The mobile app now takes the look of your Firestick remote. You can make use of the digital remote, or you go for the arrow keys.
With the mobile-app-turn-remote, you can access Alexa, input URLs, open Settings, and do much more, just like with the typical remote.
B. When away from home
To do this, you’ll need two phones. You’ll use one as the remote and the other to create a WiFi hotspot.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on the smartphone you’ll use to create the WiFi hotspot. The usual step is, go to WiFi and Network, then click on Hotspot and Tethering, then select WiFi Hotspot.
Step 2: In the hotspot window, rename the hotspot to the exact WiFi name that your Firestick was connected to. Also, change the password to the exact password your Firestick was connected to.
This is somewhat of manipulation to make your Fire TV automatically connect to this new WiFi hotspot.
Step 3: Now, turn on the hotspot and restart your Fire TV. It should automatically detect and connect to the hotspot.
Step 4: Now go to the second smartphone, turn on its WiFi and connect it to the same WiFi hotspot.
Step 5. Next, open your app store and search and install the Amazon Fire TV app.
Step 6: Launch the app and sign in to your Amazon account. A 4 PIN code would be displayed on your TV; input it into the field provided by your app. Now enjoy.
2. Use your TV remote to control your Fire TV
Not everybody knows this, but you can use your TV remote in place of your FireTV remote.
Though not every tv supports this, most TVs have a feature called HDMI-CEC or Consumer Electronics Control, which allows multiple HDMI-connected devices to exchange information with each other.
In simpler words, when you press a button on your TV remote, the instruction is received on your Fire TV, all thanks to the HDMI-CEC protocol.
Although this feature is a bit limited as casting actions are impossible with your TV remote, you can navigate seamlessly and use other shortcuts and button combinations.
Some TVs have this feature turned on by default; others would require you to turn it on yourself. The features branded name also varies with manufacturers. Therefore you might need to browse online or check your TV manual guide to get its name and how to turn it on.
- Sony calls it Bravia Sync
- LG calls it SimpLink
- Hitachi calls it HDMI-CEC
- Philips calls it EasyLink, etc.
Search for your TV’s, follow the instructions to switch them on. Voila, you are good to go.
Note: Most manufacturers may tweak this feature to be unique, therefore, experiences may vary. Aside from coming in handy when you’ve lost your Firestick remote, this feature would save you the stress of having multiple remotes for one TV.
3. Control Fire TV with Alexa
Firestick is a product of Amazon, so you guessed right, Alexa works with it.
First, you’ll need to connect your Alexa to the same WiFi network as your Firestick. A command like “Alexa, play X on my Fire TV” or something similar would do.
4. Use the previous generation Firestick remote
Although there are some buttons you can’t find in the older generation remote like volume, mute, and power buttons, it is still compatible with Fire TV.
If you own a 4K Firestick, you’ll feel the absence of these buttons; however, we need to make do with what we have. Nevertheless, they are fantastic key combinations you can enjoy.
To pair the previous-gen remote with your Firestick, simultaneously hold down the Home, Back, and Left arrow key for not less than ten seconds, then restart your Firestick. Both devices would automatically pair themselves after Firestick reboots.
5. Use a Mouse or Keyboard
If you can’t still enjoy your TV after trying all the methods here or lack the resources to test these methods, you can work things out with your keyboard or mouse. Firestick gives room for wireless and wired connection. It would be best to have a USB splitter for wired mice or keyboards, which should not cost up to $10. This is the best way around this since Firestick has just one single micro USB port.
6. Get a New Remote
If everything has proven abortive, you have no option but to get a new Fire TV remote. A typical 1st-gen Alexa Voice Remote could cost about $30 at most and is available on Amazon. The 1st gen to 3rd gen remote is compatible with all Fire TV devices. This is the last remedy.
Tips and Suggestions
Suppose you eventually get a new remote, or you successfully find it. In that case, I’ll suggest you have a specific place for keeping your remote to avoid you losing it again. Also, you can grab a tracker such as this to help you out in the future.
FAQ
Q. Lost Firestick remote how to connect to WiFi?
If you’ve lost your Firestick remote, you can connect to WiFi with two phones. Go to Smartphone 1 and edit its WiFi hotspot details (name and password) to be the same as the last WiFi your Fire TV was connected to.
Next, connect Smartphone 2 to the Smartphone 1 WiFi hotspot, then Power On your Firestick. It would automatically connect to the hotspot.
Next, download and install the Amazon Fire TV app from Smartphone 2’s app store, launch the app and sign in to your Amazon account, next input the 4 PIN displayed on your TV into the field given the enjoy.
Q. Lost Firestick remote, how to pair new one?
To pair a new Firestick remote, you’ll need a smartphone to do that. You can take the detailed guide in the first solution under “What to do when you can’t find a lost Firestick remote” to convert your phone to a remote or follow these steps.
Step 1: Get your Smartphone, connect it to the same WiFi as the Fire TV, then download the Amazon Fire TV app, launch it, log in to your Amazon account and input the four-digit PIN on your TV screen into the app.
(Alternatively, if your TV has the HDMI-CEC feature discussed in solution two above, you can make use of your TV remote to navigate the steps below)
Step 2: Select Settings from the Fire TV menu, then open Controllers and Bluetooth Devices.
Step 3: Choose the Amazon Fire TV Remotes option and then select Add Remote.
Step 4: Press and hold down the Home button for about 10 seconds. Fire TV would search for the remote’s wireless signal; this should be done in 30 seconds.
Step 5: With your Smartphone remote or your TV’s HDMI-CEC remote, navigate and select the newly connected Firestick remote.
Q. Can I control my Firestick with my phone?
Yes, you can. All you need to do is download the Amazon Fire TV app from your device’s app store, then connect your smartphone to the same WiFi as your Fire TV, then log in to your Amazon account and input the 4 PIN code shown on your TV, voila, you are done.
Q. Is there a way to find my Firestick remote?
Unlike Roku, there’s currently no direct or easy way to find it. You can search through your furniture, belongings or try the other places we listed above.
Q. Can Alexa find my Firestick remote?
No, it can’t. You can only use Alexa as a kind of remote to control your Fire TV if you can’t find your remote.
Conclusion
I know how I felt when I lost my Firestick remote, so I can relate to how almost impossible it is to work with Fire TV without a remote. If you’ve lost your Firestick remote and left no stone unturned in the bid to find it, you can make do with what you have handy to control your Fire TV. The Amazon Fire TV app would convert your phone to a remote; you can also use Alexa or the HDMI-CEC feature on most Smart TVs.
With that, let us know if this article helped you in anyway.
Thank you for stopping by, have a great day.
