Fire TV remote not working? Control your Fire TV from your iPhone

Fire TV remotes are Bluetooth, so they drop pairing and drain batteries quietly — and the little stick remote is the easiest in the house to lose. Here's the fast fix, then how to put a full remote on your iPhone. LazyBinger controls the Fire TV over Wi-Fi.

Quick fixes for a Fire TV remote

1. 1Re-pair: hold the Home button for 10 seconds.
2. 2Fresh batteries — Bluetooth remotes drain even when idle.
3. 3Restart the Fire TV: unplug the stick for 30 seconds.
4. 4Get closer — Bluetooth range is short and walls block it.

Or control it from your iPhone

LazyBinger gives your Fire TV a full remote on your phone. One honest note: Fire TV needs “ADB debugging” switched on once (Settings ▸ My Fire TV ▸ Developer options), so it's easiest to set up while the remote still works at all — or use the official Amazon Fire TV app to navigate there. After that, LazyBinger drives it with no remote needed.

Set up

1. 1Enable ADB debugging once in Developer options.
2. 2Open LazyBinger and pick your Fire TV.
3. 3Accept the connection prompt on the TV — done.

Frequently asked

I've lost the remote entirely — what now? Use the Amazon Fire TV phone app to turn on ADB first, then LazyBinger takes over with a fuller, more reliable remote.

Does it work on Fire TV Stick, Cube and Fire TVs? Yes — including Toshiba and Insignia Fire TV Edition sets.

See also: lost your TV remote? and using your iPhone as a TV remote.