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Setting up Roku stick but my remote won’t pair

I’m trying to set up my Roku stick for the first time. I have the simple remote (without pairing button). I plugged in the stick and it turned on just fine. It came up with instructions on the screen to pair the remote and I followed them (hold the back button and the home button until the green light flashes). The green light flashes but it just stays flashing it doesn’t pair, nothing on the tv screen changes and eventually after about two minutes my remote stops flashing. I’ve tried unplugging and plugging it back in, I’ve tried taking the batteries out and putting them back in, I’ve tried putting in fresh batteries but my remote still won’t pair. This is a brand new device that I purchased today and fresh out of the box with the original remote. I’ve tried googling but no one seems to have this problem which is just making me feel stupid. Please any help is appreciated 

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4 REPLIES 4
HDMIGuy
Roku Guru

Re: Setting up Roku stick but my remote won’t pair

@Rach_ridd22 What Roku device do you have?

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atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Setting up Roku stick but my remote won’t pair

The Roku Stick does not work with the Roku Simple Remote. Those remotes use IR to communicate, and the Stick does not support IR. You must have the correct remote for your Stick. But we need to know what model Stick it is, as some older models of the Stick are no longer supported and remotes are not available. If it's a purple Stick, that is the 3500 and remotes are not available. You need a newer device. 

If the remote that came with your new Roku Stick does not have a pairing button under the battery cover, it's not the correct remote. So again we need to know the model of Stick and remote. Is this the rechargeable Remote Pro? If so, there is no battery cover to open but there's still a pairing button. 

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

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fluke
Roku Guru

Re: Setting up Roku stick but my remote won’t pair

Make sure you are using the power adapter provided with the Roku stick.  Several TVs provide a USB port but do *NOT* provide the full 1 amp of power for the stick to full function correctly.

Next, while the green light is flashing, unplug the power adapter for the stick and the power back in.  Hold the remote as close to the stick as you can while the green light is continuing to flashing.

This third-party video gives an example of doing this using a Roku Express but the process is the same for a Roku Stick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqwEceI7nAE 

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fluke
Roku Guru

Re: Setting up Roku stick but my remote won’t pair


@atc98092 wrote:

The Roku Stick does not work with the Roku Simple Remote. Those remotes use IR to communicate, and the Stick does not support IR. You must have the correct remote for your Stick. But we need to know what model Stick it is, as some older models of the Stick are no longer supported and remotes are not available. If it's a purple Stick, that is the 3500 and remotes are not available. You need a newer device. 

If the remote that came with your new Roku Stick does not have a pairing button under the battery cover, it's not the correct remote. So again we need to know the model of Stick and remote. Is this the rechargeable Remote Pro? If so, there is no battery cover to open but there's still a pairing button. 


He is mixing up terminology.  A Roku IR (Simple) Remote has no flashing green LED at all.  Since he got the green LED to flash, it is not a Simple Remote.  Instead it is a Voice Remote as came packaged with the Roku Stick.  This can be confirmed by the fact the remote has a power, volume, mute and microphone buttons (which the Roku Simple Remote does not have).

The latest Roku Voice Remote does not have a pairing button, just as he said.  Instead it is now holding down the back and home buttons just as he described.  It may clear up a lot of confusion if you watch the video I linked to.

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