How To Sync Roku Remote Without A Pairing Button

The easiest way to sync a Roku remote with your TV is with the pairing button. Roku devices are easy to sync because they have a pairing button on the underside of the remote. Simply press the button for a few seconds and your Roku player or TV should connect automatically. If your Roku remote doesn’t have a pairing button, or it’s not working, you can use your smartphone and the Roku app instead.

If your Roku remote has a pairing button but it’s not working, then you can still pair the remote with your media player or television by using the Roku mobile app. Start by installing the Roku app for iPhone or Android on your smartphone, and make sure they’re on the same WiFi network.

Then do the following:

Open the Roku app on your smartphone and click “Remote” on the bottom left side of the screen.
Select “Settings” > “Remotes & devices”.
Tap “Set up a new device”.
Press the checkbox beside “Remote”> choose “Continue”.

Insert batteries in the remote and the Roku will automatically locate it. If the remote isn’t paired with another device, they should connect on their own. However, if the remote is already paired with another device, the Roku may not pair with it.

The Roku simple remote doesn’t have a pairing button and doesn’t need to be paired because it uses infrared to control your TV. Simply point the remote at the TV and it should work. This is a much easier remote to use because it doesn’t require pairing or programming of any kind. If you’re new to using Roku, I recommend trying it. I’ve used Roku for years and pairing the remote can sometimes be a pain to do.

What Is The Pairing Button On A Roku Remote?

The pairing button on a Roku remote allows it to connect wirelessly to the Roku device. Roku Voice remotes have a pairing button instead of an infrared (IR) signal. This means they do not need an uninterrupted line of site between the Roku and remote. Because of this design, you can hide the Roku behind the TV or somewhere else where it’s out of site.

Before a Roku remote and a Roku device can communicate, they must be paired. This is done via the pairing button.

The pairing button is either located on the underside of the remote or hidden inside the battery compartment. To find it, remove the batter cover and look for a small button. Or flip the controller over and look for a small back button on the backside, usually towards the bottom.

To sync your device and remote, press and hold the pairing button until the light on top of the remote turns on.

How To Sync A Roku Remote Without A Pairing Button

If the pairing button on your Roku remote isn’t working properly, you’ll need to pair it without using the button. Luckily there’s a way to do it by using your smartphone and the Roku app for help.

Start by installing the Roku app for iPhone or Android on your smartphone. Make sure they’re on the same WiFi network or they won;t be able to communicate with each other properly.

Open the Roku app on your smartphone and click “Remote” on the bottom left side of the screen > select “Settings” > “Remotes & devices” > tap “Set up a new device” > press the checkbox beside “Remote”> choose “Continue”.

Put batteries in the remote and the Roku will try to locate it automatically. If the remote hasn’t already been paired with another device, they should connect. But if the remote is already paired with another device, they may not be able to connect. A Roku remote can only be paired with one device at a time.

What Kind Of Roku Remote Do I Have?

Roku makes two types of remote controls: a Roku Simple Remote and a Roku Voice Remote. If you’re having trouble pairing your remote with your Roku, how to fix the problem depends on what kind of remote you have. So your first step should be figuring that out. Here’s how:

A Roku remote that has a voice button with either a microphone icon or a magnifying glass icon, is a Roku voice remote.
A Roku remote that doesn’t have a voice button is a Roku Simple Remote.

A Roku Voice Remote has a pairing button which connects it to your device and TV. It works via WiFi, so you need a good internet connection in order to use it.

A Roku simple remote controls your device via Infrared Light and does not have a pairing button. You do not have to pair or program a simple remote but you do need a clear line of sight between the remote and Roku to use it.

Roku Infrared (IR) Simple Remote

Roku uses two types of remotes, the “Simple Remote” and the “Voice Remote”. The Roku “Voice Remote” must be paired in order to use it on your TV but the “Simple Remote” does not.

The Roku “Simple Remote” uses infrared (IR), so you just have to point it at the TV and it should work. There’s no pairing or programming of any kind required.

A Roku simple remote uses invisible infrared (IR) light to control the Roku. For your simple remote to work properly, it must be pointed directly at your Roku streaming device with an uninterrupted line of site. If anything gets in the way of the signal, the remote won’t work.

Roku Voice Remote

The Roku Voice Remote communicates with your Roku device by using a wireless connection. Because of this, you don’t have to point the remote directly at your Roku device to control it. This is much better because it lets you install the device behind the TV where it’s out of site. However, it’s also harder to connect because it must be paired with the Roku before you can use it.

When setting up a voice remote, the Roku uses a process called “Pairing” to detect the remote. During pairing, a connection is made between the remote and the device.

If the voice remote came in the box with the Roku, pairing is done during the initial setup and activation process.
However, if you upgraded to a voice remote after your Roku device was already set up, it’s harder to do.

Before you can use a Roku voice remote to control a Roku device, it must be successfully paired. In the next section I’ll explain how.

How To Pair Your Remote And Roku

Pairing a Roku Voice remote with your Roku device is very important. Without a successful pairing, your remote can’t communicate or control the Roku.

Here’s how to do it:

Unplug the Roku.
Wait at least 30 seconds.
Plug the Roku back in.
Wait for your device to power on and the Home screen to appear on your TV.
Put the remote into pairing mode within 30 seconds of seeing the Home screen.

How to put the voice remote into pairing mode:

Remove the batteries from your remote.
Wait 5 seconds before reinstalling the batteries.
If the remote has a pairing button, press and hold the pairing button for 5 seconds, or until you see the status light flash.
If your remote doesn’t have a pairing button, press and hold both the “Home” button and “Back” button for 5 seconds, or until you see the status light flash.
If the status light doesn’t flash, try replacing the batteries and repeating the process.
Wait 30 seconds while the remote establishes a connection with your Roku device.

Once the Roku and remote are connected, a pairing dialog will appear on your TV.

Why Doesn’t My Roku Remote Have A Pairing Button

Most Roku remotes will have a pairing button on the underside or hidden in the battery compartment. Check your remote carefully before assuming it doesn’t have a pairing button. If your remote does not have a physical pairing button, the you have a Roku “Simple Remote”, which uses Infrared Light (IR) to communicate with your Roku device.

Infrared Roku Simple Remotes don’t need to be paired because they use Infrared Light instead. To use it, point the remote directly at your Roku device. Maintain a direct, uninterrupted line of sight between the remote and Roku player. As long as the remote and device are within range of each other, usually about 50 feet, and the batteries are charged, the control should work properly.

How Do I Get A Roku To Recognize A Remote?

It’s not uncommon for a Roku device to have a hard time recognizing a remote. I’ve been using Roku for almost 10 years and have had this problem multiple times. Whenever it happens, the first thing I do is to perform a power cycle on both the device and the remote.

Unplug the device and remove the batteries from the remote > press any button on the remote for a few seconds to drain residual energy > wait 60 seconds before plugging the Roku device back in and reinstalling the remote batteries.

Powering down the device and remote causes them to reset, which sometimes helps with connectivity issues.

Once the device and remote are powered again, try to pair them.

How To Reset A Roku Remote?

Resetting a Roku remote can help with connectivity issues. To do it, you simply have to remove the batteries and unplug your Roku device > press and hold a button on the remote for a few seconds > wait a minute > plug the device back in and reinstall the batteries. The entire process only takes about a minute, but it clears up a lot of common issues causes by minor bugs and software glitches.

Remove the batteries from your Roku remote.
Unplug the Roku device.
Wait 60 seconds.
Plug the device back in first.
Insert batteries into the remote.
Press and hold the reset button on the remote for 5 seconds. The reset button is located in the battery compartment.

If resetting the remote is done correctly, you should see the pairing light on the remote flash along with a notification on the Roku screen. Once this happens, try to pair the remote and Roku.

What Is A Roku?

Roku is a video player that streams content over the Internet to your TV, in real time. Streaming video works with computers, laptops smartphones, tablets and Smart TVs. But many TVs don’t have WiFi connectivity or Smart features built in, and can’t live stream video over the internet. This is where Roku can help. Roku is a dedicated media streaming device that connects to your TV. It allows you to stream media to your TV by connecting to WiFi. You’ll be able to watch content from sites like Youtube, HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount+, or Netflix, on your Television just like you can on a computer.

Roku devices range in price from around $17 to over $100 based on the level of features you want. The Roku Ultra is their best and costs around $40. With it, you can stream in 4K HD resolution. However, you also need a 4K TV and fast WiFi to to stream video of this high a quality.

There is no monthly fee to use Roku. All you have to do is buy the hardware and pay for your internet, but Roku does not charge a monthly or annual subscription fee.

Summary: How To Sync Roku Remote Without A Pairing Button

The easiest way to pair a Roku remote with your TV is with the pairing button. Roku devices are easy to pair because they have a pairing button on the backside of the remote. Simply press the button for a few seconds and your Roku player or TV should connect automatically. If your Roku remote doesn’t have a pairing button, or it’s not working, you can use your smartphone and the Roku app instead.

Start by installing the Roku app for iPhone or Android on your smartphone, and make sure they’re on the same WiFi network.

Then do the following:

Open the Roku app on your smartphone and click “Remote” on the bottom left side of the screen.
Select “Settings” > “Remotes & devices”.
Tap “Set up a new device”.
Press the checkbox beside “Remote”> choose “Continue”.