Fire TV Flashing a Yellow Light

No, your Fire TV isn’t dying. Ever since the yellow light of death (YLOD) impacted numerous gaming consoles in 2006, the yellow flashing light is often a source of consternation when it accompanies a problematic device. However, while the yellow light meant imminent death for these devices, it’s nowhere near as serious with your Fire TV.

If your Fire TV is flashing yellow light, there is generally a connection problem. The speed of the flashing light matters and could mean that your remote is in discovery mode, isn’t paired, or has poor Wi-Fi connection. The Fire TV Cube will have a pulsing yellow light, and Alexa will be unresponsive.

Technology is great until it’s not. When you sit down after a long day and just want to unwind and watch TV, the last thing you want to deal with is a connection problem. Fortunately, there are several options to get your Fire TV back on track. Below, we’ll cover a few troubleshooting steps you can take with your Fire TV. (Note: Always check your router and other devices in the house to ensure your internet is up and running first.)

Pairing Your Fire TV Remote

It’s always best to start with simple things and work your way up. It could be something as simple as very low batteries. Make sure your Fire Stick is inserted and working and that your TV is on. Press the Home button and hold it down.

You’ll always get the yellow flashing light if the remote is in discovery mode. It should blink slowly. A rapid blink will mean something else. If it blinks red at any point, you’ll need a fresh set of batteries before you continue.

You should be prompted––on your TV––to complete the pairing process. Give it up to 30 seconds to inform you if the pairing process is completed. If not, go through the steps again until your remote pairs with your Fire TV.

Fire TV or Firestick remote not working at all? Check out these troubleshooting steps.

Resetting Your Fire TV Remote

Unless you have the first generation Fire TV remote, all of the other -remotes reset the same way. If you need to perform a reset on the remote:

1. Start by unplugging your TV and waiting for 60 seconds.
2. Once 60 seconds have elapsed, you can start resetting your remote. Simultaneously press the Left, Menu, and Back buttons and hold them for approximately 15 seconds.
3. Once you release the buttons, wait a few seconds, and then remove your batteries.
4. Plug your TV back in and power it back up.
5. After another 60 seconds, go ahead and place the batteries back in your remote, then press the home button.

If you have a first-generation remote, you’ll have to do a series of button presses before unplugging your TV.

1. Press and hold the Home button. Without letting go, press the Menu button nine times, then remove the batteries from the remote.
2. Unplug your TV for 60 seconds. While you’re waiting, replace the batteries in your remote.
3. Plug the TV back in and power it on, then press and hold the Home button on your remote after the Home Screen appears.
4. You’ll hold the Home button for 40 seconds before releasing it. You’ll have to wait for an additional 60 seconds for the setup to complete.

Resetting Your Fire Cube

It’s always a good idea to simply restart your device before doing any kind of reset. A factory reset will erase all of your personalized settings, apps, and passwords, and you will have to set them up again.

To restart your Fire TV Cube:

1. Press and hold both the Mute button and the Volume Down button for forty-seconds.
2. Your Cube will flash blue once the restart is complete.

If the yellow light is still flashing, you should probably do a factory reset. You can do this through the TV menu, and it’s a simple process. Go to Settings, followed by My Fire TV, and then select Reset to Factory Defaults.

Reset Your Router

When you reset your router to troubleshoot a device, you will have to do it in the proper order.

1. Start by unplugging any ethernet connections you have, followed by unplugging your router.
2. Unplug any of your Fire TV devices afterward.
3. After two-minutes, plug your router back in, and once it has cycled back up, reattach any ethernet cables and turn your Fire TV back on.

This will normally take care of any connectivity issues between your Fire TV and internet.

Final Thoughts

Fire TV devices––or Fire TVs––are a great way to stream all of your favorite shows and movies, and they’ve been around for a while. Each release is an improvement upon the last. But, like everything else, Fire TV is just as susceptible to connection issues.

Inside the typical home, there are various signals from cell phones, televisions, tablets, and smart devices passing through all of the time. It’s easy for devices to have connection issues.

If you’re getting a flashing yellow light, the worst-case scenario is that you’ll have to factory reset it. In most circumstances, it’s simply a connection issue, and running through the steps above will fix the problem.