Why is My Samsung Tv Not Responding To Remote?

Samsung Remote Pointing at TVSamsung Remote Pointing at TV

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When you purchase a Samsung TV, among other accessories and manuals, you’re likely to find a remote control with which you can operate the TV. Samsung remote and accessories are generally reliable, but they may experience some issues at some point. One common problem is finding out that your remote control no longer works or your TV is not responding when you press the buttons.

There are several reasons why this can happen. Still, the first thing you need to do when you notice that your Samsung TV is no longer responding to the remote is to replace the remote batteries, as the issue could be that the batteries are weak or of low quality. If your TV still fails to respond to the remote, it could be a more specific issue.

The best way to fix your Samsung remote is by first identifying the cause of the problem. In some cases, you may notice that some buttons are not responding when you press or that the TV is not picking the signals from your remote. In this article, you’ll find out some of the possible reasons your Samsung TV is not responding to the remote and the steps you can take to diagnose and fix the problem.

Here’s our video with some of the first troubleshooting steps your should take when your Samsung TV isn’t responding to the remote:

Reasons Why Your TV is Not Responding to Remote

cable box
Digital decoder for new television transmission with remote control and television monitor.

If your Samsung TV is not responding to the remote, it could be caused by a standard general issue or a more specific one. The easiest fix to try to ascertain the problem is replacing the batteries with high-quality ones. 

However, in many cases, the batteries may not be the problem. Instead, some of the possible causes could be bad TV or remote sensors, defective remote, the inability of the small to pair with the TV, the inability of the remote to change channels or changes channels on its own, amongst others.

Each of these causes has peculiar troubleshooting fixes. Read on to identify which of these problems your remote has and find out how to fix it.

Samsung TV Remote Not Pairing or Not Staying Connected with TV

Your Samsung TV comes with a remote with which you control the TV, and this remote needs to be paired or connected with the TV to recognize it and subsequently control it. If your remote fails to pair or connect to the TV, ensure you connect it the right way.

To check if you’re doing the right thing;

  1. Point your remote directly at the remote control sensor on your Samsung TV
  2. Long press the Return and Play/Pause button on your remote for about three seconds
  3. When this is done, the remote should be able to pair with your TV

Update the TV

Sometimes, after the pairing has been successful, you may notice that the remote does not stay connected to the TV continually, the issue may be from your Samsung TV, and it may need to be updated with the latest firmware.

To update the TV:

  1. Go to the Settings menu on your TV.
  2. Click on Support and proceed to the Software Update option.
  3. Click on Update Now.
  4. The updates will automatically download, and you can now pair the remote to your TV.

Now, let’s look at the next idea.

Remote Not Working But Showing Red Light

Sometimes the remote may not be working, but the red light blinks whenever you press the buttons. This can be due to obstruction or the remote not being paired yet. 

If the red light blinks when you press the remote, it means that the remote is transmitting, but something is blocking the transmission from hitting the sensor on your Samsung TV. Check to see that there are no devices or other objects in front of the TV blocking the signals.

The other reason this is happening is that the remote is not paired yet. The Samsung remote has to be paired with the TV to control it subsequently. Follow the steps earlier mentioned to pair your remote with your Samsung TV.

Samsung Remote is Not Changing Channels or Keeps Changing Channels

The main purpose of a remote is to provide convenience when watching TV. It makes it easy for you to change channels as you like right from your couch without having to stand up and press the buttons on the TV anytime you need to change channels or adjust the volume.

So in the case where your remote is unable to change channels or keeps changing channels even without you pressing it, it means your Samsung TV has an issue and should be reset.

To do this:

  1. Please turn off the TV and unplug it from the power source for a few minutes.
  2. Plug the TV back in and turn it on.
  3. This should rectify the issue, and you can change channels.

If your TV remote still changes channels on its own after this, ensure that none of the buttons on the remote is pressed down. You can go through each button and press them to ensure they come back up when you press. 

Samsung Tv Remote Sensor Not Working

The TV remote sensor is responsible for picking up signals from the remote when you press it, and as such, the TV will not respond if the sensor is faulty or obstructed. If you experience this difficulty, it could be that other electronic devices around your TV are picking the signals. Check for the devices and put them away from the TV to rectify the issue.

If this does not work, unplug the TV and long-press the power button on the TV for about 30 seconds. After this, try reconnecting again to see if it works.

Samsung Remote Pointer Not Working

If you suspect that the issue may be from your remote pointer, replace the batteries with high-quality ones because they may be weak hence not strong enough to emit signals. You can also try moving closer to the TV when pressing the remote.

If the problem persists, you may have to reset the remote to resolve the issue:

  1. Remove the batteries from the remote.
  2. Press down the power button of the remote for a few seconds.
  3. Insert the batteries after this and try connecting again.

Now you know everything about fixing your TV when it isn’t responding to your remote.

Conclusion

Most of the reasons your Samsung TV is not responding to the remote can be fixed by a simple change of batteries or just moving closer to the TV. However, you may need to reset the TV or your remote to solve the issue in other cases. 

When you run into some of these troubles, try the fixes above to solve them, depending on the issues. If your remote still does not work after all these troubleshooting steps, you may need to contact the Samsung support desk for assistance.

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