How To Get Volume To Work On Firestick Remote

If your Firestick remote volume buttons aren't working, stop scrolling and do this right now. You need to re-program the remote to recognize your specific TV brand. Here is the step-by-step to get it done immediately.

1. Go to the Settings menu on your Fire TV (the gear icon on the far right).

2. Select Equipment Control.

3. Select Manage Equipment.

4. Select TV.

5. Select Change TV.

Once you click "Change TV," the Firestick is gonna run a setup wizard. It will ask you "What brand of TV do you have?" and then it'll play some music. It will tell you to press the mute or volume buttons to see if the music stops. If it works, great! If not, select "No" and it will try a different infrared code. Keep doing this until the volume works.

That is the solution for about 90% of people. If that didn't fix it, don't worry, I've got a bunch of other fixes below that cover the weird edge cases.

Why Is This Even Happening?

It's super frustrating when you settle in to watch a movie and have to juggle two remotes just to turn the sound up. The reason this happens is actually pretty simple. The Firestick remote uses two different technologies to work.

When you are clicking around the menus (selecting Netflix, pausing a show), the remote is using Bluetooth. It talks directly to the Firestick dongle plugged into the back of your TV.

However, the Volume and Power buttons are different. On most older setups and even many new ones, those specific buttons use an Infrared (IR) blaster-that little clear light at the top of the remote. It's trying to talk directly to your TV, not the Firestick. If the remote doesn't know the "language" (IR Profile) of your specific TV brand, the navigation will work fine, but the volume won't do anything.

So, we just have to teach it how to talk to your TV again.

Detailed Fix 1: The Equipment Control Deep Dive

I mentioned the quick steps above, but lets get into the details incase you get stuck. The "Equipment Control" menu is basically the brain of the operation. According to Amazon support pages, this feature allows the Fire TV Stick to control your home theater equipment.

Sometimes, this setting gets corrupted. Maybe your Firestick updated overnight, or maybe you moved the stick to a different TV in the bedroom. Here is exactly how to handle it if the automatic setup fails.

Manually Entering IR Profile

Sometimes the "Auto" setup just fails. It happens. If the wizard cycles through all the codes and none of them work, look for an option that says "Manage Equipment" and look for "Infrared Options".

You can sometimes manually select an IR Profile. This is techy stuff, but if you look up your TV model number online followed by "IR Profile," you might find a specific code to enter. Usually, though, just cycling through the automatic options (Code 1, Code 2, Code 3) eventually hits the jackpot.

Detailed Fix 2: The HDMI-CEC Magic Setting

If the IR method isn't working, or if your remote doesn't have a direct line of sight to the TV sensor, you need to rely on HDMI-CEC.

What is HDMI-CEC?

It stands for Consumer Electronics Control. Basically it allows devices connected via HDMI to talk to each other. It means your Firestick can tell your TV "Hey, turn up the volume" through the HDMI cable, rather than blasting an invisible light beam from the remote.

Step 1: Enable it on Firestick

• Go to Settings > Display & Sounds.
• Scroll down to HDMI-CEC Device Control.
• Make sure it is turned ON.

Step 2: Enable it on your TV (The Tricky Part)

This is where it gets annoying because every TV manufacturer calls this something different just to be confusing. You need to grab your original TV remote, go into the TV's system settings, and find the CEC option. Here is a cheat sheet for what it might be called:

• Samsung: Anynet+
• LG: SimpLink
• Sony: BRAVIA Sync
• Panasonic: Viera Link
• Philips: EasyLink
• Roku TV: 1-Touch Play
• Vizio: CEC (At least they're honest)

Once you turn this on for both devices, restart everything. The volume should ideally start working because the command is being sent digitally.

Detailed Fix 3: The Battery Trap

Okay I know this sounds condescending, but hear me out. I've had this happen to me personally.

As I mentioned earlier, the remote uses Bluetooth for navigation and IR for volume. Bluetooth is surprisingly low energy. Infrared blasts take a bit more juice. It is surprisingly common for the batteries to be just dead enough that they can't fire the IR blaster signal strong enough to reach the TV, but they still have enough energy to keep the Bluetooth connection alive.

So, you assume the batteries are fine because you can still scroll through Hulu.

Do yourself a favor and swap in a fresh pair of AAAs. Even if it doesn't fix it, it rules out the hardware variable. Also, make sure the battery contacts (the little metal springs) aren't corroded. If they look crusty, wipe them with a little rubbing alcohol.

Detailed Fix 4: Unpair and Re-pair the Remote

Sometimes the software just glitches out. Its the classic "turn it off and on again" but for the remote connection itself. You want to force the Firestick to forget the remote exists, and then re-introduce them.

Here is how you do a reset on most Fire TV remotes (check your specific model if this looks wrong, but this works for most Alexa Voice Remotes):

1. Unplug your Fire TV Stick from the power outlet and wait 60 seconds.

2. Place the remote within 10 feet of the TV.

3. Plug the Fire TV Stick back in and wait for the home screen to load completely.

4. Press and hold the Home button on the remote for 10 seconds.

5. You should see a notification on the screen saying the remote has been paired.

Once it re-pairs, try the volume. If it still doesn't work, go back to Fix 1 and run the "Change TV" wizard again. Often, a fresh pairing makes the wizard work properly when it failed before.

Detailed Fix 5: Are You Using a Soundbar or Receiver?

This is a huge one that people miss. If you have a soundbar (like a Sonos, Bose, or Vizio) or a fancy receiver setup, your TV speakers might be turned off.

If you program the Firestick remote to control the TV, but the sound is coming from a Soundbar, changing the TV volume won't do anything because the TV volume is likely fixed or disabled.

You need to tell the Firestick to talk to the soundbar, not the TV.

1. Go to Settings > Equipment Control > Manage Equipment.

2. Instead of selecting TV, select Add Equipment.

3. Select Soundbar (or Receiver).

4. Select the brand of your soundbar.

5. Follow the testing wizard (the music test).

Now, when you press volume up/down, the Firestick remote will send the IR code for the soundbar, while the power button will still send the code for the TV. It's actually pretty smart once you get it set up right.

Detailed Fix 6: The "Remote Not Supported" Scenario

It is worth noting that not all Firestick remotes have volume buttons. The older, first-generation sticks came with a very basic remote that didn't have volume or power rockers.

If you bought a replacement remote online, you need to make sure it's an official Alexa Voice Remote (Gen 2 or Gen 3) or a high-quality third-party one that explicitly supports IR learning. There are some cheap knock-offs on Amazon that look like they have volume buttons, but they don't actually have the IR programming capability inside.

If you suspect your remote is broken or a cheap dud, you can use the Fire TV App on your phone as a temporary backup. While the app usually controls navigation via WiFi, it can adjust volume if your HDMI-CEC settings (Fix 2) are set up correctly.

Detailed Fix 7: Factory Reset (The Nuclear Option)

If you have tried literally everything above-new batteries, HDMI-CEC, Equipment Control wizard, unpairing-and it still fails, there might be a deep software bug in the Firestick OS.

You can Factory Reset the Firestick. This will wipe all your apps and logins, so it is a pain in the neck, but it fixes almost all software gremlins.

1. Go to Settings > My Fire TV.

2. Scroll down to Reset to Factory Defaults.

3. Confirm and wait.

Once it reboots, you will have to set up your WiFi and Amazon account again. During this initial setup process, it will automatically run the Remote Setup Wizard. This fresh start is often what is needed to get the IR codes to stick.

Troubleshooting by TV Brand

Every TV is a little different, so here are some quick notes on the big brands based on forums and user feedback.

Samsung TVs
Samsung is usually pretty good, but sometimes the "Anynet+" (CEC) conflicts with the IR. If IR setup fails, try turning Anynet+ OFF on the TV, program the remote via Equipment Control, and then turn Anynet+ back ON.

Vizio TVs
Vizio codes can be tricky. If the first 5 codes don't work during the setup wizard, keep going. Vizio seems to have a lot of different IR profiles. Don't give up after the first "Did the music stop?" attempt.

Toshiba / Insignia (Fire TV Editions)
If you have a TV that has the Fire OS built-in, you usually don't need to do any of this. However, if the remote unpairs, hold the Home button for 10-20 seconds. These remotes are much more tightly integrated with the TV hardware.

Projectors
Most Firesticks struggle with projectors because projectors use weird IR frequencies. If you are using a projector, you are likely better off relying on HDMI-CEC or controlling the volume through an external sound system.

Final Thoughts

Technology is great until it isn't, right? Usually, this issue is just a case of the remote forgetting who it's talking to. The Equipment Control menu is your best friend here.

Don't be afraid to run that setup wizard three or four times. I've seen it fail twice and work perfectly on the third try just because I held the remote at a slightly different angle. Be patient, swap those batteries, and you'll be back to binge-watching without the remote-juggling act in no time.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Firestick remote turn the TV off but not change volume?

This is super common. It happens because the "Power" IR code is often universal or shared across many models of the same brand, while the "Volume" IR codes are more specific. Just because Power works doesn't mean the remote has the full, correct profile loaded. You still need to go to Equipment Control > Change TV to find the profile that matches both power and volume.

Can I use a universal remote with Firestick?

Yes, absolutely. Many modern universal remotes (like the Logitech Harmony or the SofaBaton) work great with Firestick. Also, thanks to HDMI-CEC, your standard TV remote can often control the Firestick menu navigation, meaning you can ditch the Amazon remote entirely if you want.

My remote was working fine yesterday, why did it stop?

Updates are the usual suspect. Amazon pushes updates to the Firestick in the background. Sometimes these updates reset the Equipment Control settings. Other times, it's just low batteries causing the IR signal to fail, or someone physically moved the TV blocking the sensor.

Do I need to buy a new remote?

Probably not. Unless you stepped on it or spilled soda on the buttons, the hardware is usually fine. 99% of volume issues are software or configuration problems. Try the fixes above before spending $30 on a replacement.

Does the Firestick Lite remote have volume controls?

No, the standard remote that comes with the "Fire TV Stick Lite" usually does NOT have TV power or volume buttons. It is strictly for navigating the Fire TV interface. If you want volume control, you have to buy the upgraded "Alexa Voice Remote" separately.