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How to Connect a Roku Remote to a TV
Your new Roku remote should pair automatically during setup, but that doesn’t always happen. Maybe you replaced a lost remote, swapped batteries and something glitched, or bought a second Roku for another room. Whatever the reason, connecting a Roku remote manually takes about a minute once you know the steps.
This guide covers both types of Roku remotes, both pairing methods (Roku player vs. Roku TV), and the TV power/volume setup that most people skip during initial installation.
Two Types of Roku Remotes Know Which One You Have
Before you start, figure out which remote you’re working with. Roku makes two kinds, and they connect differently.
The standard IR (infrared) remote is the simpler one. It sends a beam of light to the Roku device, so you need to point it directly at the player with nothing blocking the path. There’s no pairing process it just works as long as it has line-of-sight. If your IR remote isn’t responding, the problem is usually dead batteries or something physically blocking the signal.
The voice remote (also called the enhanced remote) connects wirelessly over a radio signal. It doesn’t need line-of-sight, and it has a microphone button for voice search. This is the one that needs to be paired, and it’s what the rest of this guide focuses on.
The quickest way to tell them apart: look for a microphone button near the top of the remote. If it has one, it’s a voice remote. No mic button means it’s an IR remote.
Image The Roku Voice Remote the microphone/voice button near the top is the giveaway that this is the wireless version
How to Pair a Roku Voice Remote During First-Time Setup
If you’re setting up a brand-new Roku device, the pairing happens as part of the on-screen setup wizard. When you get to the “Check remote settings” screen, here’s what to do:
Select “Check remote settings” on screen. The Roku will play a short music clip through your TV speakers. If you hear the music, click “Yes.” If you don’t hear anything, grab your TV’s original remote and turn the volume up, then try again.
Next, Roku tries to figure out your TV brand so the remote can control power and volume. It will cycle through codes and attempt to mute the music. When the music stops, select “Yes” to confirm it found the right code. If it doesn’t stop, select “No” and you’ll be asked to enter your TV brand manually.
Once the music stops and you confirm, press OK to finish. Your Roku voice remote can now control both the Roku interface and your TV’s power and volume.
One thing to know: some older TVs only support volume control through the Roku remote, not power on/off. That’s a limitation of the TV, not the Roku.
How to Pair a Roku Voice Remote After Setup
This is the method you’ll use most often when replacing a remote, re-pairing after a glitch, or connecting a remote to a different Roku device. The process is slightly different depending on whether you have a Roku streaming player (like the Roku Express or Streaming Stick) or a Roku TV.
Pairing with a Roku Player or Soundbar
Step 1: Unplug the player. Pull the power cable from your Roku device, wait 5 seconds, then plug it back in. This resets the wireless connection and puts the player in a state where it’s ready to accept a new remote.
Step 2: Wait for the home screen. Don’t rush this part. Let the Roku fully boot up until you see the purple home screen on your TV. If you try to pair before it’s ready, it won’t work.
Step 3: Insert batteries into the remote. Flip the remote over, slide the back cover off, and put in the batteries. Place the negative (flat) end in first the orientation is marked inside the compartment.
Show Image The pairing button and LED status light are at the bottom of the battery compartment
Step 4: Press and hold the pairing button. With the back cover still off, find the small pairing button at the bottom of the battery compartment (near the LED light). Press and hold it for 5 seconds. You’ll see the LED start flashing that means the remote is broadcasting its pairing signal.
Step 5: Wait 30 seconds. Point the remote in the general direction of your Roku player and wait. Within about 30 seconds, a pairing confirmation should pop up on your TV screen. Once it does, you’re connected.
If the pairing dialog doesn’t appear, start over from Step 1. Sometimes it takes two tries, especially if the player didn’t fully reboot the first time.
Pairing with a Roku TV
The process is simpler with a Roku TV since there’s no separate player to power-cycle.
Step 1: Turn the TV on. Make sure it’s showing the Roku home screen (not an HDMI input or antenna).
Step 2: Insert batteries and press the pairing button. Same as above put batteries in, then press and hold the pairing button for 5 seconds until the LED flashes.
Step 3: Point at the TV and wait. Aim the remote at your Roku TV and give it about 30 seconds. The pairing dialog will appear on screen when it connects.
If it doesn’t pair, repeat from Step 1.
Setting Up TV Power and Volume Control
This is the step most people forget or skip. After pairing, your Roku voice remote can also turn your TV on/off and control the volume but only if you set it up.
Show Image Follow this menu path to enable TV power and volume control on your Roku remote
Press the Home button on your Roku remote. Scroll down to Settings, then select Remotes & devices. Choose Remote, then select Set up remote for TV control. Follow the on-screen instructions Roku will play audio clips and ask you to confirm when the sound stops, just like during initial setup.
Once this is configured, the volume buttons on your Roku remote will control your TV’s speakers directly, and the power button will turn the TV on and off. No more juggling two remotes.
Voice Search The Feature Most People Don’t Use
Since you have a voice remote, you might as well use the microphone button. Press and hold the mic button on the remote and speak your command. You can say things like “launch Netflix,” “find action movies,” or “turn on closed captions.” It works across all your installed streaming apps, so you don’t have to search each one separately.
Speak at a normal pace and volume you don’t need to shout at it. Release the button when you’re done talking.
Troubleshooting: Remote Still Won’t Connect
If you’ve tried the pairing steps twice and it’s still not working, run through these checks:
Make sure the batteries are fresh. Weak batteries are the most common cause of pairing failures, and it’s the easiest thing to rule out. Try a brand-new pair.
Check that you’re pairing the right type of remote. An IR remote can’t be paired wirelessly it just needs line-of-sight. If your remote doesn’t have a pairing button in the battery compartment, it’s an IR remote.
Move closer to the Roku device. During pairing, keep the remote within a few feet of the player or TV. You can move further away once it’s connected.
Try a different USB port or power source for your Roku player. Some USB ports on TVs don’t provide enough power for the player to maintain a wireless connection.
As a last resort, you can use the free Roku mobile app (available on iPhone and Android) to control your Roku device while you troubleshoot the physical remote. The app connects over your Wi-Fi network and works as a full replacement remote.
This guide covers all current Roku voice remotes including the Roku Voice Remote, Voice Remote Pro, and the remotes bundled with Roku Express, Streaming Stick, and Roku Ultra. The steps also apply to Roku Smart Soundbar remotes.
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