How to Fix the Vizio Remote not Working?

A Vizio remote may stop working due to power drained device batteries, blocked TV sensors, power residue of remote and TV, dirty power source, stuck memory of the remote and even issues with the TV itself.

Vizio remote is more critical for the usage of the TV as compared to other remotes as it provides ‘Smart TV’ controls which allows you to use and navigate to various applications.

What Causes Vizio Remote not Working?

After careful analysis of the user reports, our team of experts was able to find the following causes of “Vizio Remote not Working”.

Before moving on with the solutions, we should make sure if the remote is emitting IR (if you are using IR remote). It can be achieved with a simple camera test. You can use a digital camera or a camera on a mobile phone.

1. Turn on the camera and then view the remote-control unit through the screen of the camera.
2. Point the end (the end which is normally pointed to the TV) of the remote control towards the camera.

   

3. Press and hold any button on the remote and at your camera’s screen, you should see a light flashing from the IR LED at the end of the remote.

   

4. Check every button on the remoted especially the Power button and the Volume buttons to see if they work.

If all the buttons don’t work then the remote may be faulty (trying the last solution might solve the problem or otherwise take it to repair shop or buy a new one).

If only some buttons don’t work, their contacts may be dirty or worn out through use (take it to repair shop or buy a new one).

If all buttons are working then you should proceed with the troubleshooting process.

How to Fix Vizio TV Remote?

Power Cycle the Remote

Remains of power or more technically, the power residues can cause Vizio remote to stop working. Power cycling the remote resets it and drains all the power residues which are left even if you are not using the remote. Power cycling is usually done to ensure that all the temporary configurations are reset completely. This may fix any error configurations in the remote. This can also loosen a button on the remote you may not have realized was wedged down.

1. Remove the batteries from the remote.

   

2. Press and hold the remote’s power button. It is normally located near the top of the remote control.

   

3. Release the power button after five seconds. And any power residuals will be drained out from the remote.

   

4. Press each button on the remote at least once. Doing so will help loosen any stuck buttons. Make sure to pluck out any of the remote’s buttons that are locked into a constantly pushed position, and in this case, the remote control will not respond to any other input from the user.

   

5. Now put the remote batteries back in your remote.

   

Now check if your remote has started to function properly.

Power Cycle the TV

A Vizio TV may become unresponsive to all inputs like changing the channel with the remote control if it itself is in an error state or some of its parameters are not working. Power cycling the TV may solve the problem. We followed the same methodology in the previous article.

1. Unplug the TV from the power outlet.
2. Press and Hold down the power button of the TV (usually located on the side of) for 30 seconds, which will drain the residual power of the TV and may clear up the odd issues.
3. Wait for one minute.
4. Now plug the TV back into the power source and power it on.

Check the remote control again to see if it is working fine.

Reset Remote to Clear the Memory (Universal Remotes)

Vizio Universal Remotes have a more common error of memory stuck to a specific point or device. In that case, resetting these remotes may solve the problem. This method won’t work on non-universal remotes. After clearing your remote’s memory, you will need to reconnect it to your different devices like a DVD player as connections of these devices will be reset.

1. Press and hold the SET or SETUP button. Normally located near the top-left corner of the remote control.

   

2. Release SET when the LED light blinks twice. Normally the LED light on your Vizio universal remote is located near the top of the remote control.

   

3. Type in reset code of your remote, most Vizio universal remotes have a reset code of 981 or 977. You can also consult your remote’s manual to find the reset code.

   

4. Wait for the LED to flash twice. Once it has flashed twice, the Vizio universal remote has successfully wiped its memory. Any firmware issues should be resolved after doing this. Now repair it with your TV.

   

5. Now pair the remote with the TV. Now, the confusing thing about Vizio remotes is that they have TWO places where you can switch the remote to the appliance you want to control. One of the buttons is on top of the remote, while the other is on the BOTTOM of the remote control. Switch it back to TV using the BOTTOM.

Now check if your remote has started to function properly.

Remove Blockage to TV Sensor

Your Vizio smart TV remote may not be working because the IR sensor on the TV is blocked and cannot get the IR signal. The IR sensor of the TV is normally located either on the bottom left or bottom right of the TV. Even transparent objects can block the infrared signal from your remote like the protective plastic wrap that is shipped with new TVs.

1. Locate the IR sensor of the TV.

   

2. Move anything that is in front of the TV.
3. Also, look for any visible smudge on the sensor. It will be a good idea to clear the front of the sensor with Alcohol.
4. Now point the remote at the IR sensor of the TV and press the “Power” button. Make sure to be in the range of 10 feet from the TV as IR signals only work up to a limited distance.

If the TV powers on or off then you something was blocking the IR signal.

Change the Power Source

Abnormality of the power quality being delivered to a device is called “Dirty Power”.  These abnormalities are like voltage variations, low power factor, frequency variations, and power surges. If your TV is plugged-in to a dirty power source, then you can suffer from Vizio Remote not Working.

1. Unplug the Vizio TV from the power source.
2. Move & Plug the Vizio TV to another power source where power is known to be normal.

Now check if the remote is functioning properly.

Restrict Electronics Interference

Our life is full of electronic gadgets nowadays. These electronic devices emit different types of radiations and if these radiations are interfering with the IR signal of the remote then this phenomenon can cause the remote to stop working.

1. Identify any other electronic devices or even lights that are turned on, (CFL) in the direct “field of view” of the remote sensor’s “window”.
2. Switch those devices off or move them to a different location.
3. Place a strip of blue painter’s tape or plain brown masking tape over the IR sensor on the front of the receiver. The painter’s tape can filter the stray IR from other devices and allows the remote signal to get through.

Now check if the remote is functioning properly.

Use of Remote Apps on Mobile

Many mobile apps can turn your mobile device into a remote. Using one of them can solve the problem. For details have a look at Universal Remote Apps.

Check the Batteries

Batteries power the remote to perform its functions. If the battery power has been drained or the contact points of the remote have rusted or Carbon (the white substance) formed over it, you can suffer from the Vizio remote not working. Most Vizio remotes usually use two AA batters or two AAA batteries

1. Pop-out the batteries. Batteries are usually placed in the slot that’s either at the bottom of the front side of the remote or in the back of the remote.

   

2. Now check the connection point/terminal of the batteries if they are rusted out or Carbon (the white substance) is formed over there if so, clear the points with Alcohol.
3. Put-in the new pair of batteries in the remote. Make sure the batteries are correctly installed with the positive and negative ends in the right direction.

Now check if your remote has started to function properly.

If your remote is still not working, then try to use another Vizio remote with the TV and if the other remote is working fine then replace your remote. Most VIZIO remotes work with most VIZIO TV’s. And if that other remote is not working with the TV, then, it would be a good idea to have your TV checked from a repair shop.

And if that other remote is functioning normally, then replace your Vizio Remote as your Vizio remote may have internal or external damage that is causing it not to function correctly. You can replace the remote with either another Vizio remote or a universal remote.