Foxtel Remote Not Working: Reasons and DIY Fixes

At times, the Foxtel Now box remote may not work and becomes unresponsive due to several reasons, like insufficient battery power, signal interference, physical damage, etc. Foxtel users don’t need to worry as it can be easily rectified by performing basic troubleshooting steps. If you plan to buy a replacement remote, perform the methods mentioned below to fix the Foxtel remote not working issue and save your money to get a Foxtel subscription.

In this article, you will learn the steps to troubleshoot the Foxtel Now box remote not working issue and make it work again without any issues.

Why is My Foxtel Remote Not Working

If the Foxtel remote is not pairing or connecting to the box, it is because of the following reasons.

SCENARIO	REASONS
1	If the Foxtel remote stops working and shows a red light, it means that it has insufficient charge
2	If the remote is defective due to physical damage or wear and tear.
3	Because of technical glitches in the Foxtel Now box, the remote may get unpaired
4	Due to the accumulation of dirt, the Foxtel remote buttons may be jammed
5	If the batteries are not inserted based on their positive and negative polarities
6	Because of an unstable internet connection, the voice commands may not work
7	When the remote is not properly paired with your Foxtel box.

How to Fix Foxtel Remote Not Working Issue

The following are the troubleshooting methods you should try when the Foxtel remote is not responding.

Wake the Remote

In some cases, the remote won’t work unless you wake it. Also, check if the remote has power by pressing any button. If a red light starts to blink, it indicates that it has sufficient power. Follow these steps to wake the remote control.

• Press the Power button on the Foxtel remote.
• Then press the Vol+ and Vol- buttons consequently for 5 times.
• Now, you will see the volume bar on the TV screen.
• Following that, the LED light on the underside of the iQ box begins to flash orange.

If that happens, the remote issues have been solved.

Check the Battery Level

If the remote buttons are unresponsive to your actions, it is because of low battery. Hence, check the remote’s battery level by following the below instructions.

• Click the Settings icon in the top right corner of the screen.
• Tap System Settings and click Go to System Settings.
• Choose Foxtel remote. You can see the percentage of battery level left under the Battery section.
  • Full (80-100%)
  • Good (30-80%)
  • Low (10-30%)
  • Low, requires battery replacement (0-10%)
  • Unknown (0%)

If the battery level is below 10%, you can buy 2 new Duracell AA batteries. Then replace the old batteries with newer ones.

Note: You can also fix CHiQ TV remote not working by ejecting the old batteries and replacing them with newer ones.

Clean the Foxtel Remote Buttons

It is one of the simplest ways to fix the Foxtel remote buttons not working issue. Sometimes, the Foxtel remote buttons get stuck due to the accumulation of dirt or debris in the gap. In this case, the remote will not work if you press the buttons. To get rid of this problem, you need to wipe out the dirt or debris using a cotton cloth immersed in 99% isopropyl alcohol. After cleaning the buttons, check whether the buttons are functioning properly by pressing them one by one.

Check the Internet Connection

If voice search is not working on the Foxtel remote, check if the iQ streaming box is connected to a strong internet connection.

• Hit the Home button on the Foxtel remote.
• Go to Settings, highlight Internet Connection, and press the OK button.
• Further, scroll to Network Test and press the OK button.
• Once iQ establishes an internet connection, you can see, “All good your iQ is connected to Foxtel.”

Test if voice search is working upon pairing the remote with your iQ box.

Drain Residual Power

Sometimes, the Foxtel remote may stop working due to residual power in the remote. Follow the below instructions to deplete the unwanted power on the Voice or Bluetooth remote.

• Pop out the batteries from the remote.
• Press all the remote keys one by one at least 4-5 times.
• This will eliminate the residual power that was left in the remote.
• Finally, insert the batteries based on their positive and negative terminals.

Test the remote control to see whether it works without any issues.

Unpair and Re-pair the Remote

If a few buttons on the Foxtel Voice remote are not working, you can unpair and repair the remote to fix the issue. Before you begin the process, you must check whether the Foxtel box is turned On. The streaming box’s front frame will display a blue light if the status is active.

In addition, check if the batteries are inserted in the remote. Before pairing, ensure a direct line of sight between the remote and the box. Also, ensure that no objects obstruct the remote’s signals.

Unpair the Foxtel Remote

Follow the steps to unpair a Foxtel remote.

• Aim the remote at the Foxtel streaming box.
• Press the Home and Select buttons and hold them together for 4 seconds.
• Release both buttons if the red light flashes on the top left corner of the remote.
• You have successfully unpaired the Foxtel remote.

Steps to repair the Voice remote

• Aim the remote at the Foxtel box.
• Press the Foxtel and Select buttons simultaneously and keep hold of them at a time.
• Release these buttons if a blue light begins to flash a couple of times.
• A notification will appear on the screen if the Voice remote is paired.
• Press the random remote keys to test the remote functions.

Steps to repair the Bluetooth remote

• Aim the Foxtel remote at the iQ streaming box.
• Press the Foxtel and Select buttons and hold them together for 4 seconds.
• Release both buttons if the blue light starts flashing two times.
• Keep the remote closer to the front side of the iQ streaming box.
• Press the Bluetooth button, and the corresponding button will begin to flash.
• Press the Select button and keep hold of it when the blue light stops blinking and remains idle.

Now, you can test the remote control by pressing the buttons randomly.

Note: If you don’t see a flashing blue light on the Foxtel remote, eject the batteries and keep them aside. After 20 seconds, reinsert the batteries and try pairing the remote again.

Reset the Foxtel Remote

If the Foxtel remote is not responding at all, you can reset the Foxtel remote to factory settings by the following steps.

• Press the OK and Vol+ buttons on the remote and hold them for up to 4 seconds.
• If the red light flashes thrice and turns off automatically, it indicates that the remote is reset.

Now, you can start using the Foxtel remote via IR mode.

Reset the Foxtel Now Box

If the problem is with the Foxtel Now box, it is recommended to factory reset the iQ streaming box to fix the issue.

• Locate the Reset button on the underside of the iQ streaming box.
• Use a paperclip or toothpick to press the Reset button and hold it for 4 seconds.

FYI: Keep hold of the Reset button until it shows the Factory data reset message on the screen.

• Further, select Factory data reset and press the OK button.
• Then click on Erase everything and press the OK button.

Your device will restart automatically to finish the reset. Relogin with your Foxtel Now account. If you use an iQ5 or iQ4 Foxtel box, open any built-in apps like Netflix, YouTube, or Optus Sport and check if the remote works.

Contact Foxtel Support

Still, if you have issues using the Foxtel remote, no need to worry. You can get further assistance by visiting the Foxtel support webpage. For convenience, you can click on Live Chat and start chatting to get a quick response. Otherwise, you can directly reach out to the toll-free number 1300 657 346 between 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all weekdays.

Use Universal Remote to Control Foxtel Box

If none of the above troubleshooting helps in resolving the Foxtel remote not working issue, you can purchase a new Foxtel remote control or a replacement remote. Apart from this, you can even use a universal remote to control the TV.

FAQ