
Insignia TV Remote Not Working: Reasons & DIY Fixes
Sometimes you may experience issues with your Insignia TV remote. It may be due to dead batteries, liquid spillage, stuck buttons, signal blocks, etc. Though you can turn on your Insignia TV without a remote, it is essential to repair the remote to carry out all the remote functions. With our troubleshooting guide, you can learn to fix the Insignia TV remote not working issue.
Why is My Insignia TV Remote Not Working
Your Insignia TV Remote stops working suddenly, it may be due to any of the below reasons.
SCENARIO | REASONS |
---|---|
1 | If there is an issue with pairing the remote with Insignia TV. |
2 | If your remote is broken or it has any physical damage. |
3 | If the remote batteries are weak or running out of charge. |
4 | Because of a lot of dust accumulated on the remote buttons. |
5 | Obstructions between the TV and the remote block the signal. |
6 | Where there is an issue with the IR emitter on your TV remote. |
7 | If the remote is exposed to high heat, damaging the hardware inside. |
Fixes For Insignia TV Remote Not Working
There can be several causes that could be the reason for the Insignia Fire TV remote not working issue. So, we should be aware of the reasons causing the issue to ensure it does not happen again. And also, try out the basic troubleshooting process listed below to identify and fix the issue.
Replace Remote Batteries
If you have been using batteries for a long time, it won’t work properly. As a result, Insignia TV remote won’t work including the power and volume button. Therefore, you should check whether the remote has an adequate charge. If not, replace the old batteries with newer ones. In addition, it is recommended to use branded remote batteries for a longer span.

Clean the Dirt
You will keep the remote in open air without any remote covers and there is a high possibility of dirt accumulation inside the buttons of the TV remote. Due to this, your remote button may not be able to change the channels, and your remote may not function properly. You need to use a soft cloth to clean the dirt and debris with the help of 99% isopropyl alcohol. After cleaning the dirt, test the TV remote with Insignia TV and check whether the buttons are working properly.

Power Cycle the Remote
If the batteries have a sufficient charge but the remote not working, you should power cycle the remote to make it work.
1. Remove the batteries from your Insignia TV remote.
2. Press and hold the Power button for 30 seconds to drain all the power in the remote.
3. Re-insert the batteries back inside the remote.
4. Check now whether the remote is functioning or not.

Power Cycle the Insignia TV
Similar to the remote, power cycling Insignia TV help to fix the glitch that interrupts the device from receiving the remote’s signal.
1. Unplug the TV cord from the power supply.
2. Now, press and hold the physical Power button for 60 seconds.
3. Later, release the power button and plug it into the power source.
4. Finally, check if the remote is working fine.
Over usage, there are possibilities for dirt to get accumulated on the remote sensor. So, ensure to clean the device once in two weeks as it can be the reason for interrupting the signal flow between the remote and the Insignia TV.
Pairing the Insignia TV Remote
If you have an Insignia TV Voice Remote, locate the Pair button below the batteries. After that, press and hold the Pair button for a few seconds to establish a pairing with your TV. If the pairing is unsuccessful, the TV remote will not work so try to re-pair the Insignia TV Remote by following these steps.
- For the Insignia Roku TV voice remote, press and hold the Home button for 30 seconds and point it towards the TV.
- If you have an Insignia Fire TV remote, press the hold the Back, Left Navigation, and Menu buttons together for 30 seconds.

Reset Insignia Remote
Because of residual power, the Insignia TV remote sensor may not be working properly. To fix this, you can reset the Insignia TV remote to fix the issue.
1. Remove the batteries from the remote and insert them back again.
2. Gently press all the remote keys at least 4-5 times.
3. Press the Menu and Home buttons at a time for a few seconds.
Check whether the TV remote functions are working or not.
Test the IR Signals
If the Insignia remote is not responding to the remote or buttons it may due to the issues with IR emitter. You can follow the below steps to check the capability of sending IR signals to the TV through a camera test.
- Open the Camera app on your smartphone.
- Now, place the LED light of the remote towards the smartphone’s rear camera.
- Press the remote keys erratically and check if you can notice the blinking light on your smartphone camera.
- If you can’t see the light on your phone’s camera then there might be internal issues you need to replace it with a new one.

Note: If the remote is found defective, there are still some ways to change the input on Insignia TV without a remote.
Check for Obstructions
Always point your Insignia remote to the TV receiver in the direct line of sight. At the same time, check whether any objects are obstructing the Insignia TV signals when you operate the remote. If the remote has a clear sight of the TV sensor, the Insignia TV remote will work well.
Use Universal TV Remote
The problem may arise if your TV remote buttons have defected due to long usage. Therefore, we suggest that readers buy a universal TV remote as an alternative. Meanwhile, you have to program your remote with the respective universal remote codes for Insignia TV. You can program your universal remote in two ways such as code search or direct code entry method.

Factory Reset Insignia TV
If the above method did not resolve the issue, resetting your Insignia Fire TV to its factory defaults is better.
1. Go to the Insignia TV Settings using your remote.
2. Select the System menu.
3. Click on Reset to Factory Defaults to reset your TV.
That’s it! Your Insignia TV has been reset successfully. Turn on your TV again and check whether you can operate your remote properly. If the problem repeats, you should contact Insignia customer support and explain the issue. Then, visit the Insignia official website to contact them. If required, you can even check their forums to know solutions based on your query.
FAQ
When you encounter this issue, reset the Insignia TV remote and check if the issue is fixed.
Yes, you shall use the Insignia TV remote app to control your smart TV without using a remote.
If the remote has been exposed to high heat, the electricals inside the remote will get damaged. It can’t be resolved with manual troubleshooting techniques. Hence, you need to buy a new replacement remote.
Simply remove the batteries and put them back to resolve the remote button not working issue.