Wondering why Samsung TV home button not working? Well, stay with us to find out!
Samsung TVs typically have ways of going to the home page. One way is by pressing “Home” in the middle of the remote, and the other way is by using the TV Control Stick.
In this guide, we’ll explore why your TV doesn’t respond to the home remote command and how to fix this!
For a Samsung TV remote with a non-functioning “Home” button, the solution varies based on the type of remote. If it’s a smart remote, the issue might be a Bluetooth connection problem. In contrast, for a basic remote, it is likely a battery or infrared (IR) issue.
Let’s explain the dependency in more detail!
Why Only the Home Button Is Not Working?
Here is the most probable reason why only the “Home” button is not working:
Samsung “Smart” TV Remote Control:
In fact, it’s not only the “Home” button. If you have the Samsung “Smart” remote, which uses both infrared (IR) and Bluetooth connection, some weird things start to happen when unpaired.
The power button on the remote will function very well because it doesn’t need pairing due to the infrared technology.
However, all other remote buttons, including the “Home” will not work when the “smart” Samsung TV remote Bluetooth has been disconnected from the television.
Samsung “Basic” TV Remote Control:
The basic Samsung TV remote control uses only infrared (IR) signals.
This generally means that when only the home button on Samsung TV remote not working, it’s either a low battery charge or any IR interference from external factors.
Of course, we should leave behind the possibility of a physical malfunction with this particular button. However, first, there are quite a lot of methods to attempt and solve potential issues.
Info: The guide below contains solutions for both the “smart” and “basic” Samsung remotes!
Samsung TV Home Button Not Working – Easy Solutions!
1. Enter “Home” via TV Control Stick
The first step is to check and see whether you can access the “Home” by using the controller on the back side of the Samsung TV.
Instead of pressing the remote “Home” button, you should tap on the middle “Power button” from the TV controller to open the “Control Menu” on the screen.
Samsung TV’s Control Menu:
- Home
- Settings
- Return
- Source
- Power off
Using the Up and Down arrows from the controller stick, enter the first “Home” option, to check if the television will follow.
If you’re being returned to the home page, then your TV is responsive and the most probable scenario is that the “Home” button on the remote is simply not working.
Conclusion: If your TV has no issues entering the homepage by using the TV control stick, then you can exclude a software fault as a possibility.
2. Power Cycle Samsung TV & Remote!
Whenever the remote problem is selective such as only one button “Home” not working, then it’s very likely that you’re facing partial communication issues.
To troubleshoot this accordingly, you’ll need to power cycle both the Samsung television as well as the remote control.
Note: This method does not unpair the remote or erase anything from the Samsung TV.
How to Power Cycle Samsung Television?
- Press the remote’s power button to turn off the TV.
- Then, unplug the power cable from the outlet.
- Next, also disconnect the cable from the TV port.
- Wait for about 60 seconds for a power circulation.
How to Power Cycle Samsung a Remote?
- First, flip the Samsung TV remote upside down.
- Open the battery compartment on the bottom.
- Gently eject the two AAA 1.5V batteries.
- Press all remote buttons for 2 seconds each.
- Then, hold the power button for 30 seconds.
- Re-insert the remote’s batteries correctly.
Tip: When you’re ready, test the remote’s “Home” button from close proximity!
3. Clean the Remote’s Buttons!
Even if rarely, Samsung TV remote home button not working due to dust accumulation, which makes the buttons stuck and not responding.
This is why it’s necessary to make a close inspection of the “Home” button with a house icon, in the middle of the Samsung TV remote control.
- Soak the tip of an ear stick in the water and gently clean the remote buttons!
Then, stand as close to the Samsung TV as possible and press the Home button on the remote tightly, applying more force than usual. In case there is no response from the TV, keep reading!
We recommend replacing the Samsung TV remote batteries with a fresh AAA pair before continuing further into the guide.
4. Resolve IR Interference (Basic Remote)
If you have the “basic” infrared-only Samsung TV remote, the reason why the “Home” or other buttons won’t work is due to infrared interference.
There are a few rules that must be followed in order to verify that the interfering signals from the remote control are actually reaching the TV.
- The path between the remote control and the TV must be clear.
- There mustn’t be obstructions in front of the TV IR receiver.
- The remote’s infrared transmitter must not be dirty or covered.
- Any nearby Bluetooth or IR receivers might form interference.
- There shouldn’t be a working secondary Samsung TV nearby.
When you verify that there are no sources of interference with the signal, also test whether other remote buttons are working.
In case only the “Home” button won’t work, it’s likely that you have a faulty button or malfunction within the remote control.
5. Reset & Pair Samsung TV Remote!
The Samsung TV remotes are split into two general categories. The Samsung Basic Remote as well as the Samsung Smart Remote.
The general difference is the function keys where the smart remote control comes with fewer buttons than the traditional Samsung basic remote.
- Only the Smart Samsung TV remote can be factory reset!
How to Reset Samsung Smart Remote?
- First, verify that there are batteries in the remote.
- Next, press and hold the Return + Select buttons.
- Hold the buttons for 3 seconds until the LED flashes.
- Wait for a few seconds until the reset is complete.
How to Pair Samsung TV Remote to TV?
- Press and hold the Return + Play/Pause buttons.
- Hold both buttons for at least 3 seconds tightly.
- The Samsung TV will begin to sync with the remote.
Reminder: When your Samsung TV is reset and paired to the TV from scratch, test whether the “Home” button is now working.
6. Test Samsung Remote IR (Basic Remote)
If you’re using the “basic” Samsung TV remote control, there is a pretty good way to know if the remote actually sends IR signals to the TV.
For this purpose, you’ll need your smartphone so you can use the back camera and observe the remote’s IR transmitter through the camera’s lens.
Why? – The naked human eye cannot see infrared signals but cameras can!
So, open the back camera of your smartphone and point it towards the front tip of the Samsung basic remote control.
Then start pressing the “Home” button repeatedly to check whether a light will start flickering at the tip of the remote, where the remote’s IR transmitter is located.
- No flickering light, means no IR signals are being transmitted.
- A flickering light means that IR signals are being transmitted.
Tip: Feel free to test multiple remote buttons to see if only the “Home” button is not producing an array of infrared signals.
7. Use a Digital Samsung TV Remote!
In case you’ve just found out that your Samsung TV remote has failed or is broken, well we have an excellent workaround for you.
In case you didn’t know there are applications that are available for both Android and iOS, that provide a digital remote control right from your phone!
- The only requirement is for your Samsung TV to be connected to the WiFi.
You can use the controller stick on the back of the TV to connect the TV to the WiFi and then download the digital remote app.
For iOS, go to the Apple Store and get the“Remote” app and for Android, go to Google Play to download the “TV (Samsung) Remote Control” app.
Info: The digital remote applications are hardly dependent on WiFi, hence there are no Bluetooth or infrared signals.
Quick Recap:
Here we’ve learned that when the Samsung TV home button not working, the first step is to check the type of the remote “Smart or Basic”. The smart remotes often fail because of the Bluetooth connectivity, while for the Basic units, the IR signal must be checked.
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