How to Fix Vizio TV Not Responding To Remote

When your Vizio TV not responding to remote, it’s easy to assume that a simple restart will solve the issue.

However, the real hurdle comes when Vizio TV is not responding even after rebooting the setup, so stay invested throughout this guide to learn all you need to know!

Vizio TV will not respond to the remote when the batteries are dead, the IR sensors are obstructed or there is no clear line of sight between the TV and the remote.

In addition, the Vizio TV won’t be able to respond when it’s hung due to overheating or another issue.

Let’s learn more about the problem!

Why Is Vizio TV Not Responding to Remote or Buttons?

Your Vizio remote works with the TV via infrared technology and it’s likely that something is interrupting the communication between the devices.

The cause of the problem could either be with the Vizio TV, or with the IR remote control so let’s investigate further!

Here are the reasons why Vizio TV is not responding to the remote or buttons:

1. Vizio TV is hung, frozen, or software stuck
2. A battery/charge issue with the Vizio remote
3. Unclean Vizio remote or TV IR receiver “eye”
4. Your Vizio TV is suffering from overheating
5. Attempting to use content-dependent buttons?

Try This First

Stand next to your TV while holding the remote and point it directly toward the Vizio TV’s IR “eye” and press the Power button.

If your TV shuts down from a closer distance, it is likely that you’re attempting to use the remote too far away or there is wireless interference in the room.

Vizio TV Not Responding to Any Remote – 7 Easy Solutions!

Tip: Always test the remote by holding it in close proximity, in front of the TV’s IR “eye”!

1. Unplug your Vizio TV from Power!

If your Vizio TV is experiencing a temporal fault with the power or software, unplugging the TV from the electrical outlet should help.

The power circulation is an effective way to troubleshoot any TV or other device when experiencing unexpected issues without proper reasoning.

• Unplug your Vizio TV from the power for about 30 seconds!

Recommendation: Plug the Vizio TV directly into the wall power outlet (no strips or plugs)!

2. Replace the Remote’s Batteries

It is possible that the batteries of your Vizio remote are starting to wear out, thus, the remote can no longer communicate with the TV.

Unfortunately, the troubleshooting steps further would be pointless to perform if you’re not confident that the batteries are not causing all this fuss.

Vizio TV Batteries Type?

• Your Vizio TV remote control takes 2 AAA batteries and it is completely standard for all IR remotes of the Vizio brand.

Notice: Make sure you only use brand-new batteries with your Vizio remote control.

3. Test Non-Content Dependent Buttons

There could be some buttons on your Vizio remote control that are content-dependent and can be used only while streaming or performing particular actions on your Vizio TV.

These buttons will do absolutely nothing when pressed while the neccecary services are not enabled.

• The sets of content-dependent buttons are for Live and on-demand streaming!

Live TV Content-Dependent Buttons:

• The Channel Up/Down buttons are used for switching through different Live TV broadcasts, available on your TV via antenna or coaxial service. If you have a cable box for example, these buttons won’t work, as you have to use the box’s remote control!

On-Demand Content-Dependent Buttons:

• The fast forward, pause, play and rewind buttons will all be nonfunctional when there is no recorded content to respectively fast forward, play, or rewind. These buttons will only work on your Vizio remote control when playing content from streaming apps!

Info: All buttons aside from the one listed above should work on your Vizio TV remote control.

4. Clear the Direct Line of Sight

If there’s no clear line of sight between your Vizio remote’s IR “eye” and the TV’s IR interceptor, the television will not recognize any button presses on the remote.

IR signals can easily be intercepted and easily blocked if there’s no clear path between the two devices.

What Could Block Remote-to-TV Line of Sight?

Here are all causes of wireless/physical IR interference:

• Large furniture between your Vizio remote and TV
• A secondary TV in the same room or visible by the remote
• Another IR interceptor near, below or above your Vizio TV
• Wireless devices, such as radios, baby phones, or Bluetooth
• Reflective surfaces could bounce off the remote’s IR signal

Tip: Stand next to the TV while holding the remote and attempt sending a command!

5. Resolve Vizio TV Overheating

You should be aware that during the summer, your Vizio TV’s hardware may get too hot.

Overheating could cause the TV to hang or the software to glitch and it will look like your remote is not sending signals, while the problem is that your TV is bugged out.

Here are a couple of easy methods to resolve TV overheating:

✅ Give your TV a break

If the panels of your Vizio TVs are getting hot to the touch after hours of runtime, turn off the TV, wait for about 15 minutes, and use the device again!

✅ Move away from heaters

If your TV is next to a heat conductor of any kind, either move the TV or relocate the heater away from the TV.

✅ Block direct sunlight

When shining on your TV’ surface for too long, the sunlight produces heat which warms up all of the Vizio TV internal (HW) components.

Note: The Vizio TV will automatically restart when reaching the thermal margin (exceeds the safe temperature), in an attempt to preserve the hardware. 

6. Clean the IR “Eye” Receivers!

Both your remote and Vizio TV has an IR receiver, also called an IR “eye”. This is the small red bulb at the front of your remote that can blink with the help of LED diodes.

The primary function is to send signals toward the surface of the TV that make contact with the television’s eye.

• Any obstructions on the IR receiver, ultimately lead to an unresponsive remote!

Here’s how to clean the IR receivers on your remote and TV:

1. Get a soft or microfiber cleaning cloth for your TV and remote.
2. Pour a couple of drops of cleaning alcohol on the cleaning cloth.
3. Go next to your Vizio TV and locate theIR “eye” underneath the logo.
4. Pace the cleaning cloth on top and clean around the TV eye.
5. Perform the same cleaning on the IR eye of the Vizio remote control.

Alert: Don’t overpour cleaning alcohol on the cleaning cloth! 

7. Factory Reset Vizio TV Manually!

When Vizio TV not responding to remote, it is possible to perform a factory reset without using an IR remote control.

With the buttons on the side panel of the Vizio TV, you’re able to adjust the input, adjust the volume as well as switch through antenna or coaxial channels!

Here’s how to factory reset when Vizio TV is not responding to the remote:

1. Make sure that your Vizio TV is turned on and running.
2. Press the “Input” and “Volume Down” buttons on the side.
3. Keep holding the buttons for 10-15 seconds and release them.
4. Wait for the factory reset prompt to appear on the screen.
5. To complete the factory reset, press “Input” once again.

Tip: Once your Vizio TV has started the reset, stop interacting with the TV until it restarts!

8. Use the VIZIO Mobile App!

If your remote didn’t manage to start working again, you could use the Vizio SmartCast app to operate your Vizio TV 100% without the need of a hardware remote.

It’s an easy and accessible application to use for all Vizio customers, available (iOS and Android) completely free of charge!

How to Download Vizio VIZIO Mobile:

• On Android

1. Head into the Google Play store.
2. Type “VIZIO Mobile” in the search field.
3. Download and install VIZIO Mobile.

• On iOS

1. Launch the App Store platform.
2. Press the search field once.
3. Type “VIZIO Mobile” and the app.

How to Setup VIZIO Mobile?

Note: Setting up the VIZIO Mobile app is identical for both iOS and Android!

1. Launch the VIZIO Mobile application on your phone.
2. When prompted, either sign on or tap “Guest”.
3. Under “Add Device” select that you want to add a Vizio TV.
4. Wait for the application to scan for Vizio TVs in your home.
5. Enter the four digits displayed on your Vizio TV.
6. To complete, follow the remaining on-screen instructions!

Info: Once the VIZIO Mobile app is set up and ready to go, press the “Remote” tab to start controlling your device!

Quick Recap:

We’ve learned that when Vizio TV not responding to remote, the very best first step is to power cycle the entire setup and test with fresh remote batteries.

In case that doesn’t help, check whether the TV is stuck or frozen and perform a factory reset process.

Read Next: How To Get Local Channels On Vizio Smart TV?