Why is my Roku Remote Blinking & How to Fix?

Are you wondering – why is my Roku remote blinking? If you are noticing a blinking light on your Roku remote, that could be an indication of several equipment condition factors.

In most cases, blinking light on a Roku remote results in issues when pairing or interacting with the controller.

In this post, we will take a closer look at Roku controller indications and how to identify and resolve issues in their early stage.

Keep reading to uncover this issue and learn how to prevent further complications.

Why Are Roku Remote Lights Blinking?

As you probably know the remote is one of the most important pieces of equipment when it comes to streaming setup.

If you have ever had an unresponsive remote, you should be aware of the frustration that it causes and blinking lights on a Roku remote certainly means that something is not right.

There are two colors of light that can start to flicker on a Roku remote, green light, and red-yellowish light. In most cases, the blinking light is a sign of an error, which should prompt on your TV/device as well. Depending on how serious the issue is, you may not be able to access any show or use the remote.

Having that in mind, let’s take a look at what both lights mean.

Why is my Roku Remote Blinking Green?

In general, the blinking green light on your Roku remote means that the controller is not working. The most common cause is a shortage of battery life, which means that a simple replacement can stop the flashing green light.

So, if you notice a green blinking light on the Roku remote you may not be able to use even the simpler commands or interact with the streaming player.

Why is my Roku Remote Blinking Red or Yellow?

In contrast, the red-yellowish blinking light on a Roku remote most certainly means that the device does not receive any power. The yellow light also indicates issues when pairing and you might have to apply some troubleshooting steps in order to resolve them.

Before we jump right into the solution, we have to identify what type of controller you have so you can apply the accurate workaround.

Types of Roku Remote Controllers

Now when you are aware that blinking light on a Roku controller does not mean anything good, it is time to find out what type of controller you are dealing with so you don’t waste time applying worthless troubleshooting.

Roku offers just two different types of remote controls:

• The Standard Infrared (IR) controller
• Enhanced Point Anywhere (EPA) remote.

It is vital to identify which one you have when it comes to troubleshooting as some of the steps cannot be applied on both devices.

It is easy to determine which one you have by simply checking the battery compartment. If it does have a pairing button that means that you are using the more advanced EPA remote. If it lacks that feature, you have the standard infrared (IR) controller.

Once you have a clear understanding of which type of Roku remote you have, it is time to troubleshoot the blinking lights.

How To Fix Blinking Lights on Roku Remote?

Here we have prepared some straightforward troubleshooting steps that you can apply to your Roku remote right away and hopefully resolve your blinking light issue.

STEP 1: Check HDMI Connection (For EPA and Roku Streaming Sticks)

If you are using a Roku streaming stick, the only way to ensure the proper connection is by checking the HDMI cable. Make sure that it works and plugged rightfully.

If the blinking lights are still present, try inserting the HDMI cable to another port.

STEP 2: Get in line of Sight (For IR Remotes Only)

If you are still not aware, infrared Roku remotes require a clear line of sight with the device sensors in order for the controller to function.

Any obstacles on the way may impact or completely disengage the connection.

Sometimes whenever the remote is not in the line of sight, the green light might start to flicker, meaning that the controller is not responsive.

Ensure that there is no obstacle blocking the infrared connection.

STEP 3: Batteries

Batteries might be the most common issue that Roku remote users experience. If you are asking yourself “why is my Roku remote blinking green?”, the first step is to check the batteries.

If you experience this issue with brand new batteries, all it might take is to slightly adjust them or simply take them out of the compartment and install them again.

Another important thing to pay attention to is a malfunctioning battery.

If your Roku remote gets really hot, that might be a straightforward sign of a bad battery, requiring immediate replacement.

TIP: Do not forget to let the remote cool down before you open the battery compartment due to safety reasons.

STEP 4: Hard Reset

Performing a hard reset will reset all settings and configurations to their default state.

In other words, after you perform a hard reset, the equipment will be restored as it was when it was purchased.

Note: It is recommended to take a last look at your settings or create a backup before hard resetting the device, as all configurations will be lost forever.

To do a hard reset, follow the bullets below:

• Open the batteries compartment
• Remove the batteries and plug out the power cable
• Wait for at least 5 minutes before you insert the batteries and power them back on.
• Start your TV and navigate to the Roku home screen
• Wait about 30 seconds until the device connects to the streaming player.

STEP 5: Controller Application

If you are still experiencing issues you can simply delete and install the Roku application cleanly, which is well-known to resolve flickering lights on the remote.

STEP 6: Check Network

At the end of the line, we have a network troubleshooting step, which can resolve a wide range of connection-related issues.

It is important to know that some routers have more than one connection.

For instance, you could have a 2.4 GHz network as well as a 5 GHz network. In that case, you need to make sure that both of them are working properly.

You can do that from any device, in order to identify if your Roku device is connected to a network without any traffic.

Lastly, we recommend restarting the router, because it is possible that your Roku controller cannot pair because of network shortage, resulting in a blinking light.

Bottom Line

As you may already know, there is no straightforward answer to the question “why is my Roku remote blinking”, as the lights indicate a wide range of possible issues.

The easiest way to resolve any issues is to follow the above-listed steps and eventually get rid of the flashing lights.

If none of the steps were able to resolve the problem, you might have to consider buying a new Roku controller.

Read Next: Learn how to screen mirror on Roku.