Xfinity remote is just an ordinary remote control, but the fact that it is used to control fully-featured Xfinity X1 TV and Xfinity Flex makes it special. You can use various services like live TV, movies on demand, and streaming apps on Xfinity. If the Xfinity remote is not working, you cannot make use of all the features with a set of just a few buttons on the box.
But you need not worry; in this article we will tell you why your Xfinity remote is probably not working and how to get your Xfinity remote working again.
Why is my Xfinity remote not working?
If you cannot change channels, turn the TV on or off, or control volume using Xfinity remote or even the voice commands are not working, then the Xfinity remote is considered to be not working.
Following are the few reasons your Xfinity remote is not working:
Physical or hardware damage to the remote
TV remotes look pretty robust and have minimal wired connections inside the body. The while circuitry runs on a silicon board that is quite safe in a plastic covering.
However, the robust-looking remote has some sensitive components such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), wireless (Bluetooth) module, and IR (Infrared) blaster. Since IR waves are not detectable by human eyes but can be seen through a simple mobile camera, you can use your mobile camera to check if the signal is reaching the IR blaster and it is working fine.
Use the following steps to check if an IR blaster is working with this simple cell phone camera trick:
- Firstly, launch the camera app on your cell phone and point its camera to the remote’s IR blaster such that you can see the IR blaster on the phone’s screen.
- Then press any button on your remote control. If you see some violet color dot on the sensor, the remote’s IR blaster and probably most of its components are working fine. If not, the remote control is damaged or broken.
Drained Battery
It is pretty obvious that the remote won’t work if its battery is drained. But the question is, how would you know if the battery is drained or almost drained? Well, it is pretty convenient that the Xfinity remote has an indicator light on the remote that can tell you how much battery power is remaining.
Press any button on the remote and observe the indicator light to find the remaining power in the battery.
| Color of LED | Number of flashes | Meaning |
| Red | 5 | The battery is extremely low and needs replacement |
| Red | 1 | The battery is very low |
| Red | 2 | The battery is low |
| Green | 3 | Battery power is good |
| Green | 4 | Battery power is excellent |
If the Xfinity remote control is not working and showing red light, then try replacing the battery.
Also, if the light is not blinking at all, then also, it is time replace the batteries.
Obstruction between remote and the box
Whether you are using a wireless Bluetooth connected remote or an IR based remote control for your Xfinity box, obstructions can be there that are not letting your remote control work.
In case of an IR based remote, the IR blaster and the signal receiving box should be in the line of sight.
If you use a Bluetooth-based remote control, move the box out of the cabinet for better connectivity.
Improper set-up or pairing
Setting up the Xfinity remote is crucial for using it properly. Improper setting up or your Remote being paired to multiple devices may cause issues such as Xfinity remote not changing channels, not controlling volume and not working of voice commands.
The solution to this problem is to pair the remote with the TV again. Also, try pairing one Xfinity remote only to one TV.
How to Control the Xfinity box without a remote?
You cannot control the multi-featured Xfinity X1 or Xfinity flex with only a few buttons on the box. Luckily, you can control the device using your smartphone or tablet with the Xfinity remote app. Just pair Xfinity remote app with a supported box and you are ready to go.
Use the following steps to set up Xfinity TV Remote app:
- Firstly you have to download Xfinity TV Remote app on your iPad, iPhone, or iPad touch from apple’s App Store or Android mobile from Google Play Store.
- Then launch the app, and tap Get Started.
- Sign in to your Xfinity account using the Xfinity ID and password.
- Now tap the icon in the top left to search for the eligible TVs and subsequently pair it.
How do I get my Xfinity remote working?
Before trying any of the troubleshooting methods that we will discuss in this article, make sure that the batteries in your Xfinity remove have enough power. Use the LED indication we discussed above to check the remaining battery in your remote.
You can get your Xfinity remote working again by using the following methods:
Reset and pair the Xfinity Remote again
If you are facing problems in specific operations such as voice control not working, volume button or channel change buttons not working then you will have to reset the Xfinity remote. Resetting the remote will also help you if it is not pairing up with the TV.
There are several models of Xfinity remote. Depending on the model of your remote, there are two ways to reset Xfinity remote.
Reset Xfinity XR2, XR5, XR11
Use the following step to reset XR 2, XR 5 and XR 11 remotes:
- Press and hold the Setup button on the Xfinity remote you want to reset. The position of this button varies across models, however, you can find this button reading the lable as shown in the image below.
- The LED light will change the color from green to red. Now enter the code 9-8-1.
- Then the green light will blink twice indicating that you have successfully reset the remote.
Once you have successfully reset the remote, it is necessary to pair it with the TV again to continue using the remote.
How to pair Xfinity remote with a setup button?
Use the following steps to pair an Xfinity remote that has a setup button such as XR2, XR5, and XR 11:
- Firstly, turn on the TV and TV box and set the TV input to the Xfinity.
- Now press and hold the Setup button on the remote until the LED indicator changes from red to green.
- Now press the Xfinity button on the remote you are trying to pair. However, you may have to press the Xfinity button up to five times you are pairing the remote to a DTA (Digital Terminal Adapter).
- Now enter the code displayed on the TV screen using the remote you are trying to pair.
- Once the on-screen code is entered correctly, the remote will finally be paired with the TV box.
Reset Xfinity XR 15 and other Xfinity remotes without Setup button
Use the following steps to reset Xfinity remotes that do not have a Setup button:
- Press and hold the A and D buttons on your remote at the same. ( Button ‘A’ is of triangular shape and button ‘D’ is diamond-shaped)
- Then the indicator LED will change from red to green, now enter the code 981.
- Finally, the LED indicator will blink three times in blue, meaning that you have successfully reset the remote.
After successfully resetting the remote, you will have to pair it with the TV again in order to use it again.
How to pair Xfinity remote without a setup button?
Use the following steps to pair an Xfinity remote that does not have a setup button, such as the XR15 voice remote:
- The first step is to turn on the TV and box, also set the TV input to the Xfinity.
- Now press and hold the Xfinity and info buttons together for five seconds, and the LED indicator will change from red to green.
- Enter the pairing code displayed on the screen using the remote you are trying to pair.
- Upon entering the correct pairing code, the remote will finally be paired with the remote.
The process of pairing the XR16 voice remote on Xfinity Flex is different.
How to reset the XR16 voice remote?
Use the following steps to reset XR 16 voice remote with the Xfinity Flex:
- Turn on the Flex box and the TV.
- Remove the pull tab on the backside of the remote in order to activate it.
- Point the remote toward the TV and press the Mic (microphone) button.
- Subsequently, follow the on-screen instructions on your TV to complete pairing.
Check for physical or hardware damage
Remotes often fall from the tables and desks. It is difficult to say if the internal hardware is okay just by looking at the external body.
Sometimes the external body may look perfect and internal hardware is damaged because of short-circuiting. The opposite is also true, the body may look severely damaged, but the internal hardware is in good condition.
However, you can check if the remote is hardware is working by using the following method:
Check the IR blaster output
We have already discussed how to check the IR blaster output at the starting of this article. You can use your mobile camera to detect output from the IR blaster, point the camera towards the IR blaster and press any button on the remote.
If you see some violet or purple colored spot on the IR blaster in the mobile screen when you press the button, the remote’s hardware is probably working.
If you do not see any spot on the IR blaster from the mobile screen, then the remote is either one or more remote components are not working or the battery power is low.
In case the remote is damaged, get it swapped from an Xfinity store near your or purchase a new one.
Pair the remote with other Xfinity box
Try pairing the remote with another Xfinity box. If the remote is working fine with the other TV box, the problem is not with the remote.
In this case, you need not buy a new remote. Instead, you would have to reset the Xfinity box or contact Xfinity customer support if the problem persists.
Conclusion
You cannot use most Xfinity features if your remote is not working. In this article, we have covered how you can get your Xfinity remote back to work if it is not working now.
To further resolve issues on Xfinity kindly visit Assist Me 360.
FAQs
Why voice command is not working on my Xfinity remote?
Your Voice command might not be working due to weak Bluetooth signal strength between the remote and the TV box. Try putting the Xfinity box out of the cabinet and speak a little louder in the remote.
How to unpair or cancel a remote from Xfinity box?
Press and hold the Setup button or A + D buttons depending on the remote model and enter 9-8-1 in the remote to turn off pairing from all the devices.
For remotes without number keys, press and hold Home + Info buttons for three seconds and press the Power button, Left arrow button and volume down button in the same sequence.
How to pair Xfinity remote to the Xfinity box?
Press the Setup button then the Xfinity button, or press Xfinity + info buttons together, depending on the remote model in order to get a pairing code on the TV screen. Thereafter, follow the on-screen instruction to pair the remote.