When your Vizio TV remote stops working, it can be very frustrating, as you can no longer use your TV to watch your favorite shows and movies. Thus, you must have a functional Vizio TV remote.
The Vizio remote is used to navigate through the various menus and applications on your smart TV. However, like all devices, it too can stop working. There are many reasons why this can happen. There can be issues with your TV remote, with the sensor of your remote, or it may be your TV that is malfunctioning and not picking up on the IR signals from the remote.
If you are facing any of these issues, below are some of the ways you can try troubleshooting your Vizio TV remote.
Reasons why the Vizio TV remote is not working
There are many reasons why your Vizio TV remote might not be working. However, before trying out various solutions, you should understand why your remote is not working. When you know why your remote may not be working, you can prevent it from happening again in the future. Here are a few reasons why your Vizio TV remote may not be working.
Batteries
One of the most common reasons TV remotes stops working is because the batterie are drained. If the batteries of your Vizio TV remote are drained, you will not be able to use it properly, and the signal may fluctuate.
Blockage
TV remotes work through IR rays. When the IR rays cannot reach the sensors in the TV, the remote will not work. There may be a blockage in the way or an item that may be covering half of the sensor on either your TV or your remote.
Electronic interference
All devices emit radiation. However, some radiations can interfere with other devices and stop them from operating properly. There may be another device in the vicinity of your TV and remote that may be interfering with the IR rays of your remote.
Power residue of remote and TV
Power residue in either the TV or the remote can affect your remote or TV. This residue can greatly affect the ability of your Vizio smart TV remote to send signals and the TV to receive signals. Therefore, your remote may not work.
Dirty power source
There is a chance that the power source of your TV is delivering dirty power to your system. This kind of power source can greatly affect your TV, and it may not catch the IR signals of your Vizio TV remote, and you may not be able to navigate the TV using your remote.
Stuck remote memory
Sometimes the memory of the remote gets stuck to a specific point or device. When such a situation arises, the remote is unable to properly connect to the TV and work how it is supposed to.
Faulty TV
If you are unable to use your Vizio smart TV remote, there is a possibility that your TV may be faulty, and there may be a system error due to which your TV is not responding to your remote.
How to fix the Vizio TV remote
Once you have identified why your Vizio TV remote is not working, you can move on to fix the issue. However, it is not always clear why a remote suddenly stops working. If you are still unsure, you can simply go through each of the solutions listed below till your Vizio TV remote starts working.
Change the batteries of the remote
The batteries being dead is the most common reason any remote stops working. If your Vizio remote control is not working, chances are that the batteries are dead. The solution to this problem is fairly simple. All you have to do is change out the batteries.
It is best if you use brand new batteries and replace all the batteries at the same time and not just the one that is dead. Changing batteries also helps to refresh the IR signal and allows your Vizio TV remote to connect to your TV through the sensor.
If the remote does not work even after you have changed out the batteries, try the other solutions.
Change the power source
Sometimes there are abnormalities in the power quality that is being transferred to the device via the power source. This kind of power is called dirty power, and it has the ability to mess with your device as it is inconsistent. The abnormalities include voltage variations, power surges, and frequency variations.
If your Vizio TV remote is not working, you can try and change the power source of your TV. To do so, unplug your Vizio TV from the power source, and change it to a different power source that you know will deliver fairly consistent power.
Remove electronic interferences
We have electronic gadgets all around us, and they emit different kinds of radiation that can interfere with the IR signals that your Vizio TV remote uses to communicate with your Vizio TV. Therefore, you need to remove these electronic devices to get your remote to work.
First, identify all the electronic devices near your TV and remote. Next, switch off all those devices. These also include lights that are in the direct field of view. You can also try moving to a completely different location.
If you cannot remove these devices or move to a different location, you can use a strip of blue painter’s tape and stick it over the IR sensor located on the TV. This tape can filter out stray IR rays that other devices may be emitting and only accept the IR rays coming from the remote.
You can also use plain brown masking tape.
Power cycle your remote
Sometimes there may be remains of power in your remote. These remains can cause issues with the Vizio TV remote and cause it to stop working. The easiest solution to remove these remains is to power cycle your remote.
Power cycling resets your remote and drains all the power residue that may be left behind. Additionally, power cycling also ensures that the temporary configurations are all reset.
Therefore, any errors in the configuration of the remote will also be fixed.
Power cycling also helps shake loose any button that may have been stuck. To power cycle, your remote, follow the steps below.
- Remove the batteries from your remote control for Vizio tv.
- Then, press down on the remote’s power button and hold it there for a few seconds. The power button of the Vizio TV remote is usually located on the top of the remote.
- Next, release the power button after you have held it down for five to ten seconds. All the residual power should drain from the remote.
- Then, press down on each of the remote’s buttons. When you do this, any wedged button will loosen and spring back into place. When buttons are constantly locked into a pushed position, the remote control may not respond to other inputs.
- The last step is to put the batteries back into the remote. Ensure that you are putting them in properly and in the right position.
Once you are done, check and see if your Vizio TV remote has started working again.
Power cycle your TV
If you are unable to use your Vizio TV remote with your TV, the problem may be with your TV and not the remote. The best way to solve this issue is to power cycle the TV. By doing so, you may solve the issue of your TV being unresponsive to all inputs from your remote.
To power cycle, your remote, follow the steps below.
- Unplug your TV from the power outlet.
- Then, press down on the power button of the TV and hold it down. The power button of the TV is usually located on the side of the TV. When holding down the power button, make sure to do so for at least thirty seconds. Doing so will drain all the residual power of the TV, and any other issue will also clear up.
- Wait for a minute, and then plug the TV back in.
- Once you have plugged in your TV to a power source, turn it on.
Use your remote and try changing the channel to see whether it is working okay again.
Make sure that no obstacles are blocking the IR sensor
TV remotes like the Vizio TV remote make use of IR rays to connect to the TV. Both devices have an IR sensor.
The IR sensor on your TV receives the signal, and the IR sensor on your Vizio TV remote sends the signals. Additionally, for these sensors to work, there needs to be a direct line of connection, and there should be no obstacle between them as it can block the signals.
The IR sensor on the TV is often located on the bottom right side or the bottom left of the TV. These sensors are sensitive, and the smallest obstacle and blockage can render them unable to work. You should ensure that nothing is blocking the sensor. Even the smallest of things can cause the connection to break.
If there are no visible obstacles, you can also try to clean the IR sensors on both the Vizio TV remote and the TV. To do so, dip a cotton swab into distilled alcohol and rub it across the sensors. This process should remove any impurities that may have been causing issues with the connection.
This cleaning up of the sensors might also help improve the quality of connection.
Reset the remote memory
Another method to get your Vizio TV remote to start working again is to reset the memory. This issue is common in Vizio Universal Remotes. The memory of the remote often gets stuck on a specific point or device. If you reset the remote, then the issue can be easily resolved.
To reset your remote, follow these steps.
- Press the Set or Setup button and hold it down. This button is usually located near the top-left corner of the remote control.
- After you have held the button down for a few seconds, the LED light will blink twice. That is when you have to release it. The LED is usually located at the top of your Vizio Universal remote.
- Next, type the reset code of your remote. For most Vizio universal remotes, the reset code is either 981 or 977. The Vizio universal remote codes are also mentioned in the remote’s manual.
- After you type the code, wait for the LED to flash. Once it has flashed twice, your Vizio universal remote is completely reset, and all the firmware issues should have been resolved.
By resetting, the remote automatically unpairs from your TV, so you will have to repair it.
Contact the Manufacturer
If your Vizio TV remote is still not working after all these methods, it may be a good idea to contact the manufacturer and describe what is wrong with your remote. It is possible that they may offer valuable advice or offer to change your remote.
FAQs
Can a Vizio TV remote stop work?
Yes. If you have a Vizio TV remote, there are various reasons that it can stop working. One of the most common reasons includes the batteries not working, stuck memory of the remote, issues with the TV, etc.
How do I fix my remote sensor?
Most issues with remote sensors revolve around there is an obstacle that is blocking the IR sensor on your remote from making a direct connection to the TV’s IR sensor. To fix this, ensure that no object is blocking either of the sensors.
You can also try power cycling the TV and changing the power source, as residual power and dirty power can also cause your remote to not work.
Where are the IR sensors present on a TV and TV remote?
On most televisions, the Infrared sensors are located at the bottom of the TV and under the screen. However, it is best to consult the manual for the exact placement.
The remote’s IR sensor is usually at the very front and is quite visible and obvious.
Vizio tv won’t turn on?
If your Vizio tv is not turning on, there are chances that there is an issue with your remote. You can try changing out its batteries and power cycling it to get it to work. You can also try power cycling the TV itself. You can also try using the Vizio remote app.
How to reset Vizio TV?
To reset your Vizio TV, unplug the TV from the power source and hold down the power button for a few seconds. Then after a minute, replug the TV. Your Vizio TV will be reset.
Vizio Smart cast not working?
If your Vizio Smart cast is not working, you can try a soft power cycle. To do so, press the Menu button on your Vizio remote control and select System, then Reset and Admin. Then select Soft Power Cycle and choose Yes. Then the TV will restart, and all the Smartcast problems should be resolved.
Where can I purchase a brand new original remote control for my Vizio TV?
If you are interested in purchasing a new remote control, you can do so by contacting the Vizio technical support center that serves your region.
Is a remote control necessary to operate a Vizio TV?
There are actual buttons on your Vizio TV that you may use to manage various aspects of the device. The majority of different kinds of Smart TVs are also compatible with the app for Google Home that you may download on your smartphone.
What may be causing my Vizio TV to keep switching on and off by itself?
It is quite likely that this is the result of slack in the power cord. Check to see that the power cord is firmly attached to the outlet before turning on the appliance. You should also look to see if this is because a button on the remote control is stuck in the on or off position.
If this is the case, and the problem still exists, you are going to require assistance from the customer support department of Vizio.
Conclusion
When your remote stops working, your TV essentially becomes useless. Therefore, you must get your Vizio TV remote working as soon as possible. When the TV remote stops working, most people assume that the remote is broken and needs to be replaced with a Vizio replacement remote. However, few simple solutions can get it working again.
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Sarah Durrani 
Bethany Wilson 
