Remote Not Working On LG TV [Easy FIX!]

LG Produces one of the best smart TVs on the market. They are one of the few original manufacturers (OEM) of LED panels and that shows in their own products.

LG TVs are quite reliable and yet when the remote starts to act funny, watching your favorite Netflix series can turn into a frustrating affair.

You’ll then begin to wonder: Why is the remote not working on LG TV anymore?

While there can be many reasons for the remote to not work properly, the most effective fix is to reset the remote by removing the batteries and pressing the power button for 8 seconds.

In this article, I will be explaining 5 different methods to fix an LG remote that is not working. By the end of this article, you will have a working remote to resume your Netflix and chill session.

Let’s dive right in!

Remote not working on LG TV – How to Fix?

Like every other piece of electronics in your house, your LG TV remote is also prone to occasional malfunctions.

There can be a number of reasons for the malfunction but troubleshooting them is quite easy and doesn’t require any special skills.

If your LG remote is not working, follow the following troubleshooting steps to get it working again.

Step 1: Restart the TV & RESET the remote

The first thing you should do is restart your LG TV to refresh the system. Maybe it’s a tiny software glitch and has nothing to do with the remote itself.

To restart your LG TV:

Switch off the TV
Unplug the TV from the power source entirely
Wait for a minute, then plug the TV and turn it back on

With the TV switched on again, try your remote control and see whether or not it works. If the TV remains unresponsive, then you can try resetting the remote itself.

The reset process will differ from a typical LG TV remote to a smart TV remote.

To reset an LG TV remote:

Remove the batteries cover at the back by pressing gently on it in the direction of the arrow
Pull the batteries out gently
Press the “Power” button for a few seconds, then let it go
Put the batteries where they were (ensure their placement is right)
Place the cover back

To reset Magic LG remote:

Press the two buttons “Home” and “Back” simultaneously and hold them down for ten seconds
Release them when the LED on the remote blinks several times (this means it’s resetting)
Pair your remote with the TV once again (we’ll explain this step right below)

If the malfunctioning remote was due to a software glitch in the TV or remote itself, a reset would do the trick and your remote will start working again.

But if it still doesn’t, move to the next step below.

Step 2: Pair the TV and the remote again

Sometimes, the reason why your smart TV remote isn’t working can be due to a pairing issue. So, after restarting both the TV and the remote, you may want to pair them again just to be extra sure.

Re-pairing your LG TV remote is an easy process:

After resetting the remote, turn the TV on and point the remote to its sensor
Press the and hold down the centre wheel button for a few seconds.
A notification on your LG TV should tell you that a new remote is now registered.

Sometimes, your remote will unpair itself due to interference with other signals in the 2.4GHz bandwidth (like your oven or home wifi router).

If that happens, it will become unresponsive till you pair it again. This problem is quite common with other brands as well. Roku remote is quite famous for unpairing from time to time.

If you can’t pair the remote and your TV after multiple tries, you should turn off your wifi router and other home devices that uses 2.4GHz bandwidth and try again (you can turn them ON afterward)

Even if the pairing is not working, it’s time to check the hardware side of things and your remote batteries should be your first focus.

Step 3: Get new batteries

A lot of people seem to forget that such a frustrating issue can be simply the result of dead batteries.

If pressing the remote’s buttons still has no effect on your LG TV, smart or not, you may want to buy a new pair of batteries for it.

Here’s how to change your remote control’s batteries:

Remove the back cover
Detach the old batteries and replace them with two Type AA batteries
Make sure the negative ends of the batteries meet the negative slots in the remote (the same applies to positive ends)
Put the cover back over the batteries

These directions work for most LG TV remotes, but some models might require a different approach.

In this case, you’ll want to take a look at the user’s manual to learn how to change their batteries correctly.

Make sure you don’t mix new and old batteries as the difference in voltages can cause some other malfunction.

If the remote is still unresponsive even with new batteries, read the next section for some more hardware troubleshooting.

PRO TIP: If you are bingeing a show and the batteries suddenly die and you don’t have a fresh pair, you can slightly chew the old batteries with your teeth to give them some extra juice.

Step 4: Test the remote’s sensor with a phone camera

Another scenario that leads to an LG TV not working is if its infrared sensor is faulty. But how can you tell if this is the case?

Well, you may easily test the remote’s sensor with the help of your smartphone camera. The human eye cannot detect infrared light emitted by the small LED on the remote but a smartphone camera can record and display it on the phone screen.

To test if the infrared LED is working and emitting light, follow the following steps.

Turn your room lights OFF to make it dark (important)
Open the camera app on your smartphone (or you can use a digital camera)
Place the remote about six inches away from the camera so that you can clearly see the sensor on your smartphone’s screen
On the remote, press the “Power” button several times (make each press last for a couple of seconds)
If a flashing light appears on your remote’s sensor through the camera, the sensor is working just fine

Below is a video I quickly made using my Samsung remote (which is working fine btw). You can’t see the IR LED flashes when the lights are ON but when I turn the lights OFF you can clearly see the flashes when I press the button.

In some cases, the light might flash alright, but the signal may not find its way to the TV’s sensor.

Here, you’ll want to check if there are any objects standing between the TV and the remote and move them out of the way.

Yet, if you don’t see any flashing light, chances are the IR sensor on the remote is defective. At this point, you’ll have no option but to buy a new LG remote.

Step 5: Clean the remote

Sometimes, crumbs or grime can get under the buttons of the remote and make it unable to give signals to the TV correctly.

This is why you need to release any stuck buttons. Simply, press on all the buttons on the remote quickly and several times in a row until you’re sure there’s nothing underneath them.

If you feel like some of the buttons are still stuck, you might need to take apart the remote and give it a deep clean!

A smart TV’s remote control’s disassembly might be a bit trickier, but nothing you can’t handle.

Can other wireless devices interfere with a LG TV remote connection?

Yes. This is usually the case if you’ve followed all the previous steps, yet the TV still fails to respond to the remote’s commands.

The best way to solve this problem is by disconnecting all the wireless devices that already have active connections with the TV. These include speakers, gaming consoles, headphones, smartphones, etc.

After doing that, restart the TV, re-pair it with the remote, and things should hopefully work out!

How to know if my LG TV is the problem?

If the TV remains unresponsive after following our step-by-step guide, you might suspect that it’s a technical TV issue. But how can you tell if this is the case?

You may easily test your theory by trying your luck with another LG TV remote control. If it works just fine, then the original remote is probably damaged. If not, it’s probably the TV’s fault.

Yet, before you rush to check your warranty or contact a technician, just remember that you may be able to fix your TV issues on your own.

See, your TV might simply need a firmware update, which might be the case if the remote is working, but with glitches.

To update your LG TV’s firmware:

Press the “Home” button and head over to “Settings”
Select “Support,” then “Software Update,” followed by “Update Now”
Your TV will search for any available updates and let you know when it’s done installing them
Press “Okay” when the installation process is over

There’s another way to check if there’s something wrong with your LG TV itself, not the remote control. Simply, press the manual control buttons on the TV screen and see how the TV responds to them.

Also, you might want to take a closer look at the standby LED, which is typically located on the bottom right of the TV or down in the middle. Its status can tell you a lot about your TV’s condition.

For example, if the light is always on without any blinking, it means that the TV is working perfectly and waiting for its remote’s commands at any moment.

On the other hand, a constantly blinking standby LED refers to a poor power supply. No light at all requires your full attention, as it usually translates into loose or damaged wiring.

If you face one of the previous two scenarios, your best bet is to contact a technician to diagnose the problem with your TV.

Don’t attempt to take the TV apart yourself to check for loose wires or other similar issues, as you might end up damaging it from the inside.

To Wrap It Up

Why is the remote not working on my LG TV?

Now that you’ve read our guide, you know that a malfunctioning LG TV remote may be a result of many things. You might have a pairing issue, dead batteries, damaged remote, sticky buttons, or a faulty infrared sensor.

Also, another device might be interfering with the remote’s connection, or something could be blocking its signal. This is why you need to follow our tips to rule out potential issues and begin to solve the problem.

Hopefully, it should take you a few minutes to help your remote go back to its full glory. Once you do, we can finally say Happy binge-watching!