Last Updated on June 21, 2022
Legend has it that every household finds their Fire Stick TV remote vanishing into thin air after a while. That tiny rod either slips into the cracks between furniture or becomes your dog’s chew toy. Somehow, that thing just keeps disappearing.
Before you get all worked up and order a replacement online, there are ways to use your Fire Stick without the remote. If it happens that the remote has become a happy meal for your dog, perhaps it’s time to upgrade your experience and try Fire Stick from a different perspective.
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How can I use Fire Stick without the remote?
1. Use the Fires TV Remote App available on IOS and Android devices
The easiest way to replace your Fire Stick remote is through your phone or device with the official Fire TV app. The app is available for both IOS and Android devices. Download the app on App Store or Google Play and pair it with your Fire Stick account.
To connect with your Fire Stick, all you have to do is to connect your phone that contains the app to the same internet network as your Fire Stick. When you go into the app, you will see the list of pairing devices available. The list will only show devices that are connected to the same network. Here, you will find your Fire Stick account.
A code will be generated on your TV screen after it has received a request to pair. The code is for security purposes so your device does not get hacked or paired by malicious criminals. Enter the code to the Fire TV app and the pairing is successful.
Pairing your Fire Stick with the app is incredibly simple and takes just a few minutes to complete. After that, you can navigate all the features on your phone. The Fire TV app mimics a real remote. You see the directional buttons and command keys on the screen. Basically, the whole layout is the same.
If the directional buttons are not your thing, or if that is the reason you are switching away from using the remote, you can disable the directional pad in your app settings. The directional pad will be replaced by a touchpad, meaning you will have to swipe the screen to indicate if you want to go up or down. It offers more flexibility than the traditional remote.
The only difference is the speed. Having the remote on your phone screen does significantly save time for more users. Particularly since you get quick access to your apps and games screen, plus voice input is available with just one click.
Text input is much better as you can type ten times faster with your phone. For those who use text input frequently, you should pair the device with the app even if you still have your remote around.
2. Pair your Fire Stick with a Bluetooth mouse
Your phone is not the only device that can be used to navigate your Fire Stick. Grab your Bluetooth mouse and keyboards so you can browse through any content comfortably as if you are on your laptop.
From the home page of your Fire Stick, go to Settings. In there, you will find the Controllers & Bluetooth Devices section. Click inside and select Other Bluetooth Devices. Choose Add Bluetooth Devices. Your Fire Stick will automatically search for Bluetooth devices available in close proximity.
Remember to turn the Bluetooth on so your mouse and keyboard can be picked up by the Fire Stick. When your mouse shows up on the screen, click the name to pair it. The pairing process should be done automatically. In rare occasions where the device is too old to be paired, the pairing may be unsuccessful. You can choose the option to run a diagnosis to solve the problem. This almost never happens but it is handy to know.
3. Use your own TV remote
It is not really the concept of using a TV remote that seems backward. It is simply the notion of owning a remote for every device you use that seems inefficient and redundant. After all, the feeling of controlling your TV with a remote is not comparable. It is the oldest thing that was born with the TV itself.
But you can condense it so you have the one universal TV remote for all programs and apps. You can integrate the Fire Stick remote to fit the existing TV remote that comes with the TV as long as your TV supports HDMI-CEC.
The HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) sounds complicated for those that are not tech-savvy. Indeed, there are lots of technical terms and terminologies that go behind this fantastic invention. But as a consumer, all you need to know is the CEC transmits signals that allow all the connected HDMI ports to work as one. That way, you no longer need several remotes for each device you have plugged in.
This brilliant creation works under two simple conditions. One, your TV has CEC and the HDMI is compatible. Nearly all modern-day TVs fulfill the requirements so if you have a new model, you mostly don’t have to worry about compatibility.
Depending on your TV model, the features and buttons may not be the same since you are combining two different remotes. But you can rest assured that the major features like navigation, play, pause, home, etc., will remain the same.
The HDMI-CEC feature organizes all the devices connected to your TV and allows users to better keep track of the remote. You no longer need a drawer for all the remotes. For those in a shared household with people coming and going all the time, this is considered the smartest solution. It means you can reduce the number of remotes lying around in the house.
4. Use an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot
If you have an Echo device at home, then you can drop commands on your Fire Stick like a boss. Your Echo device is linked to your Amazon account. Therefore, you can use Alexa to control your Fire Stick. You can literally open and close an app with your voice. It is pretty much everything the almighty Alexa can do.
Open your Alexa app and go to Settings. Scroll all the way to the bottom and click on More. Choose TV & Radio under Alexa Preferences. Select Fire TV and tap Link Your Alexa Device. Connecting your Fire Stick to Alexa is simple as that.
People sharing the same household will find this solution magically. You do not have to rely on one person in the household to control everything on their Fire TV app or bust your head trying to find where somebody else has misplaced the remote. Being able to control your Fire Stick with your voice gives sheer satisfaction and fits the first-world narrative of an ultimate experience.
More and more households are adopting Alexa’s help in their daily lives. It is only rational for Alexa to take up an important part of maintaining a stress-free TV session. If remotes tend to get misplaced in your multi-person household, using Alexa to control your Fire Stick can reduce the chance of fighting with your housemates.
Which is the best method?
All of the above methods are proven to be successful in providing you with a Fire TV remote-less experience of the same quality, if not more. Whichever solution works best for you depends on your household size and composition. Some may find incorporating the Fire Stick into a phone app is the most effective while others still want a physical remote. Choose the method based on your needs. Check your TV’s specifications for compatibility.
Why should you go Fire Stick remote-less?
There are numerous benefits to ditching your Fire Stick remote. The whole idea of getting a Fire Stick is to enjoy an even more centralized entertainment experience without having to switch to various platforms, load, and start another system constantly.
Fire Stick concentrates your entertainment platforms by grouping everything in the same system. All your log-in details are stored here. With just one click, you can switch between different apps.
Some people believe using the Fire Stick remote goes against the idea of minimalizing things. Having a physical remote cannot digitalize the experience. Having to keep multiple remotes in the same house is often confusing as well.
While some other people are not bothered by the remote control aspect of this high-end experience, they are bothered by how not efficient the remote is. You have to click left and right on the entire keyboard until you hit the right letter in the search engine. If you are typing in a long word, this process gets old really quickly.
The Amazon Fire Stick is widely recognized as one of the greatest entertainment inventions in recent years. Still, whether you want to alter the settings so it fits better with your personal use is entirely up to you. You should try going remote-less with your Fire Stick to see how much you will like it.
What if the Fire Stick remote stops working?
Maybe your Fire Stick remote didn’t go missing under mysterious circumstances. Sometimes, it can simply be that the remote stops responding or is not functioning as it should.
– Check the batteries
If so, it is time to examine the causes and dig to the root of the problem. The first and the most direct way to see if the problem is the remote itself is to change the batteries. It sounds silly, but you would be surprised by how many people wrongly assume their Fire Stick remote has lived out their days because of this.
There are times when the entire batch of batteries is not suitable. Try another batch to see if the results persist. If so, it can be safe to say that something needs to be fixed and it is not caused by a lack of power.
– Check your internet connection
Check to see if the internet connection is stable and fast. A drop in connection will affect the performance due to bad signaling. Unpair the remote and reconnect it. Electronic devices may go rogue on their own and need a reboot. The reboot makes everything fresh and the remote will treat your Fire Stick as a newly paired device. Users have found it to be an effective way to solve the problem if it is caused by signaling and connection issues.
– Contact customer support
If none of these work, you should reach out to the Amazon Fire Stick customer support team if your warranty has not expired. The team of experts can provide timely and professional support in aiding you. You will get a free new replacement once the problem has been identified to be product-related, meaning you did not damage the device due to a human error.
– Order a replacement remote
It is perfectly understandable if you want to opt for the remote. You can purchase a replacement even if your warranty has expired or if the damage is not ensured. You just have to pair it with your Fire Stick again and everything is business as usual. In the meanwhile, you can use any of the options mentioned above when you are waiting for the replacement to come.
Summary
Fire Stick has become an inseparable part of many modern households. It has transformed the way people consume entertainment. If owning an Amazon Fire Stick is remarkable, then learning the tricks to navigate it without its remote is purely extraordinary. Enjoy your browsing time the way you feel comfortable.
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