Roku Soundbar Remote Not Working? (Here’s The Fix!)

Your Roku soundbar remote not working? Don’t worry, as this is the ultimate solution guide!

There are many reasons why Roku voice or simple remote suddenly stops working or does not work straight out of the box.

In this guide, we’ll help you identify and resolve the problem quickly.

What Is Your Roku Remote?

Most Roku streaming devices come with IR (Infrared) remotes. To quickly find out whether you have the Roku simple (IR) remote or voice (RF) remote, check if there is a “voice” button.

If there is no “voice” button, then you have the Roku simple remote (IR).

If you see the button in the middle with a microphone icon, then you have the voice remote, which uses radio frequency.

Note: The difference between IR and RF is that IR remotes require a direct line of sight, while RF remotes communicate via 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

Roku Soundbar Remote Not Working – Quick Ways to Fix!

Note: Have you recently dropped or spilled liquids on your Roku remote control?

1. Test if the Remote is Working

Note: Skip this step if you’re using a Roku TV (voice remote).

If you have the Roku simple remote (IR) and it’s not functioning, you can quickly determine if it works by using your smartphone’s camera.

Well, the human eye does not see infrared light, but smartphone cameras do, so aim the camera on your phone toward the remote’s IR transmitter.

Then press buttons on the remote and watch through the camera for a flickering purplish light. 

• If you see the flashing light, the remote sends signals, so jump to step #5.
• If not, the batteries are dead, or the remote is not paired, so keep reading.

Note: When observing through the camera, press multiple buttons on the Roku remote control!

2. Pair The Roku Remote to Your Soundbar

If you have the Roku voice remote, which uses a wireless connection, you will need to pair your remote to your Roku device to start working.

Before you start, verify that your Roku soundbar is connected to the TV and both devices are working, so you can get notified if the pairing is done.

Here’s how to pair the Roku voice remote to the Roku soundbar:

1. Locate the Pairing button on the back of the Roku remote.
2. Press the Pairing button for about 5 seconds continuously.
3. Release the button when the LED indicator blinks in green.
4. Your Roku soundbar will detect and pair with your remote.

You must see a message on the TV screen, saying that the Roku remote has been paired, and this means that the process is complete.

So, test whether the Roku remote is now working well.

Note: Skip this step if you’re using a Roku simple remote (IR)

3. Re-Insert the Remote Batteries

Sometimes the reason why the Roku soundbar or streambar remote is not working could be due to the batteries, especially if they got misplaced.

This can happen due to physical impact, so the next step is to simply eject both batteries, check the battery compartment, and put them back in.

Here’s exactly what to do:

1. First, open the battery compartment on the Roku remote.
2. Eject the batteries and inspect the battery compartment.
3. Closely inspect the polarity springs on the (-) terminals.
4. If the springs are missing or bent, this explains the issue.
5. If not, reinsert the batteries by minding the +/- polarities.

Test if your Roku soundbar remote is working.

Important: Replace Batteries!

If you’ve reinserted the batteries, but the Roku remote is not working, we strongly recommend inserting a fresh pair of AA or AAA batteries based on the remote type.

If the batteries are dead, there is no point in more troubleshooting until you exclude this possibility via a fresh battery set.

Quick Tip: Put one side of the battery on the (-), to push the spring and push the other side (+).

4. Soft-Reset your Roku Remote

If you have fresh batteries but your Roku soundbar or Roku streambar remote not working, we recommend performing a soft reset.

This is a very effective procedure that works with both the Roku voice remote and the Roku simple remote. 

Here’s how to soft-reset your Roku remote in easy steps:

1. From the battery compartment, eject the batteries.
2. Press each button on the Roku remote control twice.
3. Hold the Power button for 30 seconds continuously.
4. Reinsert both batteries by minding the +/- polarities.

Test if your Roku remote is now going to control the soundbar!

5. Power Cycle the Roku Soundbar

Now that you’ve tried the most effective solutions on the Roku remote, but it’s still not working, it’s time to shift your attention towards the Roku soundbar. 

Sometimes the remote works, but the soundbar is not responding, especially if you’ve justified that the remote sends signals via your smartphone’s camera.

So, the next quick and easy step to attempt is power cycling the Roku soundbar to restart the system and clear any bugs/glitches.

• To power cycle your Roku soundbar, unplug the device straight from the power outlet for 60 seconds for a complete electrical discharge.

When you reconnect the Roku soundbar, wait for 2 minutes and test if the Roku remote works!

6. Check for Physical Obstructions

If you have the Roku simple remote (IR), it’s crucial to ensure that the direct line of sight is not obstructed or blocked by anything.

The infrared signal, unlike RF, requires a clear path in order to communicate with the IR receiver on the front of your Roku soundbar and accept the inputs.

The IR receiver on your Roku soundbar is located right under the “Roku” logo, which is in the front middle of the soundbar.

This means that this part of the soundbar must not be covered, blocked, or obstructed by anything, particularly not clogged or covered with dust accumulation.

Here’s what you should try:

• Test the Roku remote by standing right in front of the soundbar.
• Clean the IR bulb on the remote using a clean, microfiber cloth.
• Wipe clean the area right under the Roku logo on the soundbar.

If your Roku soundbar is not responding to the Roku remote, well, this might be a system issue!

Note: Skip this step if you are using the Roku smart remote, which uses RF instead of IR.

7. Reset Roku Soundbar to Default

If nothing works and your Roku soundbar or streambar remote is just not working, perhaps the issue comes from the streaming player.

One very effective way to address any system-related issues, which might be preventing the remote from working is to factory reset your soundbar.

This is very easy!

On your Roku streambar or soundbar, locate the “RESET” button on the back, near the power connector, and hold the button for 10 seconds.

The LEDs will become dull when the reset begins and start blinking whenever the process is complete.

Note: This will unpair your Roku voice remote, so follow the instructions in step #2 to pair again!

8. Control The Soundbar via a TV Remote

If your TV is not a Roku TV, then you have a dedicated remote control, which you can use to communicate with the soundbar.

To get this working you need to enable the HDMI-CEC setting, which allows the Roku soundbar to be controlled by the TV remote, bypassing the Roku remote.

However, the remote is required to reach into your Roku settings, hence you will need to set up the Roku App, where you can use the digital remote.

How to Set Up the Roku App?

You can download the Roku app for Android or iOS from Google Play or App Store.

When the app is installed, connect your phone to the same Wi-Fi as your Roku soundbar or streambar.

Then open the app, go to “Devices” and press the remote icon to bring up the digital remote, which is quite the solution to your problem on its own.

You no longer need your physical Roku remote to control the Roku soundbar.

How to Enable the HDMI-CEC?

If you don’t want to use your phone each time, enable HDMI-CEC to be able to use your TV remote to control the soundbar.

1. First, navigate to Settings → System.
2. Go to “Control other devices (CEC)”.
3. Tick the “System audio control” box.
4. Lastly, check the box “1-touch play”.

When ready, you will be able to control your Roku soundbar via the TV remote!

Reminder: This only works if your Roku soundbar is connected via HDMI (ARC) to your TV.