LG makes some amazing home electronics and has built a strong reputation over the years and a loyal customer base. One segment of home appliances where it dominates is TVs. While you can expect to own an LG TV for many happy years, minor issues could pop up.
Like what do you do when you find your LG remote not working one day?
Well, we’re sure that’s why you’re here, and we’ve written an exhaustive guide so you can walk away with a solution. Keep reading to learn how to fix your LG TV remote!
LG remote not working?
If your LG TV remote stops working, step one would be to try replacing the batteries. And when you operate the remote, check to see if the Power button lights up when pressed. We recommend you change the batteries regardless because that helps eliminate a potential cause for the LG remote not working. We also suggest you restart your TV by unplugging it for 20-30 seconds.
Reasons why the remote is not working
Before we get into the fixes for your situation, let’s look at the top causes why your LG remote is not working.
But if you’re hard-pressed for time, feel free to scroll down to the fixes and get started on troubleshooting!
Discharged Batteries
This is the most likely reason why your LG remote has stopped working. People really underestimate this as a possible cause, but you don’t want to go through multiple rounds of complex troubleshooting only to discover that it was the batteries all along.
And remember, people tend to take batteries out of the remote when they need to test a new device, so there may be no batteries inside your remote at all. Darn kids strike again!
Physical Damage or Faulty Buttons
If the batteries are not the cause of your unresponsive LG remote, it could be the buttons themselves. It’s possible that they’re stuck or that repeated rough use has worn them down. Dust, oil, and dirt build-up can also cause buttons to become sluggish (thanks, Cheetos), so it’s time to use a dust blower on your remote, or at least wipe it down well.
Electronic or Physical Interference
If your LG remote suddenly stops working, it’s time to look around your room. Is there a clear line of sight from where you sit to your LG TV? Did you recently move stuff around and accidentally place something in the way of your TV’s infrared sensor?
If you changed the position of your TV recently, the shelf or table it’s on could be blocking the signal from your remote.
It’s not just physical objects that can obstruct signals between your TV and remote. It can also be caused by other electronics or wireless devices. In short, think of your TV as a bit of a princess — she needs her space.
TV Sensor Damaged or Faulty
We hope this is not the reason, but it very well could be. A faulty receiver on your TV can make your remote completely useless, as it won’t receive any of the commands you send its way.
If you’re having trouble with your LG TV as well — like being unable to turn it on — read our article.
Compatibility Issues
Are you sure you’re using the correct remote and not accidentally using the remote for the LG TV in your bedroom? Or is it a new remote?
If your remote is not communicating with your TV, it could be because you need to establish the pairing between them again.
Distance Between Remote and TV
People really think they can operate their TVs from a different room or from a ridiculously far distance. We’ve read multiple user reviews where they were simply too far from their TVs and unable to operate their LG television sets.
How to fix a remote that’s not working
We’re going to start with simpler hacks and then slowly move toward hacks with more complex instructions. But don’t worry, we’ve explained all procedures with simple steps, so you’ll be able to do them easily!
Swap Out the Batteries
Grab a pair of new batteries, not just one, and change the cells in your LG TV remote. As we mentioned earlier, one of the most common reasons your LG remote is not working, it makes sense to try this fix first.
You should be able to see a sliding compartment on the back of the remote. Simply pop it open, take out the old cells, and put the new ones in. That’s all!
Test the Remote’s Buttons
Once you replace the batteries, test your remote with your LG TV again. Press the buttons firmly and see if there is any response from your TV. If they respond occasionally, it’s a clear case of your remote needing cleaning.
If you’re a DIY kind of person, you can take apart the remote and clean it yourself. Use a dust blower and then wipe the circuit board (wipe it down with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry) before you put it back together.
Alternatively, you can simply take it to any repair store in your area and ask them to clean it for you.
Remove Obstacles between the TV and Remote
The next thing to do is remove anything that may obstruct signals between your LG remote and TV. It could be something as minor as a toy or a raised platform causing issues for your TV’s sensor.
If there are any routers or other electronic devices right next to the TV, switch them off temporarily while you test your remote. And if your remote suddenly starts working, we recommend you relocate the electronic devices.
Soft Reset the TV and Remote
It’s pretty simple to power cycle both your LG TV and the remote.
- To soft reset the remote, open the battery compartment on the rear and take out the batteries.
- While the batteries are out of the remote, power off your TV and pull the power cord out of the socket.
- With the power cord disconnected, press the power button on the TV for about ten seconds. This is to clear any residual power in the TV.
- Now plug the power cord of your TV back in. Then switch on the TV.
- Next, put the batteries (new ones, we insist!) back into the remote.
- Test your remote once more.
Update your LG TV
LG TVs use a WebOS-based user interface on their television sets. The company rolls out updates occasionally. There are also different versions of WebOS, with the latest one named WebOS 22 and older ones going as far back as WebOS version 3.5.
Your LG remote can suddenly stop working due to software issues, so this is a good time to check if there are any pending updates.
To update your TV, follow these steps:
- Before you begin, ensure the TV is connected to your Wi-Fi network.
- Navigate to Settings > All Settings > General/Support.
- Next, select Software Update.
- Then choose Check for Updates.
- Your TV will search for a bit — if it finds an update, choose Download and Install.
- This is also a good chance to toggle the ‘Auto-update’ option.
- After the installation is complete, power off the TV, wait 10-15 seconds and then turn it on again.
Do you know how to download apps on your LG smart TV? Read our guide!
Re-Pair your LG Magic Remote
This fix applies to LG Magic remotes only, which use Bluetooth, infrared, and RF (radio frequency) signals to communicate with your LG smart TV.
If, for some reason, your LG Magic remote has lost its saved configuration settings, it won’t be able to pair with your LG TV correctly. In this situation, it’s best to pair it again. Before you re-pair your remote, shake the remote a bit and use the scroll wheel to see if you can elicit a response from your TV.
If that fails, follow these steps:
- Press and hold the Home and Back buttons on your remote for slightly over five seconds. Ensure your remote is pointing toward the TV when you do this.
- You should now see the Power button flash three times, indicating that the pairing is complete.
- After that, you should see “Registering new Magic Remote” or “Your Magic Remote has been successfully registered” flash across your screen.
You can also use this method if you buy a new remote, which brings us to the next section.
Buy a New Remote
If none of the above steps worked, we recommend buying a new remote. Thankfully, they’re not very expensive and are available on Amazon — this includes the original LG Magic Remote or third-party universal remotes that work with multiple LG models. You can also search for a remote that is specific to your LG TV model. If the reviews are to be believed, people are definitely happy with their purchases!
Word of warning — verify if the remote will work with your LG TV before you purchase it! The best way to do this is to search using the model number of your TV. If you can’t find it, check the back or side of your TV — there should be a sticker or metal panel with all the hardware information about your TV model.
Use the LG ThinQ App
LG has a smartphone app that helps operate your LG Smart TV. The app is available for both Androids and iPhones. The app has a lot of bells and whistles, but the TV menu is very similar to the layout of the LG Magic remote and has all the functionalities as well.
And if you need help turning on your LG TV Wi-Fi, read our article!
Here’s a video guide to installing and operating your LG TV using the LG ThinQ app:
Use a Third-party App
If it comes down to it, you can use your smartphone as a controller for your LG TV, thanks to some innovative app developers who saw an opportunity and took it. There are options on both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
You can install these apps and operate your TV, but remember, these only work if you own an LG Smart TV. And note that both TV and phone must be on the same Wi-Fi network.
Contact LG Customer Care
While we have exhausted our list of hacks for your remote situation, there is one last suggestion we would like to share. At this point, if your remote is still non-functional, it’s best to get in touch with LG’s customer care team.
This is because you can receive customized troubleshooting tips from their technical team, and we’re confident that they may have some extra tricks up their sleeve.
The link above also lets you check warranty information, and we recommend you ask for a new remote if you’re still under warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I hard reset my TV remote?
The only way to hard reset your remote would be to reset the Bluetooth connection it shares with your TV, which only applies if you own a Magic remote. Re-doing the pairing process removes all previous information stored in the cache. To reset the remote, all you have to do is press and hold the Home and Back buttons for about 6-8 seconds.
How do I unfreeze my TV remote?
If your remote is frozen, we recommend you power off your TV manually and turn it back on after one minute. Also, try changing the batteries on your remote. We also recommend you clean the remote as well, so you can test it again.
Conclusion
If you landed on this article because your LG remote not working, we hope our fixes were able to help you out with the issue. As you can see, the causes could be anything from physical obstacles to discharged batteries, so it’s best to try all the methods to see which one works. And if none did, it’s best to simply buy a new remote.
If you need any more help with this issue, feel free to leave us a message in the comments section below!
