William Sattelberg William has been with TechJunkie since 2017, writing about smartphones, games, streaming media, and anything else that technology touches in our current age. In addition, he also works as a video producer, writing and recording scripts for our video team and editing videos for TechJunkie's YouTube channel. William graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 2016 with a degree in Video Production, and lives in Buffalo, NY. Read more July 10, 2022

As a consumer, you have more ways than ever before to choose how you watch TV. That’s what makes Amazon’s Fire Stick so surprising—despite mounting competition from Google, Apple, and Roku, their Fire TV lineup continues to be the best way to stream movies, music, television, and so much more.

With apps for nearly ever video streaming service on the market, it’s an easy way to get all of your video needs met. Of course, without a remote, browsing through the newest releases on Netflix might seem impossible. If you’ve lost or broken your Fire TV remote, you might feel like all hope is lost.

Thankfully there are plenty of ways to get around a lost remote, whether you need something immediately or you have the time to order a replacement. Let’s take a look at four different ways to use your Fire Stick without a remote.

The easiest way to get around a lost or broken remote is to turn to Amazon’s Fire TV app, available for both iOS and Android. This app gives you all the controls you get with a standard physical remote and also allows you to use your phone’s keyboard and microphone to type or voice search for movies and TV shows.

For the app to work, you have to pair your smartphone (or tablet) and your Fire TV Stick. Thankfully, it’s super easy.

It’s quick, simple, and the best way to replace a missing remote.

Finally, if you have an Echo device somewhere in your house that is linked to your Amazon account, you can use Alexa to control and manage your Fire Stick with just your voice. Here’s how to set it up.

You can also link individual service providers in this menu, including Prime Video, Hulu, NBC, and more. These skills allow you to use commands for specific services rather than your Fire TV in general, and they’re all worth setting up for the services you pay for each month.

If your television (or your universal remote) was made after 2002, you may be able to take advantage of CEC-based universal remotes. CEC-compliant remotes can control hardware from any manufacturer who complies with the CEC standard (a part of the HDMI standard governing device interoperability). While using your TV’s remote as a way to control your Fire Stick may not offer the same experience as using your actual Fire remote, it’s typically good enough to get by for basic navigation.

For most modern TVs, CEC support should be enabled out of the box. However, some TV manufacturers may not list HDMI-CEC by its actual name, so you’ll need to be familiar with the branding your television manufacturer may use. Here’s a list of some of the most common TV brands, along with the name they’ve given HDMI-CEC.

Having trouble finding your TV’s CEC setting? Try searching the web for your TV’s make and model number, followed by “CEC.”

Once you’ve ensured that CEC is both included and enabled on your television, plug your Fire Stick into the CEC-equipped HDMI port, and you should be able to both set up and control your Fire Stick using your television’s remote. While you won’t have access to Alexa on your device, the D-pad and navigation keys on your remote should work out of the box.

While Amazon’s virtual remote will help you out in a pinch, there’s no true replacement for a physical remote. If you have the time and the money to order a replacement remote, there’s good news. Amazon sells remotes directly from their own warehouse, which means you won’t have to worry about getting a knockoff device or something that doesn’t actually work with your Fire Stick.

Given how long Fire TVs have been around, it’s no surprise that it’s now up to the third generation of remote, as well. For older Fire Sticks you’ll want to use either the first-generation model that includes built-in Alexa or the second-gen model that adds power and volume controls right to the remote. Make sure you check the compatibility with your Fire Stick by looking at the product description before adding it to your cart.

When your replacement remote arrives in the mail, you’ll need to pair it with your Fire TV. Here’s how it’s done.

You need to hold both buttons at once and hold them for up to 60 seconds before the remote and Fire TV Stick pairs. However, once you’re paired, an on-screen message will confirm your devices are synced, and your new remote will work just like the original device included in the box.

Buying a new remote is the easiest solution, but also the costliest. So, if you don’t mind downloading an app and pairing devices or using your Echo or Echo Dot to control your Fire Stick, then your streaming awaits you.

Any ideas would be much appreciated!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.

Please enable JavaScript to submit this form.

Contact Us | Privacy Policy | TOS | All Rights Reserved