Firestick remote blinking orange or yellow: meaning, reasons and fixes

The Firestick remote blinking orange or yellow means it’s in discovery mode. The other reasons that lead to an orange or yellow light on the Firestick remote include network connection issues, low batteries, and faulty devices. All of these reasons are easily fixable at home using some troubleshooting methods.

The yellow or orange flashing light on the Firestick remote is easily fixed by changing the remote batteries, plugging the Fire Stick into the appropriate port, and verifying that it receives adequate power. The other troubleshooting methods include re-pairing the Fire TV remote to the device, removing interferences, unpairing other Bluetooth devices connected to the TV, resetting the remote, and updating the Fire TV Stick firmware.

What does the orange light on the Firestick mean?

The orange light on the Firestick remote means that the remote is not paired with the device or is in discovery mode. This happens at the time of first setup or even when you are using your Fire TV.

A non-blinking solid orange light appears on the remote when the remote is not paired, while a blinking orange light appears when the remote is in discovery mode.

What does the yellow light on the Firestick remote mean?

The yellow light on the Firestick remote means that it is not connected to the Fire TV device, or there’s a problem with the internet connection. The yellow light on the Fire TV Stick remote, sometimes also referred to as the orange light, is a basic way of letting the user understand that the device is facing an issue and it needs troubleshooting.

What are the reasons for the blinking orange light on the Firestick remote?

There are four main reasons that lead to the blinking orange light on the Firestick remote, including internet connection issues, low remote battery, and outdated device firmware/software. The three main reasons for the blinking yellow or orange light on the Firestick remote are listed below.

1. Problem with Internet connection: Internet connection disruptions, unstable connection, and slow Internet connection are the major problems a Firestick device faces regularly. Sometimes, the issue comes from the internet service provider, which is confirmed by checking the speed of the internet connection.
2. Low battery: The Firestick device works on a pair of AAA batteries that become low or dead when used for a long time. The firestick remote never works properly if the batteries are low or drained.
3. Outdated firmware: Smart devices like Amazon Fire TV Stick require regular software updates to work perfectly. The software update fixes the bugs and enhances the device’s security. Typically, the Amazon Fire TV is updated automatically, but sometimes you have to do this manually when the automatic updates on the device is off.
4. Multiple Bluetooth devices paired: Sometimes, the problem arises due to multiple Bluetooth devices already connected to your Fire TV Stick. When multiple devices try to connect to the Fire TV device at the same time, it becomes difficult for the remote to get connected.

Why does my Firestick blink orange or yellow?

Your Firestick blinks yellow or orange when the remote is not paired with your Fire TV. A slow-blinking yellow light on your remote signifies that it has unpaired from the Fire TV device, and is now in ‘discovery mode’, ready to connect with a new device. A simple Fire TV device restart and then reconnecting the remote usually fixes the issue, but other hidden problems also take the Fire TV remote into discovery mode.

In a situation like this, a few troubleshooting steps are required to fix the issue with the remote and bring the remote back to working condition without any blinking lights.

How to fix Firestick remote blinking orange/yellow light?

Usually, a simple device restart and re-pairing the remote with the device fixes the blinking orange/yellow light problem. But if this doesn’t solve the problem, you have to troubleshoot the device using the methods listed below.

• Replace Firestick remote batteries
• Re-pair the Fire TV remote to the device
• Stop Interference
• Unpair Other Bluetooth Devices Connected to the TV
• Reset the FireStick Remote
• Update the Fire TV Stick Firmware
• Power Cycle the Amazon Fire TV Stick
• Contact customer support if nothing works

1. Replace Firestick remote batteries

Replacing the Firestick remote batteries ensures that the connectivity issues are not due to low or drained batteries. Generally, a Firestick remote flashes red when there’s a low battery, but sometimes, an orange or yellow flashing light also appears when the low battery disrupts the device and remote connection.

Replacing old Firestick batteries with new AAA batteries solves the orange blinking light issue on the remote. Also, make sure the positive and negative terminals of the batteries are placed correctly while installing new batteries.

2. Re-pair the Fire TV remote to the device

Re-pairing the Fire TV remote to the device means reconnecting or re-establishing the communication link between the Fire TV Stick and its remote. The re-pairing of the Fire TV remote to the device resolves the orange or yellow blinking light issue on the remote. Since the orange flashing light indicates that the Firestick remote is in discovery mode, the quickest and easiest method to stop this is to take the remote out of discovery mode. The steps to re-pair or take out the Fire TV Stick remote from the discovery mode are given below.

• Turn off the Fire TV and restart it using the power button on the remote after 60 seconds.
• Next, press and hold the Home button on the Firestick remote for 10 seconds to re-pair the remote to the device.

The Fire TV Stick usually takes around 30 seconds for the pairing to finish. The Firestick remote stops flashing yellow or orange after getting paired with the Fire TV device. In case the remote LED is still blinking yellow, move to the next troubleshooting method.

3. Stop interference

Interference means radio signal obstructions causing the device and remote to disconnect. These radio signals are the signals coming from other appliances or devices placed near the Fire TV Stick. The Firestick remote starts flashing an orange LED light when it fails to establish a connection to the device.

The best way to eliminate the interference is to remove other appliances and gadgets placed near the Fire TV Stick device and turn off other Bluetooth devices in the room.

Now, check to see if the orange flashing light is stopped; if not, move to the next troubleshooting method.

4. Unpair other Bluetooth devices connected to the Amazon Fire TV

Unpairing other Bluetooth devices connected to the Fire TV ensures that the device has not reached the maximum Bluetooth connecting capacity. The Firestick device connects a maximum of 7 devices at a time, and if there’s no room to connect a new device, the remote keeps failing to connect, no matter how many times you try.

So, disconnecting some or all of them for once and then re-pairing the Firestick remote solves the connection problem between the Firestick device and the remote, triggering a blinking orange/yellow light.

5. Reset the Firestick remote

Resetting the Fire TV Stick remote means clearing any pairing issues or resolving connectivity problems between the remote and the Fire TV Stick. This is useful if your remote isn’t responding, isn’t pairing properly, or is acting erratically.

Resetting the Firestick remote brings the remote back to the factory defaults and removes unknown bugs and glitches causing issues, like the Firestick remote blinking yellow or orange. The resetting process for all Fire TV remotes other than first-generation Fire TV remotes is the same, which is listed below.

1. Unplug your Fire TV for 60 seconds.
2. Press the “Left,” “Menu,” and “Back” buttons simultaneously and hold for 15 seconds. 
3. Release and wait a few seconds before removing the remote’s batteries.
4. Plug in and turn on your TV, and wait for 60 seconds.
5. Put your remote’s batteries back in and press the “Home” button on the remote.

6. Update the Fire TV Stick firmware/software

Updating the Fire TV Stick firmware/software means installing the latest system software and updates released by Amazon for the Fire TV Stick. These updates include new features, bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements.

Therefore, updating the Fire TV software is important to protect your device from showing issues such as the orange blinking light. Usually, the Fire TV Stick firmware is updated automatically (if automatic updates are ON), but if it’s not, you have to update the device software manually. The steps to update the Fire TV Stick are listed below.

1. Open the Fire TV Menu and go to the “Settings” icon.
2. Search Device and click on “About”.
3. Now, tap on “Check for System Update”.
4. A message saying “Install System Update” is visible if the update is available.

7. Power cycle the Amazon Fire TV Stick

Power cycling the device means turning it off and then turning it back on again to reset it. This process helps fix minor glitches or issues by giving the device a fresh start. The steps to power cycle the Amazon Fire TV Stick are listed below.

1. Unplug the Fire TV Stick from the HDMI port and power source (either from the wall or the TV’s USB port).
2. Wait for about 10 seconds and let it fully shut down.
3. Plug it back in and turn the Fire TV Stick on.

This process resets the Fire TV Stick without needing to do anything more complicated, like restarting it through the settings menu. Power cycling the Amazon Fire TV Stick also resolves issues like freezing, lagging, or connection problems with the device.

8. Contact customer support if nothing works

Contacting Amazon customer support is always helpful when the troubleshooting steps don’t work for you. Sometimes, the problem is with the device hardware that stops the remote from connecting.

In this situation, it is best to contact Amazon customer support or search for a specific solution to your problem on the Amazon support page.

What does a solid orange light on the Fire TV remote mean?

A solid orange light on the Fire TV remote means that the remote is not paired with the Fire TV Stick. The solid orange light issue on a Fire TV remote is easily solved by restarting the Fire Stick and waiting for a message that appears on the screen, saying “Cannot detect your remote”, and then re-pairing the remote with the Fire Stick device, according to an article titled “Amazon Fire Stick users have discovered what the remote lights mean – and a fast red flash is bad news“, published by The Sun on Feb. 5, 2024.

Why is my Fire TV remote flashing orange 3 times on pressing every button but not working?

The Fire TV remote flashes an orange light 3 times but doesn’t work when the distance between the device and the remote is more than 10 feet. This is easily fixed by taking the remote near the device and re-pairing it.

The troubleshooting steps listed below fix the problem if the Fire TV remote flashes an orange or yellow light three times while pressing any button, but it does not work.

• Take your remote within 10 feet or 3 m of the Fire TV device.
• Unplug the Fire TV device and then plug it back into the power cord or adapter.
• Try pairing the Fire TV remote using the Fire TV app.
• Remove one or more of the paired devices before attempting to pair another if your device is already paired with controllers.

As per our research, we have also seen remote incompatibility issues leading to a yellow light flashing 3 times, which is easily ensured by pressing the Alexa or microphone button on the remote and seeing if the remote LED flashes.

Why does the Firestick remote blink yellow but not pair?

The firestick remote blinks yellow and doesn’t pair due to a power shortfall, causing communication issues between the Fire TV Stick device and the remote. This problem is easily solved by unpairing the remote with the device and then pairing the remote back to the device after installing new remote batteries.

However, there are other reasons that cause Firestick remote pairing issues, including low battery power, interference from other devices, the remote is out of range, or a problem with the device itself.

Does blinking an orange LED on the Fire TV remote mean a replacement is needed?

No, a blinking orange LED on the Fire TV remote doesn’t mean a replacement is needed. The orange LED light on the remote indicates a connectivity problem between the device and the remote. It simply means a warning sign and shows that something needs attention or troubleshooting.

Why is my Fire TV box flashing white and orange lights and won’t come on?

Your Fire TV box flashes white and orange lights and won’t come on due to a pairing problem with the remote or a software issue. The following troubleshooting steps solve the white and orange blinking lights problem with the box.

• Plug your Fire TV device using the original power adapter or power cord.
• Keep the device turned on for 25 minutes or wait for the screen to change.
• Ensure that you are using the high-speed HDMI cable.
• Try connecting your Firestick to a different HDMI port.
• If you have an HDMI hub, plug your Fire TV device directly into the TV.
• Also, make sure you are using an HDCP-compliant TV.
• If you have multiple TVs, then try using the device on a different TV.

The white light on the Fire TV remote indicates that the Fire TV device is not turned ON.