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Samsung remote blinking red: 7 Fixes

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  • 4 min read

Samsung makes some of the best displays for a number of different electronics including laptops and smartphones. This also means that by extension, Samsung also makes some of the best TVs out there.

However, while most of the TV is the display, the software and control experience is what differentiates a good TV from a great TV. In this article, we’re taking a look at Samsung remotes blinking red and not pairing with their TVs. 

Also read: Hisense TV red light blinks 2 times: 4 Fixes

What does this error mean and why does this happen?

The error usually indicates one of two things:

  • Low battery level.
  • Remote wasn’t able to pair with the TV.

While the low battery level warning is pretty self-explanatory, your remote not being able to pair with the TV can happen due to a number of reasons, including low battery levels, pairing issues with the TV, outdated firmware or obstruction of the IR sensor. 

How to fix this?

Here are seven solutions you can try out. 

Check the batteries

The first thing you should do is check your batteries. If the batteries on your remote are dead or don’t have enough charge for the remote to work properly, it can lose pairing with the TV and stop working. Try swapping out the batteries for a fresh pair and see if the remote works. 

Restart the TV

If you haven’t already. try restarting your TV once. Restarting can fix seemingly random issues with your TV, including the ones with remotes and pairing issues. Disconnecting the TV from the wall outlet and connecting it again can also resolve the issue. 

Re-pair the remote

If you’ve ruled out the battery issue, re-pairing your remote to the TV is another possible solution. There are two ways you can re-pair the remote based on what model you have.

  • Press and hold the up and down buttons for 15-20 seconds.
  • Press and hold the back and play/pause buttons for 15-20 seconds.

Once the remote has reset itself, it’ll automatically pair with the TV and you’ll see a notification on the TV indicating that the remote has paired. 

HDMI glitch

If you’ve got a gaming console or another device hooked up to your TV using an HDMI cable, HDMI glitches can also sometimes lead to such errors. In such cases, you can try the following:

  • Disconnect and reconnect the HDMI cable.
  • Turn on the console and TV at the same time.
  • Try another HDMI cable that’s compatible with the maximum bandwidth of your output device (console or something else)

IR sensor is obstructed

Although not really an issue, if your TV or remote’s IR sensor is obstructed by something that isn’t letting the signals through, you can run into this problem. Just make sure there’s nothing between the TV and the remote that could block IR signals and try again. 

Broken remote

There’s also a good chance that the issue is being triggered by a broken or stuck button on your remote. Any other physical damage to the remote (by liquids for example) can also cause this problem. The best thing to do in such situations is to just order another remote. However, you should regularly clean the remote and make sure you regularly clean. 

Use the SmartThings app

Although not exactly a solution, you can use the SmartThings app on your phone to use as a remote for your TV.

Also read: What is ‘Com.Samsung.Android.Messaging’?

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