Xfinity is a popular cable provider that millions of individuals use, but it has its issues. After the most recent release, the X1 platform, there were some issues we came across.
We were excited to start using it but quickly ran into an issue with our remote. It had stopped working and we took it upon ourselves to try to figure out why.
To fix any Xfinity remote that isn’t responding, first put a new set of batteries in it to see if that’s the simple solution. If it still doesn’t work, you will most likely need to reprogram and reset the remote. You will lose all saved settings, but it should be operating after that without a hitch.
Some users may experience button unresponsiveness, the remote won’t turn the television on or off, and it may even fail to turn the cable box on or off. There are a couple of troubleshooting methods available to try to get your remote up and running again.
What Causes Xfinity Remote To Not Work?
There can be simple or complex reasons why your Xfinity remote won’t work. The first is due to the remote being dirty or buttons sticking. This is a simple fix that requires nothing more than a wet wipe.
You can take any kind of cleaning wipe and clean the remote. Remove the batteries first and then proceed to clean all buttons. If your remote still won’t work, then it may be a different issue.
That next issue may be that it’s physically broken. By this, we mean that the remote hardware may be damaged. Has your remote been dropped? Was there liquid spilled on it? If so, it’s very possible that your remote has suffered catastrophic damage that can’t be fixed and you will need a new remote.
If your remote isn’t physically broken, it may be something as simple as dead batteries. Batteries don’t last forever and tend to drain quickly if the remote is being used a lot. It’s advisable that you remove the batteries and put fresh ones in. If the remote still fails to work, then there’s one more issue that could have risen.
The last issue is wrong programming. Different Xfinity remotes have different codes. If your remote isn’t programmed properly, the television and cable box aren’t going to respond as they should. The simple fix for this is to reprogram the remote to work with the television and cable box you have.
Troubleshooting Xfinity Remote Not Working
Change The Batteries
Not all batteries will last forever. If you don’t remember the last time the batteries in your Xfinity remote were changed, there’s a good chance that you may need to change them.
Locate the battery compartment on the back of your remote and remove the batteries. Insert a fresh pair and attempt to use the remote. If it works, then you’ve solved the problem.
If it didn’t work, ensure the batteries aren’t mixed. They shouldn’t be a mix of new and old. They should always be brand new. If the batteries aren’t the problem, then it may be time to move on to another troubleshooting step.
Get Closer To Make Sure IR Sensor/Signal Is Not Blocked
A simple mistake that a lot of people make is thinking their remote simply doesn’t work. They never check to make sure the IR signal isn’t being blocked. This is how the remote communicates with the television and cable box. Moving closer to the cable box to the TV may solve the problem, but not always.
This may also be part of having a dirty remote. If the top of the remote has dirt on it, it can block the IR signals. All you would have to do is clean that portion of the remote to allow the signal to pass through to the cable box and television.
Signals are sent from the top of the remote to a sensor on the television and cable box. If this signal is blocked, the signals can’t communicate. Remove the obstruction and see if that makes your remote work again. If not, then you still haven’t solved the issue and should move on to the next troubleshooting step.
Factory Reset Your Xfinity Remote
If all else fails, you’ll have to factory reset your Xfinity remote. This is done differently for different models:
XR11
- Locate the Setup button on the bottom side of the remote
- Press it until the LED turns from red to green
- After it turns green, press 9-8-1
- Once you’ve entered that code, the LED should flash green twice
- Your remote has now been successfully reset
- You now need to re-pair with your TV and cable box
XR11 Without Setup Button
- Locate the D and A buttons
- Press them at the same time and hold for 3 secons
- The LED will change from red to green
- When the LED changes to green, enter 9-8-1
- The LED will not flash blue three times
- Your remote has now been reset
- You need to re-pair with your TV and cable box
XR2
- Locate the Setup button on the bottom side of the remote
- Hold that button until the LED changes from red to green
- Once the LED turns green, press 9-8-1
- The LED should flash green twice
- Your remote has been reset
- Re-pair with your TV and cable box
XR5
- Locate the Setup button on the bottom side of the remote
- Hold it until the LED changes from red to green
- After the LED has turned green, press 9-8-1
- The LED should now flash green twice
- Your remote has been reset
- Re-pair to your TV and cable box
X1
- Locate the Setup button on the bottom of your remote
- Hold it until the LED changes from red to green
- Press 9-8-1
- The LED will blink twice
- Your remote is reset
- Re-pair to your TV and cable box
XR16
- Press the i and home buttons together and wait for the LEd to turn green
- Press the power button
- Press back
- Press minus volume button and wait for the LED to blink blue and turn off
- Your remote is now reset
Reset Your Xfinity Box/Cable Box
If troubleshooting your remote still isn’t producing results, you may now have to move to reset your cable box.
This is simple to do and generally yields results:
- Locate the Reset button on your set-top box and hold it for 5 seconds
- Alternatively, you can log into your Xfinity My Account app to perform the long reset option
- That’s all there is to it!
Your Xfinity box should now be reset. You can take it a step further if you want. You can simply unplug the box completely and give it 5 minutes to sleep. Once those 5 minutes are up, plug it all back in and see if your remote can now communicate with it.
If you don’t have the app we mentioned, you can download it from the app store on your device. This app will allow you to make changes to your cable box easily and quickly.
If you plan to reset the box through the app, you will choose the long reset option. This is the best way to perform this reset. I’ve gone through the same steps when my Xfinity modem stopped working.
Un-Pair and Re-Pair Your Xfinity Remote
Once you’ve factory reset your remote, you will need to program it and re-pair it. Here’s how to do that on the remotes we mentioned above:
X1
- Turn on your television
- Make sure it’s on the proper input for yoru TV box
- Press and hold the Setup button on the remote
- If you don’t have a setup button, you can press and hold the Xfinity and Info(i) buttons together
- Hold until the LED turns from red to green
- Press the Xfinity button
- Input the 3-digit code that appears on your television into the remote
- Your television will tell you the remote has paired
- Press OK to finish
XR5
- Lookup the code on the CodeFinder web page
- Locate the Setup button on your remote
- Press and hold it until the LED turns from red to green
- Enter the code shown on CodeFinder
- Test the remote, if it doesn’t work, try the next code
XR11
- Locate the Setup button on the bottom of your remote
- Hold it until the LED turns from red to green
- Press the Xfinity button
- Follow TV on-screen instructions to enter the 3-digit code that appears
- Your remote should now be paired to your television
Contact Xfinity Live Support
If all else fails, it’s time to contact Xfinity live support. The only way you can contact them is through their web contact form or by calling 1-800-Xfinity.
We were disappointed to see that they didn’t have a live chat option. We don’t like to wait on our phone for an agent to assist us and many times the contact form doesn’t get answered.
If you don’t have time to wait on the phone, you would benefit from their contact form. This form will ask you for your email, phone number, issue you’re facing, what service you have, what role you are in, and your address.
They use this information to look up your account to serve you better. Their phone support times can vary between 2-15 minutes but can keep you waiting for up to an hour or more depending on traffic.
Once somebody gets in touch with you, they’re going to ask you to perform each of the steps we’ve mentioned above to verify that you have done them correctly. This will also give them an idea if your remote is indeed faulty.
Other Xfinity Remote Issues
Other than the remote not working at all, there are other issues Xfinity remote users can come face-to-face with.
Xfinity Remote Guide Not Working
This seems to be a major issue customers are facing today. Your guide may not be working at all or the guide button on the remote itself isn’t working. Either way, it’s certainly an issue that needs to be resolved.
If all the other buttons on your remote work but the guide button doesn’t then it’s safe to say you will need a new remote. The area on the board inside of the remote where the guide button presses against may be damaged, which makes it inoperable.
On the other hand, if the guide itself isn’t working, there may be an error somewhere. A simple restart of the TV box can quickly solve this issue. This will clear any error and restore the guide to normal function. You will find the reset button on the side or back of the cable box.
Xfinity Remote Keeps Blinking
While your remote is in use, it should only blink once when you press a button. If it’s blinking red multiple times or doesn’t flash at all, this indicates the batteries are almost dead and you should replace them.
If it continues to blink, it indicates an issue with the internal computer inside the remote and you should restart it by taking the batteries out and putting them back in.
Once you have new batteries in the remote, unplug your Xfinity box and plug it back in. This will soft reset the system and hopefully, pick up the signal from your Xfinity remote. If all else fails, you will need to factory reset your remote, which we provided instructions for above.
If you’re having issues with your Xfinity cable box, you may want to troubleshoot that as well.
Voice Command Not Working On Xfinity Remote
Voice command is a convenient feature to have. You don’t have to worry about pressing buttons, you can simply tell the remote what to do and it does it, or at least it’s supposed to. If your Xfinity remote voice command isn’t working on your remote, it could be a simple fix.
First, it could be an indicator that your batteries are dying. If you get a response from regular buttons but not from the voice command, then it’s likely that your batteries need to be replaced.
This is because regular buttons only require the IR diode to flash, but voice commands record and deciphers your voice, which requires more power.
Another possibility is that your Xfinity TV box wasn’t properly set up and it can’t recognize your voice. You can fix that by repairing your remote with the box to get it to recognize your voice commands. We provided instructions on how to repair your remotes above.
Xfinity Remote Won’t Change Channels
There are a couple of reasons why your Xfinity remote may not change channels. These can include connectivity issues, physical damage, or dead batteries.
When it comes to connectivity, sometimes there is a weak connection between the remote and box. This could certainly lead to your remote not changing channels. Try moving closer to the box or replacing the batteries. If other buttons work but the channel button doesn’t, it could be a back piece in the board.
Physical damage is another issue that you could face. Sometimes the buttons get stuck or the circuits inside can become damaged if liquid gets inside of them. Additionally, dust can clog up the inside of the remote and mess with internal connections.
To troubleshoot this, remove the battery and press and hold the power button for 30 seconds. Begin pressing all of the buttons on the remote randomly with a normal amount of pressure. Hit the remote with your hands a couple of times. Lastly, re-insert the batteries to see if the channel button becomes responsive.
Lastly, the batteries may just be dead. If the buttons don’t work at all, try replacing the batteries with a fresh pair.
