Fire TV Remote Home Button not Working

I recently ran into a very frustrating issue with my Fire TV remote, the home button stopped working! After doing some research and trying out a few tips and tricks, I was able to fix the issue, and I’m writing this post to share what I learned so that I can help anyone else who may have the same issue. In this post, I will be discussing why the home button may suddenly stop working, and how to troubleshoot the issue.

You can try fixing the home button on the Fire TV remote by changing its batteries or resetting the remote. If the problem persists, troubleshoot your Fire TV by restarting it or by updating its software. Finally, a factory reset should fix this problem for most users. Otherwise, you’ll need to contact customer support.

Issue	Solution	Description
Use the Firestick Remote App	Download the Firestick Remote Control app	If the Home button works on the app, the issue is with the remote’s hardware. If not, proceed with the following solutions.
Address Remote Hardware	Replace batteries or consult a technician	Change the remote’s batteries or take it to a technician for repair or replacement.
Reset Your Remote	Follow the reset steps for your remote model	Reset your remote control according to its specific model instructions.
Restart Fire TV	Press and hold the Select and Play buttons or restart from the TV’s settings	Restart the Fire TV either by pressing and holding the Select and Play buttons or through the TV’s settings menu.
Hard-Reboot Fire TV	Unplug the TV from its power source, wait, and plug it back in	Unplug the Fire TV from its power source, wait for a few moments, and plug it back in to perform a hard reboot.
Update Fire TV Software	Install the latest update	Install the latest software update on your Fire TV device to address any bugs or issues that may be causing the Home button problem.
Factory Reset	Perform a factory reset	A factory reset may resolve the Home button issue, but it will erase all accounts, data, and downloaded content on the Fire TV device. Safely eject any external storage before proceeding and confirm the factory reset when prompted.
Technical Support	Contact Fire TV Support or use third-party tools like Android Debug Bridge (ADB) for diagnosis	If all else fails, contact Fire TV Support or use third-party tools like ADB to identify and explain the problem.
Wrap Up	Determine the source of the problem	Determine whether the problem comes from the remote’s hardware, its software, or the Fire TV device itself. Use the remote app to help with this determination.

How to Fix Fire TV Remote Home Button?

Here’s our list of possible fixes to the Home button issue. You might need to try several solutions till you identify your remote’s problem. So, let’s get started.

Use the Firestick Remote App

Luckily, the Fire TV team has been thoughtful of their users, so they designed the free Firestick Remote Control app. It allows users to navigate the Fire TV easily by swiping through an intuitive interface.

If the Home button works on the app, then you’ll need to fix the remote’s hardware. However, some users have reported that the app has the same problem as the physical remote.

The Home button on the app would only respond if it’s long-pressed. In this case, you’ll need to proceed with the following solutions.

Address Remote Hardware

Here are two hardware issues you can try to fix. Start by replacing the remote’s batteries.

Some remote controls can become less responsive when they lose power. A fresh pair of batteries can be a simple fix in some cases.

If it still doesn’t work, take it to a technician to fix the button or replace the remote.

Reset Your Remote

Now, if the home button on the Firestick Remote Control app isn’t working properly, you’ll need to address software issues. You can start by resetting your remote control.

Take note though as not all Fire TV remotes have the same reset method. You’ll need to follow the steps specified for your remote model.

Restart Fire TV

If the Home button isn’t fixed yet, the issue might be caused by the Fire TV device. So, you can try restarting the TV.

For this purpose, the easiest way is to press and hold the Select and Play buttons until a message indicates that your device is powering off.

Alternatively, you can follow the next steps to restart from the TV’s settings.

Go to the Settings menu.
Select My Fire TV menu.
Choose Restart and confirm your choice.

Hard-Reboot Fire TV

If a simple restart doesn’t fix the problem, give your Fire TV a hard reboot. You’ll need to unplug the TV from its power source and wait for a few moments before you plug it in again.

Update Fire TV Software

We’ve realized that more users have complained about the Home button issue after one of the recent updates. Amazon’s developers continuously address new glitches in the updates that follow.

Your Fire TV might be unresponsive to the Home button due to minor bugs. So, we recommend you install the latest update on your Fire TV device to fix the issue. Here’s how to install updates.

Head over to the Settings menu on your Fire TV.

Select My Fire TV.
Open the About menu.
Select Install Update.

You might need to check for updates first and download them if you haven’t done that for a while.

Factory Reset

Several users have reported that a factory reset has solved the Home button problem on the Fire TV remote. Be aware though, as the factory reset will erase all the accounts, data, and downloaded content on the Fire TV device.

To proceed with a factory reset, take the next steps.

Safely eject any external storage that was attached to the device.
Press and hold the Back button and the navigation circle’s right side for around 10 seconds.

When the message shows on the screen, confirm the factory reset.

In case you changed your mind, be sure to select cancel. Otherwise, your Fire TV will reset automatically after a few seconds of waiting.

Technical Support

If you’re out of solutions, you can reach out to Fire TV Support. Still, if you can deal with code, you can run a third party, like Android Debug Bridge (ADB), to better identify and explain the problem.

Wrap Up

Let’s recap troubleshooting Fire TV Remote Home Button not Working.

Simply put, you’ll need to determine whether the problem comes from the remote’s hardware, its software, or the Fire TV device itself. Thankfully, the developers have provided a remote app which comes in handy at this time.

If TVs had a touchscreen, we wouldn’t have bothered about the remote. Still, with its ups and downs, a responsive Fire TV remote is always convenient.