One of the top video streaming services in the world, the Amazon Fire Stick was brought to us by, as its name indicates, Amazon, the multimillion dollar e-commerce that has been around everywhere lately. The Fire Stick is a device with an HDMI connection you just need to put in the HDMI port (it’s like a USB stick). Once you connect it you can watch all your favorite streaming platforms and access a variety of other services. Some of the things you’ll be able to access are Amazon Prime, Netflix, BBC, iPlayer, and other video services. You can also access other things from the Amazon line, or from other companies, among them there is Prime Music, and Spotify, in which you can hear your favorite music. Amazon has also innovated and given us access to the fast- growing video games library they have been putting together for a while now.

Even though the concept is pretty cool, there has been a series of complaints, especially regarding the remote. One of the most common complaints is that the remote seems to be “out of range”, which happens because the fire stick is different from other remotes in your house. So, if you want to figure out why your fire stick might be failing lately, let us enlighten you.

What does “out of range” means?

Basically, it means that the remote is at a longer distance from either the fire stick or the Wi-Fi router than it can be. Because of this distance, the remote is not able to connect with either of the devices, because the waves won’t be strong enough to make it work. There is a wide range of varied reasons as to why your control might not be getting enough signal to work, not only distance.

What is the range of the remote supposed to be?

The thing is, the Fire Stick works through Bluetooth. Unlike the other remotes and devices in your house that likely work with infrared (which is why you have to point to the device for the remote to work). The theoretical range for something working through Bluetooth is of about 30 feet, the actual range tends to be lower for a number of reasons.

What are obstructions and what can cause them?

Obstructions are anything, from walls to other electronic devices that cause for the connection between the Fire Stick and the Remote to not be strong enough. While you obviously don’t need a direct line between the fire Stick and the remote, you do need them to be within the same range to work. The things that could cause for a range obstruction are usually devices such as Microwave ovens, Wireless speakers, Unshielded coaxial cables, Wireless phones, Wireless speakers, and other wireless devices. This is because they saturate the Bluetooth signal within your place.

How can I fix it?

As we mentioned before, the Fire Stick remotes don’t work with infrared but rather with Bluetooth, so the direct line is not necessary and pointing your remote to the TV and pressing the buttons harder won’t work this time. The orientation of your remote has absolutely nothing to do with how effective it is, so save yourself some time and don’t intensely point at the TV with it.

When it comes to a Bluetooth device, there is a theoretical range that was mentioned above, that is usually much smaller and reduced for a series of factors. The obstructions cause a significant reduction in range, which can really affect the performance of your Fire Stick remote.

Some ways in which you can solve your problem are very logical, however, the first thing you need to do is check whether the problem is distance or obstructions.

First, move your remote closer to the Fire Stick, physically closer, make sure there aren’t any possible obstructions between your remote and your Fire Stick device. If the remote is only working when you place it really close to the TV, or when it is behind the TV, then you need to use the Fire Stick extension dongle in order to do a reposition for the device for it to be closer to you. If the TV is mounted in a recess, a cabinet, or an entertainment center, you’ll probably need a longer extension than the one that comes with the Fire Stick. In addition to this, if your TV is mounted in any of the previously mentioned structures try to remove it from the enclosure it is in. See if your remote works, the enclosure is likely to have cause a certain obstruction too.

To avoid obstructions as much as possible, try moving any wireless device, or anything else that could be causing a Bluetooth interference (see the devices listed above) in the area of your Fire Stick. If moving the devices is not an option, then you can try shutting them down and unplugging them one at a time, this way you are going to be able to see which one exactly is causing the interference with your remote based on when the remote is working. This way you can define the source and you can either remove it from the area, or shut it off when you are going to be using the remote.

In addition to all of this, if the remote is still out of range, or it is really hard to get it in range, the it might be a factory issue. If it is extremely hard to get the remote to work, the make sure you contact the manufacturer (also known as Amazon) and file a complaint in the remote. If the warranty is still valid, you’ll probably get the remote replaced within the next week.