This article explains how to pair a Samsung remote to a TV.

What to Know

  • Locate the IR receiver on your TV (usually lowest portion of the TV). Then turn on the TV on.Point your remote at the IR receiver, and press and hold the Return and Play/Pause buttons. Wait for the Pairing Complete message to appear on the TV.

How Do I Pair My Samsung Remote to My TV?

Your Samsung Smart Remote is designed to automatically connect to your new Samsung TV when you first get it, but you can also pair it manually if you need to. If you get a new remote, or you want to connect your Samsung Smart Remote to a different Samsung TV, then you can use this manual connection procedure.

  • Turn on your Samsung TV using the power button on the TV or a remote that’s already paired.
  • Locate the remote control sensor on the TV.
  • It’s usually on the lower right side of the TV, but it may be on the bottom center.
  • Point your remote at the remote control sensor.
  • Press and hold the Return and Play/Pause buttons on the remote for at least three seconds.
  • When the Pairing Complete message appears on the TV, release the Return and Play/Pause buttons.
  • If the message on your TV says Not Available, the remote may not be compatible with your TV. If you’re trying to pair a replacement Samsung Smart Remote or a OneRemote, check with Samsung to make sure the remote and TV are compatible.

How Do I Reset My Samsung Remote Control?

If your Samsung remote is malfunctioning, you may need to reset it. The reset procedure requires removal of the batteries, so this is a good time to insert new batteries if you haven’t done so in a while. Weak batteries can also cause a lot of issues.

Your Samsung remote can only control one TV at a time. If you pair your remote to a new TV, you will have to go through this procedure again if you want to use it with the original TV in the future.

Turn on your Samsung TV using the power button on the TV or a remote that’s already paired.

Locate the remote control sensor on the TV.

It’s usually on the lower right side of the TV, but it may be on the bottom center.

Point your remote at the remote control sensor.

Press and hold the Return and Play/Pause buttons on the remote for at least three seconds.

When the Pairing Complete message appears on the TV, release the Return and Play/Pause buttons.

If the message on your TV says Not Available, the remote may not be compatible with your TV. If you’re trying to pair a replacement Samsung Smart Remote or a OneRemote, check with Samsung to make sure the remote and TV are compatible.

Here’s how to reset a Samsung remote control:

  • Remove the batteries from the remote.
  • Wait at least eight seconds.
  • Put the batteries back in, or insert new batteries.
  • Pair the remote to your TV using the procedure from the previous section.

What if My Samsung Remote Still Won’t Pair?

If your remote won’t pair, and you don’t see an error message on your TV, then you need to verify that it’s actually sending an infrared (IR) signal to your TV. While the IR signals sent by your Samsung remote are invisible to the naked eye, it will show up in the camera app on your phone.Here’s how to make sure your Samsung remote is transmitting an IR signal:

Remove the batteries from the remote.

Wait at least eight seconds.

Put the batteries back in, or insert new batteries.

Pair the remote to your TV using the procedure from the previous section.

  • Open the camera app on your phone.
  • Point the remote at your phone, so that you can see the front of the remote in your camera app.
  • You can also use a digital camera if it has a live view LCD display and not just an optical viewfinder.
  • Push a button on the remote, like the power or volume button.
  • Some Samsung remotes use Bluetooth for every button but the power button, so the power button is the best one to use for this test.
  • If the remote sends a signal, you’ll see the IR transmitter light up in your camera app.
  • If you don’t see anything light up, try replacing the batteries in the remote. If that doesn’t help, the remote may need to be replaced. Contact Samsung to see if the remote is still under warranty.

How Do I Pair My Samsung Smart Touch Remote?

The Samsung Smart Touch Remote uses a combination of IR and Bluetooth. The power button uses an IR emitter, while the other buttons send signals to the TV via Bluetooth. That means the remote can power your TV on and off even if it isn’t paired, so if your remote turns your TV on, but none of the other buttons work, you’ll need to pair it.

Open the camera app on your phone.

Point the remote at your phone, so that you can see the front of the remote in your camera app.

You can also use a digital camera if it has a live view LCD display and not just an optical viewfinder.

Push a button on the remote, like the power or volume button.

Some Samsung remotes use Bluetooth for every button but the power button, so the power button is the best one to use for this test.

If the remote sends a signal, you’ll see the IR transmitter light up in your camera app.

If you don’t see anything light up, try replacing the batteries in the remote. If that doesn’t help, the remote may need to be replaced. Contact Samsung to see if the remote is still under warranty.

Here’s how to pair a Samsung Smart Touch Remote:

  • Turn the TV on.
  • Point the remote at the IR receiver on the TV, and keep it aimed in that direction throughout the pairing procedure.
  • Press and hold the Return and Guide buttons on your remote for three seconds.
  • Watch the lower right part of the TV screen.
  • If the pairing process is successful, you’ll see a green circle in the lower right part of the screen.
  • If it’s unsuccessful, you’ll see a red X on the TV. Try to pair the remote again, and contact Samsung for further assistance if it still doesn’t work.

Turn the TV on.

Point the remote at the IR receiver on the TV, and keep it aimed in that direction throughout the pairing procedure.

Press and hold the Return and Guide buttons on your remote for three seconds.

Watch the lower right part of the TV screen.

If the pairing process is successful, you’ll see a green circle in the lower right part of the screen.

If it’s unsuccessful, you’ll see a red X on the TV. Try to pair the remote again, and contact Samsung for further assistance if it still doesn’t work.

  • How do I turn on a Samsung TV without a remote?
  • Samsung TVs usually have a small control box in the lower-right corner, under the edge of the screen. Hold the button to turn the set on.
  • How do I reset a Samsung remote?
  • If your Samsung remote stops working consistently, a reset may help. First, remove the batteries. Then, hold the Power button for about eight seconds. Put the batteries back in, and then re-pair the remote with the TV if necessary.

Samsung TVs usually have a small control box in the lower-right corner, under the edge of the screen. Hold the button to turn the set on.

If your Samsung remote stops working consistently, a reset may help. First, remove the batteries. Then, hold the Power button for about eight seconds. Put the batteries back in, and then re-pair the remote with the TV if necessary.

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