Vizio manufactures some of the best budget soundbars on the market. Unfortunately, Vizio soundbars aren’t flawless. Like other soundbars, you may experience issues with your Vizio soundbar from time to time.
One common issue you may experience is the soundbar remote malfunctioning. If your Vizio soundbar remote doesn’t work, don’t worry. In this post, we’ll provide you with several fixes you can try to fix your Vizio soundbar remote.
How to Resolve the Vizio Soundbar Remote Not Working Issue
If your Vizio soundbar remote doesn’t work, it could indicate a problem with either the soundbar or the remote. Whether it’s the soundbar or remote causing the issue, try out these quick fixes to resolve the problem.
1. Check the Line of Sight
Vizio soundbar remotes require a direct line of sight to the IR sensor on the soundbar. The IR sensor receives commands transmitted by the remote control and executes them. If anything is obstructing the IR sensor, your Vizio soundbar won’t be able to perform the commands it receives.
If there’s an obstacle blocking the IR sensor, follow these steps to fix the problem:
- Look for the IR sensor on the soundbar. On most Vizio soundbars, it’s usually located near the light bar.
- Once you find the IR sensor, move any objects blocking it. Ideally, there should be no items in front of the soundbar.
- After removing items blocking the IR sensor, test your remote. When testing it, ensure you’re no further than ten feet away from the soundbar since IR signals only work up to a limited distance.
If your Vizio soundbar remote works normally, then it’s highly likely there was an item blocking the IR sensor.
2. Power Cycle the Remote Control
While power cycling the remote control may seem like a cliché fix, it may resolve the issue. Follow these steps to power cycle your Vizio remote control:
- Take the batteries out of the remote control.
- Press every button on the soundbar remote at least twice. Doing so will also help you check for faulty or stuck buttons.
- Put the batteries back into the remote.
- Test to see if the remote is working.
3. Replace the Remote Batteries
If power cycling the remote doesn’t fix the issue, it’s highly likely the batteries are dead and need to be replaced. When replacing the batteries, ensure they are properly installed with the positive and negative ends in the correct direction.
Additionally, check the original batteries that came with your remote and replace them with the same battery type. Unlike many soundbar remotes, Vizio soundbar remotes don’t use conventional AA or AAA batteries. Instead, they use CR2025 lithium coin batteries. Ensure you use these batteries and avoid using a different battery type, as doing so may damage your remote.
4. Check for Bluetooth Apps
Most Vizio soundbar models have built-in Bluetooth compatibility, allowing you to connect other devices to the soundbar via Bluetooth. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to control the content streaming from other Bluetooth devices to your soundbar using the remote.
Online streaming apps like Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Pandora, and more won’t support all the buttons on the Vizio soundbar remote.
So, if your remote functions properly when you’re not streaming content via a streaming application, it’s probably not working because it’s incompatible with the streaming app.
5. Power Cycle the Soundbar
If you’ve tried the above fixes and haven’t resolved the issue, your Vizio soundbar may be the problem. Follow these steps to power cycle your soundbar:
- Switch off the soundbar. On most Vizio soundbar models, the power button is usually located on either the device’s top or left side.
- Disconnect the soundbar from the power outlet.
- Press and hold the Power button for roughly 30 seconds, then release it.
- Connect the soundbar back to the power outlet.
- Press the Power button to switch on the soundbar.
- Test the remote again to see if it works.
In most cases, power cycling the soundbar should fix the issue if all the other fixes fail. However, if it doesn’t resolve the problem, then you may need to perform a software update.
6. Update Your Vizio Soundbar
Several Vizio soundbars manufactured between 2014 and 2015 tend to experience software problems that may cause the Vizio soundbar remote to malfunction. If your soundbar is a 2014 or 2015 model, updating the software may fix the issue.
You can do two things to get the latest software update for your Vizio soundbar.
First, you can get the software update on the Vizio website by following these steps:
- Visit Vizio’s official website.
- Click on the support option on the main menu to go to the support page.
- On the support page, type in the model of your soundbar in the search box and click search. You can find your model number on the back of your device or on the side of the original packaging the soundbar came in.
- On the displayed search results, scroll down until you find a search result that has your model number and the words “firmware update.” For instance, “D39hn-D0 Firmware Update.”
- Click on the search result that displays your model’s firmware update. Then, follow the instructions on the new page that opens to download the update.
- Once you’ve downloaded the update, transfer it to a supported USB hard drive to install it on your soundbar.
Alternatively, depending on your region, you may be able to get the latest software update by contacting Vizio directly. Follow these steps to get in touch with the Vizio technical support team:
- Call 877-698-4946 to get in touch with Vizio technical support.
- When you get through to a Vizio representative, explain that you’re looking to get the latest software update for your soundbar.
- The representative may request that you provide your soundbar’s serial number and other information. Ensure you provide the representative with the correct information.
If your information checks out, Vizio will send you a USB hard drive with the latest software update for your device via mail.
Once you have a USB hard drive with the latest software update for your soundbar, follow these steps to update your Vizio soundbar firmware:
- Ensure the soundbar is connected to a power outlet and press the Power button to turn it on.
- Disconnect the soundbar power cord while the soundbar is still on.
- Connect the USB hard drive that contains the software update.
- Reconnect the soundbar power cord. Once you reconnect the power cord, you will see two LED lights light up on the front of your soundbar.
- Afterward, three LED lights will light up, indicating the software update has started.
- Once the LED lights turn off, the firmware update is complete.
- Unplug the USB hard drive. However, do not unplug the USB hard drive or power cord until the firmware update is complete.
- Press the Power button to turn on your soundbar and test your remote.
Updating the firmware often resolves the Vizio soundbar remote not working issue, particularly on the 2014 and 2015 Vizio soundbar models.
Besides your soundbar, if your Vizio TV isn’t responsive to remote commands, you can also try to update your Vizio Smart TV to fix the issue.
7. Use a Different Remote or Purchase a New One
If your remote doesn’t work after trying the fixes above, try using an alternative Vizio remote. Most Vizio remotes work well with Vizio soundbars. So, even if the alternative remote isn’t the same model as the original remote that came with the soundbar, it may still be compatible with your soundbar.
However, if you don’t have an alternative remote, then you may need to replace your remote. Like other gadgets, remotes are prone to wear and tear over time, and they may stop working after several years of use.
If you purchased your Vizio soundbar less than a year ago, it should still have an active warranty. You can check your warranty status on the Vizio website and request a replacement remote.
On the other hand, if your warranty has expired, you’ll need to purchase a new remote. Depending on your region, you may be able to buy a new remote from the Vizio online shop. However, if you can’t purchase a remote directly from Vizio, don’t worry. Vizio remotes are available on several online marketplaces. Just ensure you confirm the replacement remote is compatible with your soundbar before purchasing it.
Finally, check out this post on the top Android remote control apps if you want to use your mobile device to control your soundbar.
Conclusion
The Vizio soundbar remote not working problem could be caused by a variety of issues, such as dead batteries, a spoilt remote, outdated firmware, incompatibility with streaming applications, a blocked IR sensor, and more.
If your Vizio soundbar remote doesn’t work, try the above fixes to resolve the problem. In most cases, the above fixes should fix the problem and allow you to resume watching your favorite TV shows free from remote problems.
However, if the above fixes don’t work, don’t despair. Contact the Vizio technical support team and explain all the fixes you’ve tried. A Vizio representative may be able to walk you through alternative fixes you can try to resolve the problem.
Denis is an article/blog and content writer with over 7 years of experience in writing on content on different niches, including product reviews, buyer’s guide, health, travel, fitness, technology, tourism. I also have enough experience in SEO writing.
