If you’re trying to get your standard ONN universal remote to control your Amazon Firestick, you’ve probably been searching for codes and feeling pretty frustrated. Let me save you some time: for menu navigation, it’s not going to work.
You’re not doing anything wrong. The problem is a simple technology mismatch, and a lot of websites give confusing or incorrect information about it. In this guide, I’ll explain what’s really going on and show you the actual best solution to control your TV and Firestick setup.
The Big Problem: Infrared (IR) vs. Bluetooth
This is the most important thing you need to know:
- Your ONN Universal Remote works by sending signals using an Infrared (IR) light beam. You have to point it directly at the device for it to work.
- Your Amazon Firestick uses a Bluetooth (BT) signal for all its main functions (Home, Back, Up, Down, Select, etc.). It doesn’t need to be pointed at the Firestick to work.
Because they speak different “languages” (IR vs. Bluetooth), your ONN remote simply cannot communicate with the Firestick for menu control. No amount of codes or programming will change this.
So, what’s the solution? Thankfully, it’s simple and free.
The Best Solution: Program Your Firestick Remote to Control Your TV
The easiest way to get that single-remote experience is to use your existing Firestick remote to control your TV’s power and volume. Here’s how to set it up.
- On your Firestick, go to Settings (the gear icon).
- Select Equipment Control.
- Select Manage Equipment, then choose TV.
- Select Change TV and follow the on-screen instructions. The Firestick will walk you through a quick process where it detects your TV brand (like Toshiba, Samsung, etc.) and programs its own remote to send the correct IR signals for your TV’s power and volume.
Once completed, your Firestick remote will now control the Firestick itself via Bluetooth and your TV’s basic functions via Infrared.
What Are “Fire TV” Universal Remote Codes Actually For?
You may have seen lists of “Firestick codes” online. This is the source of most of the confusion. Those codes are NOTfor the Firestick dongle.
They are for Televisions that have the Fire TV operating system built-in. These are often sold as “Fire TV Edition” models from brands like Toshiba, Insignia, and Pioneer. Since the TV itself uses IR, a universal remote can control it using these codes.
Codes for Fire TV Edition Televisions (Not for Firestick Dongles)
- Toshiba Fire TV:
3695,1434,0109 - Insignia Fire TV:
3694,1423,0142 - Pioneer Fire TV:
3696 - AmazonBasics Fire TV:
3697
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Correct. A standard IR-only ONN remote cannot control the Bluetooth-based menu navigation of a modern Firestick.
The Firestick remote is a hybrid! It has both a Bluetooth chip to talk to the Firestick and an IR emitter (like a universal remote) to talk to your TV after you set it up in Equipment Control.
Yes, but they are more advanced models that specifically support both IR and Bluetooth (often called BT remotes). Brands like SofaBaton or some high-end Logitech Harmony models can be programmed to do this, but your standard ONN remote cannot.
Conclusion:
While it’s disappointing that a standard universal remote can’t fully replace the Firestick remote, the best solution is usually the one that’s already in your hand. By taking two minutes to configure Equipment Control in your Firestick’s settings, you can achieve that seamless, single-remote experience for your daily viewing.
I hope this guide cleared up the confusion and saved you from a major tech headache!
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