Spectrum Remotes are the most common TV remote controllers available out there in the market. They are known to have programmable keys through which you can turn on multiple devices using the same remote control and even consoles (such as Xbox).

Spectrum TV Remote (models may vary)

Despite their popularity and commonness, numerous people have reported that they experience issues with the remote where it either doesn't work at all or works with other platforms sparingly. We went across several use cases and picked our variances of the issue which might occur:

  • LED light might not be flashing
  • Channels might not be getting changed by the remote
  • Red LED light might be flashing again and again
  • Remote might be changing channels but not the volume in the TV
  • The response might be slow or laggy
  • Remote not working at all

In addition to these reasons, there might also be some others too which will be related to the remote interacting with other devices/platforms. The solutions below will target all of the issues whether they are listed here or not. Make sure that you start with the first one and work your way down accordingly. They are ordered on the basis of usefulness and complexity.

What causes Spectrum Remote not to Work?

After investigating several cases and analyzing each one closely, we came up with a list of causes as to why this issue might occur. Some of the reasons why Spectrum Remote doesn't work are but not limited to:

  • Antenna/signal transmitter broken: If your signal transmitter is somehow damaged or broken, the remote might not be able to transmit data correctly or it might do sparingly. This is physical damage.
  • Remote not set correctly: Spectrum remote has several modes and options which allow the user to decide which device to operate. If the settings are not set correctly, you will experience several different issues.
  • Badly set data: Since Spectrum remote stores data in its tiny storage, there are chances that the data set is bad or it is conflicting with the system. Here resetting the remote fixes the issue.
  • Pairing not done correctly: Since the remotes are programmable, there are chances that you have not programmed the remote correctly to work with the console which you are intending to.
  • Spectrum cable box issues: In addition to the above problems, the remote might also have issues with Spectrum cable box. Here normal troubleshooting techniques fix the issue almost instantly.

Before we move on to the solutions, be warned that all your programmed keys will be lost. Furthermore, you would have to set everything again in order to make the remote and cable box work again so be warned.

Tip: Changing Order of Turning on Devices

An interesting finding which we came across was where the order of turning on the devices mattered a lot whether the cable box responded properly to the remote or not. Here, you should first turn on the TV and then turn on the cable box.

Solution 1: Changing Remote Battery

Spectrum remotes get their power from batteries which are inserted inside. Since Spectrum remotes allow you to so many functions, they also consume a lot of battery over time. Normally, when the batteries run out, the remote either works intermittently or refuses to work at all.

Changing batteries of Spectrum Remote

Even if you changed the batteries of the remote a while ago, it is recommended that you insert a fresh pair. It is absolutely necessary to make sure that the batteries are alright otherwise we will be troubleshooting for nothing later on and wasting time.

Solution 2: Power Cycling Entire Setup

There is also the possibility that the issue isn't with the remote, instead, it is with the entire system. TVs and other consoles usually go into a state where they refuse to accept signals sent by the remote. A complete power cycle usually solves the issue instantly.

Note: We also came across several cases where a single power cycle didn't work. Instead, users performed multiple power cycles which solved the issue almost instantly. Save all your progress of consoles like Xbox if they are included in your setup.

  1. Turn off each device in your set up using the power button present.
  2. Now take out the power cables of each of the devices and press and hold the power button for a couple of seconds. This ensures that everything is discharged properly.
    Power Cycling Cable box
  3. Take out the batteries of your Spectrum remote and wait for 3-5 minutes before plugging them back in. Also, press and hold the power button on the remote for a couple of seconds after taking out the batteries.
  4. Now let the set-up be for around 3-5 minutes.
  5. Plug everything back in and turn on your set up. Now try using the Spectrum remote and try using it. See if this fixes the issue.

Solution 3: Enabling Control of TV

It is possible that while you are trying to control your TV using the Spectrum remote, the option of controlling the TV is not even enabled. This might be very frustrating as you will be performing all the actions correctly, you would be able to control the Spectrum Cable box but not the TV. Spectrum has an option in its settings which you have to enable. Follow the steps listed below:

  1. Click on the Menu button on your Spectrum remote making sure that the box is turned on and is navigated to the menu.
    Menu button – Spectrum Remote
  2. Now use the arrow keys to navigate down to Settings & Support. Press the OK or Enter key to open it.
    Settings & Support – Spectrum Cable box
  3. Once in Support, use the arrow keys to navigate to Remote Control.
    Navigating to Remote Control – Spectrum Cable box
  4. Now select the option Connect Remote to TV. When the next screen comes, click on the option of Connect to TV.
    Connecting to TV – Spectrum Cable box
  5. The list of most popular TV brands will be given here. If your TV is not on the list, you can go ahead and click on the button of View all. A new screen will pop up where all the TVs will be listed alphabetically. Select your TV set and press OK.
    Viewing all TV models – Spectrum Cable Box
  6. After following all the on-screen instructions, you will be able to control your TV from the Spectrum remote without any issues at all.

Solution 4: Switching between Cable and TV

We also came across several requests that users were unable to switch to the TV control mode when using Spectrum remote control. Spectrum's behavior is a little confusing but there is nothing difficult about it. Normally, whenever you press the Volume or Channel button, the signal goes to the cable module. This behavior occurs even if you press the TV button to switch to TV.

In order to switch to control some other device, you would need to press a combination of keys on the remote. Follow the instructions below:

  1. Press and hold the CBL button at the top right of the remote and then press and hold the OK/SEL button at the middle for a few seconds and then release both.
    Pressing CBL and OK button – Spectrum Remote
  2. The CBL will become illuminated and will stay that way. Now you have to press the Volume down button once and then click on TV. The CBL button will start flashing when you press the Volume down button so there is nothing to worry about.
    Pressing Volume down and TV – Spectrum Remote
  3. Now whenever you use channel or volume buttons, they will transmit to TV instead of cable as they were before.

Note: If you want to default back to cable, you just need to press Volume UP instead of Volume Down.

Solution 5: Resetting Spectrum Remote to Factory Defaults

If you have programmed your Spectrum remote wrongly to such an extent that you are not able to use it properly, you can try to factory reset it to default settings. Do note that this will reset everything and you would have to set up your remote again from scratch. Make sure that you also know credentials to any accounts which are already set up.

  1. Press and hold the TVbutton.
  2. While you are still holding it, press the OK button for 1 second and then release both buttons at the same time. Here, all three (TV, DVD, AUX) buttons will flash and the TV button will remain lit up.
  3. Now you have to press and hold the Delete button for 3 seconds. Here, the TV button will blink and stay off.
  4. Now your TV remote will be reset to factory settings. Now you will have to repair it with RF2IR converter:
  • First, remove the RF2IR converter from the Set Top Box.
  • Now press and hold the Find
  • Now you will have to insert the RF2IR converter back into the Set top box while holding the Find
  • Now release the Find This would have deleted the old pairing code.
  • The next steps are simple. You have to bring the remote close to a few feet of the set top box and press any key on the remote to pair it with the RF2IR converter.
  • Once pairing is successful, pressing the Find key on the RF2IR converter will cause the sound in the remote to play and it will operate as expected.

Solution 6: Contacting Spectrum Support

If all the above methods don't work, you can contact your Spectrum support and let them know the problem. Furthermore, we also came across situations where the remote was not working with a specific Spectrum device while it was with others. This is a very common scenario and may occur to anyone.

Contacting Spectrum Support

There were also some instances where the firmware of the Spectrum modem was either broken or outdated. People usually ignore this possibility because there isn't much emphasis on Firmware in the Spectrum TV box. Try contacting the support and explain the situation to them. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved in no time.

Note: If you are still having issues, you can try the following workarounds as well:

  • Reinstall the Spectrum application if you are using it.
  • Clear the Wi-Fi settings on other devices if you are utilizing them with your Spectrum Box.
  • If you are having issues where the remote is unnecessarily turning other things on such as Xbox, you can switch the feature off from settings.

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Kevin is a dynamic and self-motivated information technology professional, with a Thorough knowledge of all facets pertaining to network infrastructure design, implementation and administration. Superior record of delivering simultaneous large-scale mission critical projects on time and under budget.