Every Fire Stick and recently Fire Smart TVs come with a dedicated physical remote. The Fire TV remote comes with all the controls you would expect including media controls, volume, power and Alexa voice control. In most cases, I usually reach out to the remote to change an app or increase/reduce volume. However, Amazon also has a Fire TV App which includes a virtual remote for controlling your Fire TV.
Ultimately, the physical remote is what you would use for the most part. However, you might resort to the virtual remote especially when you can not find the physical one. Your smartphone is always with you, but TV remotes tend to like playing hide and seek with their owners. Comparatively, the virtual remote offers everything you would find with the physical remote except for the mute and power off buttons. Even if you don’t intend to use the virtual remote, you might want to have it setup and installed on your smartphone as backup. Alright, here’s how to do just that.
How to setup the Fire TV App
Download the virtual remote from the Google and iOS app stores. It’s called Fire TV. Before you start the App, ensure that your smartphone and Fire Stick are connected to the same WiFi network. This is really important because the app uses this to easily discover and Find compatible Fire TV Sticks on the network. Now start the Fire TV app. You should see a prompt to connect to one of the discovered Fire Sticks on the network. For my case, the app found the SFTSS_14RN(Amazon Fire TV Stick). Tap on the discovered device.
You should see a message displayed on your Firestick showing the App connection request with a security PIN code that you should enter on your phone. Enter it. Now the Fire TV App should be connected to your Fire TV Stick. You should be able to control your Fire TV with the remote app now.
Another reason you might prefer using the virtual remote app is the ease and convenience of entering text in form fields. This comes in handy when registering or signing in to your streaming services or even Amazon account. Sure you can use the physical remote along with the on-screen keyboard, but it’s painstakingly slow for anyone who’s tried typing text in Smart TV. The virtual remote takes advantage of your smartphone’s QWERTY keyboard making entering your usernames/passwords a snap. You can always find the keyboard at the top right corner of the virtual remote.
Besides the virtual remote, the Fire TV App also shows your downloaded apps and services. You can easily launch Netflix, Youtube etc from the App. You also get Alexa voice support. Simply slide down and talk to issue voice commands to your Fire TV Stick. Alright, let me know your experiences setting up the Fire TV App.
Here’s our video step by step video tutorial on how to setup the FireTV App as a virtual remote for controlling your Firestick.
Feature image: Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
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Troubleshooting: Fire TV Remote App Issues
App Can’t Find Fire TV Stick
- Make sure your smartphone and Fire TV Stick are connected to the same WiFi network.
- Restart both your phone and Fire TV Stick.
- Check that your Fire TV Stick is powered on and not in sleep mode.
- Ensure your Fire TV Stick is running the latest software version (Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for Updates).
- Disable any VPNs or firewall settings that might block device discovery.
PIN Not Displaying
- Make sure the Fire TV Stick is on and the TV input is set correctly.
- Restart the Fire TV Stick.
- Try reconnecting via the app; if the PIN still doesn’t show, restart the app and try again.
- If you have multiple Fire TV devices, make sure you’re connecting to the correct one.
App Won’t Connect
- Double-check the entered PIN for typos.
- Ensure both devices remain on the same WiFi network during the connection process.
- Reboot your router if network issues persist.
- Uninstall and reinstall the Fire TV remote app if problems continue.
Compatibility Notes: Which firesticks are compatible with the App
- The Fire TV remote app supports:
- All Fire TV Stick models (2nd Gen and newer)
- Fire TV Stick 4K, 4K Max, Lite
- Fire TV Cube (all generations)
- Fire TV Edition Smart TVs
- Fire TV streaming boxes (2nd Gen and newer)
- Your Fire TV device must be running Fire OS 5.2.1 or later.
- The app is available for Android (Google Play Store) and iOS (Apple App Store).
- Some features (like voice or keyboard input) may require the latest version of Fire OS and the app.
About David Okwii
David Okwii is the Editor-in-Chief of Dignited.com and a seasoned tech enthusiast whose journey began in the early 2000s. He started blogging while at university, diving deep into mobile apps, smartphone reviews, and operating systems—from testing Linux distros to tweaking Windows machines. David also explores Chromebooks, experiments with Raspberry Pi projects, and brings hands-on curiosity to every review. With vast experience in Uganda’s tech ecosystem and deep knowledge of Africa’s startup landscape, he offers informed, grounded perspectives on consumer technology. When he's not writing or tinkering, David enjoys connecting with nature and exploring the outdoors.
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