Gone and never to come are those days when you had to visit a rich friend’s home or a fancy hotel in order to watch your favorite TV program. As we speak, we have a proliferation of TV models in many homes, thanks to modern technology. With an increased number of TV models in the market, the number of cable TV service providers has skyrocketed.
One of the most reliable Cable TV service providers is Xfinity. By choosing this service provider, be sure that you will get value for your moony as you will not fail to get an ideal Xfinity TV plan that suits your budget. If you are a beneficiary of Xfinity TV services, chances are that you have a Comcast set-up box and normally control it using an Xfinity remote control. Although this remote control may be working optimally for first the first few months or years, sometimes, it may not change the channels as expected.
If you are a first-time owner, you may be aggravated and frustrated. Going back and forth to your set-up box in order to change the channels is not what any person would like. In this case, we shall take a closer look at why Xfinity remote won’t change channels, how to troubleshoot issues leading to this problem, alongside other related ideas.
Reasons Why Xfinity Remote Won’t Change Channels And How To Troubleshoot
The last thing you would wish to experience is to have a remote control that cannot allow you to change TV channels from the comfort of your bed or couch. Like we mentioned above, no one likes going to the set-up box to change channels every now and then. As the name suggests, the remote control should allow you to do this remotely or from a distance. However, Xfinity remote control is not immune to such issues. Here are a number of issues that can lead to this problem and how you can solve them on the go:
1) Connectivity issue
If there is a weak connection between your Xfinity remote control and the Comcast set-up box, chances are that you will have a difficult time trying to change the channels. In fact, you may press the buttons that allow you to change the channels with no success.
Since the Xfinity TV remote is a wireless entity, you should draw closer to the set-up box and see if you will be able to establish a connection between these two devices. Better still, try to change other features such as the volume of the TV channels and see if the remote will work or not. If the other buttons are not working, chances are that the connectivity issue may not be essentially the cause of the problem.
If there are obstacles between the remote control and the set-up box, be sure that you will not be able to change the TV channels the way you want. In this case, it is advisable that you keep the obstacle at bay and then try to change the channels.
However, if the remote works once you come closer to the set-up box, chances are that you were operating it from afar or there was an obstacle barring the signal from reaching the set-up box. However, if you have tried all the maneuvers mentioned above and still the problem exists, chances are that there might be another underlying problem, which we shall outline later long in the article.
2) Dead batteries
Besides the connectivity issue, your Xfinity remote control won’t change channels if the batteries are dead. This is because the remote usually rely on batteries in order to function. Over time, the charge present in the batteries usually gets depleted and might therefore need to be replaced soon.
If your remote control’s battery is low, the red light will blink 5 times. Changing the battery might be the only option to avert the problem. Once you have inserted a new pair of batteries, try and see if you will be able to change the channels or not.
Besides having dead batteries, if you have inserted the batteries the wrong way, your remote will not be able to change the TV channels. Therefore, before you rule out that the batteries are dead, consider checking whether the batteries have been inserted correctly. If they are inserted correctly, and they are in a good condition and you are not able to change the channels, you can consider the next alternative.
3) You might be using the wrong remote model
Different Comcast TV boxes will come with different kinds of remote controls. Some of these models might be specific to a certain region. If you use a remote that is not specifically meant to be used on a particular set-up box, you will not be able to change the channels the way you want.
Therefore, you should always ensure that you are using the remote that Comcast provided you with when you were purchasing the TV box. By doing so, you will not experience hiccups anytime you have to change the channels.
4) Your remote is not well synced with the TV box
If your remote control is not well synched to the receiver box or set-box of your TV, you will not be able to change the channels the way you want. As we speak, it is possible to pair your remote with the set-up box of your TV seamlessly. In case you have remote models such as XR5, XR11 (Voice remote), or XR2, you can now pair it with your set-up box by doing the following:
- Ensure that your batteries are functioning optimally and are well-inserted in your remote control
- Ensure that your TV box and the TV itself are turned on
- Make sure that you have set the TV input in a way that it is connected to the Xfinity TV box
- Once you are set, you can now long-press the set-up button present on your remote.
- The LED light at the top of your remote will change from red to green.
- After that, press the Xfinity button on your remote, and the LED light will bow be flashing the green color. If you have to pair your XR5 or XR2 remote control with their respective set-up boxes, you may be prompted to press the Xfinity button 5 times or thereabout.
- Follow the instructions that you will find on your screen and key in the 3-digit pairing code that will pop up on your screen.
- The moment you key in this code on your remote control, you will have managed to pair the remote with the set-up box successfully.
5) Your remote control is damaged
Just like any other device, your remote control may get damaged due to a number of reasons. For instance, if the remote falls several times and it breaks the motherboard present in it, chances are that it will no longer function like it used to. Better still, if you put the remote in water, it may get damaged over time. All these incidences are very common among homeowners who have pets and kids.
Other times, the pet may urinate on the remote control unawares. This can damage the remote and thus make it less effective. Other times, the buttons that change channels might have issues. Although other buttons may be functioning optimally, the remote control may be of less help to you.
In such scenarios, you may have to replace the remote. If the remote had a warranty, you might get one free of charge. However, the remote control should not have been repaired in the past by anyone. If you had tried to repair it on your own, you might have to purchase a new one from your pocket. When purchasing a remote control, it is important that you purchase from authorized dealers and one that matches with your Comcast set-up box.
6) Factory reset the remote control
If the problem of not being able to change channels persists, you may have to factory reset the remote control. To factory reset the remote, here are the steps that can help you to get started:
- Press and then hold the ‘triangle’ and ‘diamond’ buttons at the same time
- Hold them for about 3 seconds until the status light changes its color from red to green.
- Thereafter, press 9 and then 8 and 1 in that sequential order.
- Once you are done, allow the LED light to blink blue 3 times. If this happens, be sure that you have managed to reset the remote control.
The moment you reset the remote control, you will have to pair it or synchronize it with the set-up box afresh. However, this may not always be the case, as resetting the remote usually eliminates the glitches that might be hindering you from changing the channels from the comfort of your couch. Consequently, your remote will be able to work again.
7) Contact Comcast’s customer care team
If none of the above-mentioned solutions are bearing any fruits, you will have no other alternative other than to contact the Comcast help desk. To contact an agent from Comcast, you can readily do so by calling 1-800-XFINITY. Better still, you can visit Comcast’s website and then chat with them from that end.
For optimal results, ensure that you are able to talk to a real person instead of an automated service. Once you are connected to an agent from Comcast, you will be able to narrate your problem and be offered workable solutions to solve it outright.
Final Words
Nothing is frustrating like having to walk to your set-up box and back in order to change the channels that you want. Here, you will not be enjoying the comfort of having to pick your Xfinity remote control and changing the channels the way you want. Since this problem is very common among Xfinity remotes, you should consider following all the ideas we have mentioned above. If the worst comes to the worst, do not hesitate to contact the customer care team for better guidance and insights. Whether they will advise you to purchase another remote or send a technician to check your remote, be sure that a solution will be found to solve your problem promptly.