Amazon Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote Pro (newest model) with remote finder, TV controls, and backlit buttons

Ok, I have had this remote now for a good few months and I gotta say, I haven’t ran across any issues what so ever. The voice function works good. The (find my remote) alarm works great. And that function alone is worth buying this thing. These little fire remotes always seem to get lost. They can slide down in couch cushions, get wrapped up in blankets, fall behind beds, or just misplaced in general. So having the ability to ask Alexa where the remote is and she turns on an alarm on the remote itself so you can track it down is perfect. This remote also has back lit keys so you won’t be fumbling around in a dark room trying to make sure you’re hitting the correct buttons. Now the lighted keys only turn on when your fingers brush over the keys. So I’m sure that helps out with battery life, however, this is the only issue I have came across that does put a damper on the remote, is that this thing will drink up batteries very quickly. Not sure how often you will be using your remote, but I can drain a set of triple AAAs in a couple weeks in this remote. Now I shouldn’t have to tell you that batteries in remotes can last for many many months. I have even had some that last for over a year. So when I blow through a set in 2 weeks, you know it’s gonna start costing you. I decided to order a couple sets of rechargeable batteries so I always have a good set to toss in. One thing to note here is if you just leave your remote sitting on your couch or in your bed, some items coming into contact by brushing up against the keys, can cause the lighted keys to turn on. Now this is another reason the batteries can die out more quickly. All in all, looking past these personal things, I still think this remote deserves a 5 star rating. It is definitely better than the old stock remotes that came with the old sticks and cubes. And the added blank buttons that allow you to program in what apps you want to open for personalization is a game changer. Do I think this remote is a bit overpriced? Yes. But like most things, if you really want it, you pay the price. Would i suggest this to others? Yes. And I already have gotten a few of my friends to upgrade to this remote. They dig it also. Just make sure that if you buy a cover for this, that it is the correct cover to fit this remote specifically. Covers for the other fire remotes will not fit this one as they are about a half inch different in length, and the button layouts are different. I do hope this review helps some of you out trying to decide if this is worth buying.

So one of my crazy cats knocked my remote off the counter and was throwing it all over the place playing with it. Somehow the internal microphone must have broken as it no longer responded to voice commands (everything else worked fine). I picked up one of those super cheap ($6) no name remotes that supposedly works with my fire cube (the pop-up message stated that it works with all my fire devices). It did technically work for simple commands but none of the multi-button press shortcuts worked. I use “voice view” amazons built in screen reader for the blind. There are many times when that feature needs to be toggled on or off and the easiest way is by pressing and holding down the “back” and “menu” buttons simultaneously for a few seconds. Anyway, it seems that only the legit Amazon branded remotes can perform these tasks. So I had to order up this one as it was n sale for less than the basic version at the time (still pricy considering that for a few dollars more you can get a fire stick and remote). This remote pairs instantly, much faster and easier than with the no name remotes. As soon as it paired, it immediately asked to update the remotes software so I did. It also immediately generated an Alexa app message on my phone that a new device was found. I’ve never had that happen with a remote before. Ends up that’s part of the “find remote” feature that this remote has. It’s also backlit which is nice. With an Amazon branded remote everything, including the multi-button shortcuts work flawlessly. The only thing that I miss (having low vision) was the colored app buttons as those were easily identifiable. These buttons have the app name printed over a standard black button. At least the microphone button is still colored blue so I know which way is up at a glance.

I was having a lot of problems with the Apple TV in our guest room. Janky audio and video. I decided to try another platform to see if the problem was actually the Apple TV or the TV itself. I ordered the latest Amazon 4K Firestick Max and found it was indeed the Apple TV that had gone bad. The picture and audio on the Firestick is awesome. However, the one thing I was not all that impressed with was the remote that came with the unit. It's fine as it is, but didn't have several functions I wanted. I decided to see if they offered a more premium remote for the Firestick. They do ... It has several functions that I really like. For example, you can use Bluetooth headphones with it, and it has backlight buttons. The overall feel and heft of the remote is simply more premium than the one that comes with the Firestick. It's also smaller. The first thing I did was pair it with the Firestick (which took all of one minute) and then tried my Bose headphones with it. Again, it took all of one minute to pair it and it works flawlessly. Once paired, you simply push the headphone button on the top right side of the remote and that is all you need to do. The audio immediately switches from the external speaker to the headphones. And the backlight buttons are very helpful in a dark room. The remote also has two customizable shortcut buttons. I haven't done anything with those yet but will set one up for my Favorite Channels. One thing you need to do however is check the compatibility list on Amazon. Evidentially the remote doesn't work with some older Amazon Firestick products. It absolutely works with the latest Firestick 4K Pro. Granted, the remote was an additional cost, but well worth it from my perspective. Glad I purchased it. That said, Amazon should offer it as an optional SKU with the Firestick 4K Pro .... I bet they would sell a lot of them in that configuration.

07/23/2023: Bought these because I noted that over time, BOTH my Fire Cube devices (along with my Echo devices) seemed to be getting worse and worse in understanding voice commands. The fact that these "fixed" the problem shows clearly that Amazon makes their devices with mics which will fail over time so you have to purchase replacements. Obviously not thrilled with that sort of underhanded marketing, but what can ya do? The remote itself is thicker and heavier than the one that came with the Cubes, and with slightly more functionality - much of which I'll never use. For example, the channel guide and channel up/down buttons. The whole reason I cut the cord was because I detest commercials, and all the "Free" channels in the guide are THICK with commercials - so I ignore them. Very NOT-thrilled with having four permanently assigned buttons at the bottom. The PRIME button "seems" to make sense until you realize that it's completely unnecessary since the HOME button takes you to the Prime portion of the main interface anyway, so when would you ever use it? And of course, the other three are given to whoever pays Amazon the most money to get their name on the buttons. In this case, that's DirectTV, Peacock, and Netflix. So out of the four buttons, I might theoretically use ONE. Personally, I'd rather have four more programmables Speaking of which, there are TWO programmable buttons, and you can program them to run an app (Like Peacock or Netflix - so again making those dedicated buttons mostly useless). But you can also program them to perform commands. Programming them is easy. Hold down the button a few second and a menu appears to choose what you want it to do. The menu will include the last few voice commands you did, so you can just select the one you want, or you can go into "Your Apps" or "More Actions". Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to support "Routines", which would be nice. Personally, since my TV doubles as my screen for gaming I need to change to HDMI 2 pretty commonly. So the "2" button works perfect for that using the voice command "H.D.M.I. 2". There's no need for an HDMI 1 button, because the HOME button puts it back on HDMI 1 to display the menu The SETTINGS button does not take you to Settings. It takes you to a menu with several options on it, most of which I'll never use, and with the actual "Settings" furthest away. My most common use-case for this is to restart the Fire device, which takes 13 clicks the normal way, or 14 clicks using the SETTINGS button on the remote because you can't even go left to circle to the far right like you can on the main screen. So... another possibly great feature poorly implemented. The items on the SETTINGS menu button are (left to right) "Profiles", "Apps", "Sleep", "Mirroring", and "Settings". If you almost never use those, then the button is useless. So restarting is STILL easier using the other method, which is to hold down the "SELECT" and "PLAY/PAUSE" buttons for 5-8 seconds (by the time you get done clicking, you'll have used up that time anyway). The old remote had all the other buttons, except for the headphones button, which I'll probably never use either. So is it worth it? Well, if you have one of the older remotes without volume, mute, and power buttons, then it's probably worth it. If not, you'll have to make that call yourself. If you have one or two commands you use all the time, the programmable buttons might make it worth it to you. If you use the "free" (commercial-thick) channels, then it might also. Otherwise, probably not. One note. I have 2 TVs and 2 Fire Cubes, and replaced both remotes. In both cases I had to set the original remotes so they'd know what type of TV so they'd know which remote control (IR) codes to use. And in both case, the new remotes seem to have "learned" that from the previous remotes. Aside from pairing the remote to the Cube, there was no setup required (other than programming the #2 buttons for HDMI2 of course, since the old remotes didn't have that functionality). Aside from pairing them, there was zero set-up. I had fully expected to have to set the TV models again, so kudos on that. Oh, I almost forgot. The backlight feature is AWESOME! I know I'll have to replace the batteries sooner, but since I operate in the dark 90% of the time, it's really nice to be able to see the buttons. Also, the "Remote Finder" works fine, though I'll probably never use it. I think it's one of those function that I may never use, but if/when I need it, I'll REALLY need it. :-) So I'm glad it's there. Now Alexa can find either my Phone or my Remote. She so smart! Also, when I asked where my remote was, she asked if I wanted to find the First remote control or the Second, so that's nice.

This is the third upgrade for the fire stick i have bought. This is probably the best version of it. The backlit numbers on true remote is my favorite feature. One of the best interactive streaming devices out there. Access to plenty of services either already on the firestick or downloadable. Easily pairs with your TV fore great function. Compact easy manipulation, no need for extra remotes. The voice control works great. Overall the best version of the Amazon Firestick.

Update #2: I received the replacement remote today. After installing the batteries and pressing the home button, I navigated to the menu on the Fire Stick to add a remote. It immediately found the remote and paired. Total setup time was under 15 seconds. When I ask Alexa where my remote is, the remote starts beeping as intended. The tone isn't super loud, but it should help locate the remote as intended unless it's under a cushion. The tone almost sounds like the Universal Studios intro. The custom buttons are also super easy to setup. My overall impression of the remote itself after finally receiving it... Is 5 out of 5. It works exactly as intended, and was super easy to setup (once I received a working unit). I only wish the replacement process has been smoother, but it worked out in the end. While I would take off a star because of the initial experience, the product is what I'm rating. And yes, I would certainly recommend this product to others. Update #1: After writing my initial review, Amazon customer service contacted me in hopes of reaching a resolution. They apologized for the confusion with the experts, and were very friendly and understanding. While they were not able to "send a replacement" directly, they agreed to issue the refund immediately, and told me to keep, donate, or dispose of the current remote. I opted to have the refund credited as a gift card, so I could immediately place a new order and apply the gift card, which I did. The new remote should arrive by Saturday. I will provide additional updates on the product one I receive it and finally get to test its features. Initial Review: I ordered this remote to replace a lost remote. By the time it arrived, the original FireTV Stick 4K was bricked, and they could not fix it. I ordered a NEW FireTV Stick 4K during Black Friday, and got it set up tonight without a hitch. Once it was setup, I attempted to pair this Remote Pro with my new FireTV Stick 4K (3rd Gen). Despite repeated attempted holding the Home button down, it would never connect. Long story short, I've now spent 1 hour and 40 minutes on two phone calls, being transferred to 6 different representatives. I've factory reset my remote pro 4 times, changed batteries, unplugged the FireTV Stick, and done everything but dance.... Everything the customer service "experts" advised. The first FireTV "expert" told me there wasn't even an option to add another remote in the settings (?!? Settings.... Controllers and Bluetooth Devices). Then I spoke to another "expert" who told me the Remote Pro wasn't compatible with Fire TV Stick, despite its compatibility page listing 5 types of Fire TV Sticks it's compatible with. After finally having tech support agree it was likely an RMA.... they refused to send a replacement, as it was not in Amazon's policy to do so. The only option would be to send it back, wait days for it to be received, so they can process the refund, wait for it to show a credit, and then I get to spend the money on the remote again and hope for the best. I've been an Amazon Prime customer for years, and I've had great experiences 95% of the time.... But this is by far the worst experience I've ever had with them. I think the product page sounds great for this product, and I understand RMAs happen... That's all fine. I get it. But to go through nearly three total hours just trying to get a remote paired or replaced has me questioning if it's worth it in the first place. Perhaps if I ever get a working Remote Pro, I'll be glad to update my rating.

I really like the backlit keys on this Fire TV remote. Helps when watching TV in bed at night with the lights out. I also like the two programmable buttons. Haven't tried the headphone pairing yet. It was easy to add as a second remote to my FireStick 4K. I do not believe it is worth the usual retail price, but I bought it at a steep discount on Black Friday. If you can grab it for around $25 and want a remote that is backlit, this is probably a good buy at that price.

I recently purchased an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K to eliminate an issue I had with my Vizio "Smart" 4K TV freezing up with apps, specifically Netflix. Problem solved (I'll review the Fire TV Stick 4K separately..it's great!). The remote that came with the Fire TV Stick 4k (on the left in the picture) worked great. Paired easily with my TV, Fire Stick and Alexa-enabled Echo Dot speaker. It really lacked only one thing that I wanted...back-lit buttons. I use this in my bedroom and at night in a dark room, fumbling to find the buttons was a pain. I could say "Alexa...rewind 30 seconds", etc and my Echo Dot would take over but I wanted to be able to make full use of the remote, separate from the Echo Dot so I'll concentrate my review on the remote itself. Here are the things that the "PRO" has that the "standard" Alexa Fire TV voice remote doesn't have: "Find My Remote": NOTE: If you already have an Alexa Voice remote, you will want to add the Pro as a second remote and keep your original to use this feature if you don't have an Echo Dot or other Voice enabled device. The "Find My Remote" feature is a definite plus. You just say "Alexa...find my remote" and the PRO will begin to beep until you find it and touch a button. It works with any Alexa device (including your old Alexa voice remote) and ALSO WORKS WITH THE ALEXA APP on your phone. The "beeping" isn't very loud, but it's loud enough to enable you to find the remote between sofa cushions. Back-lit buttons: My favorite feature, hands down. It lights up automatically when it senses movement or if you press any button. The other features are cool and useful, but I got spoiled having a universal remote with back-lit buttons. Bluetooth Headphone Pairing (top right button): Easily paired my Pioneer Bluetooth headphones with very good quality and no lag or delay in the audio. A nice feature, but I live alone so I don't use headphones for TV viewing, so it's nice to have, but didn't factor into my decision to buy it, but if it's something that you would use, it works great. In addition to the Volume Up/Down the Pro includes a Channel Up/Down button. I have no need for this very often but it's handy. Settings Button: The Pro has a button that takes you directly to the "Settings Menu" skipping the need to use the "Menu" button and having to navigate to Settings. I guess it's useful, but I don't see a need to access settings very often and using the blue Alexa Voice control button, you can just press it and say "Open Settings". 2 Programmable Buttons on the PRO (labeled 1 and 2): Basically any command you give to Alexa, you can use these as a shortcut. You can also assign apps to them, etc. I assigned Button 1 to open HBOMAX and Button 2 to open YouTube TV as an example. The 4 quick-launch app buttons (Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu) at the bottom came as shown in my pic. In the product pics for this item above they are shown as blank buttons for some reason? I also have a Blink camera linked to my Alexa and can see a live shot from the camera on my TV with a quick voice command ("Show Camera Name") or I could assign that voice command to one of the 2 programmable buttons. When programming the buttons (a very easy process) it will show you your recent Alexa voice commands to choose from, you can choose "Apps" for a listing of all of your apps, etc. Same for games, etc. My decision to buy this rather than stick with the Alexa Voice remote that came with my Fire TV 4K was the Back-lit buttons. The headphone connection is cool, but I don't need it. The settings button I don't see my needing to access it often, so I don't care. Channel Up/Down button, only useful for me when using YouTube TV and I rarely channel surf so, I can live without it The 2 Programmable buttons: I like that I can have 2 extra apps to launch using one touch but I could just say "Launch HBOMAX" so maybe I'll find more fun or useful ways to use the buttons. ****When pressing the Blue Alexa Voice Button on the remote you don't need to say "Alexa" before giving the command. I did that once and had my Echo Dot trying to respond as well as the remote. lol In the end, I basically paid $35 so I could see the remote's buttons in the dark (I only paid $24.99 for the Fire TV Stick 4K with voice remote). LOL Was it worth it? I switched back to using the original one for one night and yes, not being able to see the buttons after being able to the night before is worth the $35 to eliminate the frustration. LOL I hope you find this review helpful.