Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Alexa Voice Remote Pro with Red Remote Cover

Top positive review

Back-lit buttons did it for me!

Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2022

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.

360 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Ben

It’s nice but needs further development. It’s a test model at best.

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023

So I got this remote to replace my aging one. It paired up fine. The Alexa button works well and adds functionality to the remote (old remote didn’t have this feature). There are two programmable buttons which are great. The preset kind of stink. I only use 2 of them. There is a button for direct tv, Netflix, Peacock and Prime video. I really don’t use them much. Dont know why they put DirectTV on one of the buttons. Seems like an advertisement. Quick access menus and settings button which I use a lot. There is also a backlight for each key. It’s a nice remote but still needs a little work on the software side.
Now I’m not saying this is a bad thing your taste may vary, but why is this remote so slippery? Trying to keep a hold of it is difficult at best and for my hands it’s way too small. Granted, my original remote wasn’t much larger but gripping it was far easier to the point of not remembering this as an issue. Then there is integration into the Alexa system. It’s not so great. When I ask Alexa to find this remote, it can’t. It has no idea what I’m talking about. Combing through heaps forums only lead me back to the beginning of my problem, it just doesn’t work. It was a selling point. So I don’t think I’m asking for too much to have the remote work as advertised.
Overall it’s a nice upgrade but is it worth the cost? That depends on what you want it to do. If you don’t need the main selling feature of being able to find it with Alexa, then YES! If you’re like me and like the lights turned low when you pop in your favorite horror flick, YES! The Pro’s nice backlight feature is a huge improvement over the non backlit models. If you have direct TV, the shortcut button is great. If you don’t just…. Don’t Push it? Don’t know. The extra buttons throughout the remote well help you navigate the fire platform quickly. I really wish they would have made all the shortcut buttons programmable but I can hope later they will listen to their customers but I ain’t holding my breath. Anyway not a bad remote if you need to replace your old one but if you don’t just hang on to the old one a little longer. The prices on these things go up and down all the time. Happy shopping!

One person found this helpful

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From the United States

Two quit working after changing batteries.

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2024

Configuration: Remote onlyVerified Purchase

That’s right, two remotes bought separately broke after I changed batteries. One was bought in December 2023. Husband got a notification on tv screen that batteries were low. To replace soon. So he did. It never worked again. I really thought he broke it, so I ordered a new one in April, 2024. This time when he saw the notification to change batteries, he called me to witness. Same thing happened. I called customer service. Went through all the steps & it still didn’t work. I asked to speak to a supervisor. He said he would send me a new stick & remote. I thought that was nice since I spent money on 2 remotes. But all I got was a firestick. I need a working remote. Called again. Spoke to another supervisor. She was going to send me a remote & wanted me to return the stick. I was fine with that. I just wanted my working remote. But when I saw her email, she was sending me an older model. So I’m on the phone again, spoke to a supervisor, explained everything to him. He said he needed to put me on hold for a couple of minutes. It’s been about 45 minutes.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

j.erin1530

Not dead, but stopped working in 4 months....

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2024

Configuration: Remote onlyVerified Purchase

I bought this in July of 2023 for my husband's birthday to go along with a new fire smart tv. It paired fine, worked great. Loved the new features, especially loved that the buttons light up (as all remotes' should!), and also loved Bluetooth capabilities with use of AirPods - also easily paired. In less than four months, it stopped working one night when I was up late watching something....tried to switch to AirPods so I wouldn't wake my husband, and they didn't connect immediately as they usually did. Grabbed the remote to see if they were still paired, but no buttons worked. The remote still lit up, but nothing at all worked when pressed. I used an extra 3rd gen remote and checked TV and said remote was still paired, but still - nothing was connecting. I first changed the batteries thinking for sure they were just too low to function. But still, same - lit up, but nothing worked. Looked online for a solution. Pressed home button for 10 seconds as directed, and indicator light started flashing nonstop for much longer than 10 seconds after that. I tried all the troubleshooting tips on the Amazon site, as well as specific ones on the tv for resetting the remote. There are several semi-ridiculous and random steps, but did them all to the tee. Nothing. I have to be honest - I hate having to call Amazon customer service for ANYthing. The language barrier is sometimes frustrating and impossible to get past, or at least to get anything accomplished during the call. But suppose I'm going to have to bite it on this one and either call them and go through the countless steps I've already tried just to tell them it STILL doesn't work and then HOPE they'll send a replacement, OR shell out another $35 for a new one. But I'm even hesitant to do that considering that this one fritzed out in such a short period of time. It was great while it worked, but hard to recommend when it's so short-lived.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

R Smith

Horrible battery life, less than three (3) weeks. Find my remote does NOT work.

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2022

Configuration: Remote onlyVerified Purchase

Pros:
Users can program two buttons.
That's it.
Cons:
1) If you are buying this for the "Find my Remote" feature, forget it. It does NOT work. It worked for about two months. Then there was a firmware update. Find my remote has not worked since. I bought several just for this feature. I have a habit of getting up and carrying a remote around, then setting it down and forgetting where I put it. When this option worked it was great. Not anymore since the remote firmware update.
2) Very short battery life. Fire Stick remotes were never very good on battery life. This one is worst. It might be because this remote has a very sensitive motion sensor in it so when it moves, the keyboard light(s) come on. It is so sensitive that the slightest movement, the light comes on. My A/C or heat comes on, the air movement alone will activate the lights in the remote. This should be like other remotes, a button to turn on the keyboard lights if needed. I really do not need the lights because I know where each button is by touch. Poor design decision.
3) Not easy to set up. In order for it to control the volume on my TV, I had to do a factory reset on my Fire Stick and walk through the full setup process. There is no option in the "Add new remote" section to setup the TV volume controls. Who forgot this step? The latest firmware has NOT addressed this issue.
4) Three useless buttons (Netflix, Disney + and Hulu). These should be programable buttons. If I use one of these services, I can program a button to easily access the service.
Overall, I cannot give this remote more than one (1) star, down from Two (2) due 1) Find my remote stopped working on all three remotes I have after the firmware update. 2) How fast the remote eats batteries. This remote should be getting at least six months use out of name brand alkaline batteries. Not less than three weeks. Stop trying to add features and fix the battery issues and the Find my remote feature that is promoted....
Then added the "Find my remote" feature no longer works. So basically, an overpriced remote. So,stick with the one that comes with the Fire TV stick,

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Pen Name

They’ve replaced 5 or 6 of these in less then a year.

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024

Configuration: Remote onlyVerified Purchase

Have fun. The locate remote feature works for 1 month and then stops - you can be holding the remote and Alexa will NOT ring it. It will not ring past a month out of the box. Buttons will randomly die and not respond, leaving you unable to turn off tv or adjust volume. Your tv will be stuck at 70 volume for 5 days while you relentlessly explain over and over to each new person that joined the customer support chat after abandoning the conversation part way through, what is going on, confirming the same thing over and over with no resolution. Absolutely not worth the price, or the headache. I’ve never been so frustrated with a product in my entire life. I purchased a year ago and have literally lost days of my life to frustrations, customer service, troubleshooting, and ultimately, was given FIVE OR SIX replacements. Like at this point you’d think they’d fix the issue in manufacturing! 🥴🫠 I’m just so over it, I use Alexa device for the majority of tv use but literally have a remote only to turn the tv volume down sometimes. Like good lord, we don’t even USE the darn thing, why is it always broken?!

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tom H

Disappointed!

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2023

Configuration: Remote onlyVerified Purchase

Was excited for this remote so I would not have to say, "Switch to HDMI1" & "Switch to HDMI2" all the time when switching between the Firestick TV and regular TV. However, for $30 it was very disappointing. I followed the instructions by saying "Switch to HMI1 & Switch to HDMI2" then held the program button 1 & 2 until the option came up to assign either an app or a command to the button. Programed both buttons for switching between HDMI1 & HDMI2. Programing was excepted. But it does not work! When button 1 is pressed to go to HDMI1 all I get from Alexa is "Don't know what went wrong" the same for Button 2. I have a Samsung TV which I'm sure is common. If it works by speaking, why won't it work when programing the commands to the buttons. Talked to Support and they had no answers for this issue. All they came up with is reset the remote which I did with no resolve. My other complaint is the preprogramed buttons. Why would I want DirecTV as a preprogramed button? All my original Fire TV Remotes have Prime Video (which I use), Disney+ (which I use), Hulu (which I use), Netflix (Which I don't use). At least I was able to use 3 of the preprogramed buttons on the original remotes. But on this $30 remote I would only use 1 preprogramed button and cannot use the programable buttons as I wanted to. Obviously, I will be returning this remote that in my opinion is NOT ready for real life use. I think they are on the right track but need to make it work as advertised. I also think they should just give you 4 to 6 programable buttons instead of the 4 useless preprogramed ones. I do like the back light and the remote does feel more solid. Didn't get a chance to try the headset functionality which is also a nice addition.
Tom H.

23 people found this helpful

Helpful

Steven MC

Great remote until it stops working. And it will stop working.

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2024

Configuration: Remote onlyVerified Purchase

I bought this along with the silicon case twice. The first time I accidently dropped it and somehow it just happened to land into a half-full (some might say "half-empty") glass of water. There wasn't enough water to completely submerge it, so I was hopeful it would be ok (I'm a half-full fellow) and immediately removed the remote from its case and carefully dried it off. I replaced the batteries with new ones and checked to see if it still worked. Nope, it was dead. I then placed it in a bag of white rice for a couple of days and it still was dead. Defeated, I purchased the same remote. About a month later, as I stood up with the remote (in its case) in my hand, and it slipped from my grasp and fell 3 feet to the floor. I picked it up and tried to use it and DEAD! I replaced the batteries and still DEAD. Save your money and buy a generic brand. It will probably be more durable, or at least much cheaper to replace.

Helpful

Vanessa O.

Find feature was short lived

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024

Configuration: Remote onlyVerified Purchase

At first, I was very happy with this purchase. My kids are constantly moving the remote around and misplacing it. So getting a remote I could have my Alexa find for me was amazing! I didn't end up setting it up until Jan and thought I waited too long lol. I would use the find my remote on Alexa a few times after that. However, it only worked for about 2 months. Now it doesn't beep at all! Very frustrating. I once again am stuck searching for the remote myself which can be lost for days the way my kids hide the thing. Very frustrating. I tested the fine my remote feature myself thinking maybe I just didn't hear it, but nope. It can be right in front of me and it won't beep anymore.

Update.
Amazon reached out and instructed me to re-add the remote. This did not work. Even worse, the batteries died and I replaced them. I had a small hope that it was failing because of the batteries, but nope. Now it won't connect at all to my firetv. It's total junk now and I can't even get it replaced! I reached back out to Amazon and no response!

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Noel

Find my remote does not work (update)

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2023

Configuration: Remote onlyVerified Purchase

Update:
Although several updates have come out for the remote and the Fire Cube, the issue is still not resolved, but it has gotten better. You are able to use the find my remote feature if you have used the remote in the past 15-20min, but definitely not if you haven't used it since the previous day. I highly suspect that, if they were to solve this issue, it would result in far less battery life for the remote as the cause is obviously a power saving mode that kicks in after the remote has not been used for a while.
I continue to recommend you buy a separate remote finder, a la Tile, rather than buy this remote for this feature.
It's a shame since Roku and other set-top boxes have managed to implement this feature reliably for more than a decade, but Amazon continues to struggle with this basic feature.
********
The only feature that made this remote attractive was the supposed "find my remote" feature that is built into it. However this feature only every works for the first day it so after pairing it to the fire TV cube (2nd gen). Each time we need to use this feature to find the remote, it fails to communicate entirely. The remote is always within 30 feet of the cube, when eventually found. You can even use the remote to navigate through the menus to settings, ask Alexa to find your remote and still fail after 30 seconds. Then you can unpair it from the cube, re-pair it and that feature suddenly works again. At least for a few minutes. Because as soon as the remote goes into whatever power saving mode Amazon has programmed into it again, it will fall to acknowledge the wakeup command.

This tenders the only feature we cared about on this remote useless, and is something that definitely should have been caught in QA before release much less resolved after two months after release.

Do not buy.

22 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tom

Batteries last 2 weeks at most

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2024

Configuration: Remote onlyVerified Purchase

UPDATE: Now the 2 Pro remotes I have are not navigating properly. One quick click and the focus travels over several options whether it be an app icon or setting. After Googling this issue I've discovered that this is an issue for many others and not just in the United States and for multiple versions of the remote, not just the Pro. I'll try sending these back, but will not be purchasing anything Amazon branded again.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I purchased this remote because it is backlit. I do not like that it has preprogrammed buttons for streaming services I don't use. Even if I used them, I don't need a dedicated button to open the service. I have accidentally pressed one of these buttons while watching something and it is super annoying. It also has 2 programmable buttons that I don't use. Though I appreciate that many people wanted these buttons, there should be a backlit remote that doesn't include any preprogrammed or programmable buttons other than the necessary buttons for navigating. The fewer buttons the better for me.

In addition, I purchased 2 of these and they both go through batteries every 2 weeks.

In future I'll be purchasing the Apple TV 4K directly from Apple. I do not recommend this remote or Fire TV to anyone.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

David C. Franklin

Problem with new 4K Max

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024

Configuration: Remote onlyVerified Purchase

Originally purchased two of these to work with an Insignia FireTV. Worked great for the past 6 months.

Recently purchased the all new 4K Max upgraded 2024 fire stick due to constant “out of memory” issues and lag issues we have been experiencing lately on our FireTV.

The new Firestick works well, and is fast, with no memory issues or lag issues, but when we deleted the Pro remotes from the FireTV and added them to the FireStick instead, the fun really started. Intermittently, quite often in fact, one button press on the remote results in 5 or 6 button presses to be registered by the firestick, making it practically impossible to navigate or even type a title in the search window. The cursor zips so quickly past the object you are trying to click on, it makes it very hard to click on something (deliberately), in spite of the “amazing speed” it is exhibiting.

I frankly had hoped that a bug fix would have been sent out to correct this problem by now, but the patches that have been sent out only seemed to make it worse. Still waiting…

2 people found this helpful

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