How to Pair & Reset Chromecast with Google TV Remote

Last Updated on September 6, 2023 by Tim Wells

As much as I liked the idea of the Chromecast, I never used it as much as I thought I would. It relied on casting content from your smartphone or Chrome browser.

So when the Chromecast with Google TV came paired with a remote, suddenly, I started using it a lot more.

Occasionally, though, I ran into issues with the Chromecast Remote not working correctly. 

In most cases, you can fix these issues by either re-pairing the remote to your Chromecast or by performing a factory reset on the remote itself.

In this article, I will walk you through two ways to re-pair your Chromecast remote, which should solve most issues. If that doesn’t work, I’ll also show you how to reset your Chromecast remote control.

Important note: Everything discussed in this article only applies to the Chromecast with Google TV. It will not work on any older generation of Chromecast. If you don’t know which version of Chromecast you have, please check out this article, where I cover the differences in detail.


How to Pair Chromecast Remote [Automatically]

In general, a Chromecast Voice Remote should automatically pair with the nearest Chromecast.

You should always start with the automatic pairing process when having issues with your Chromecast remote.

Step 1: Remove the batteries from your Chromecast Voice Remote and get a new set of batteries ready.

Do not insert them at this time!

Chromecast Voice Remote with battery panel removed

Step 2: Turn on your Chromecast with Google TV and wait for it to fully load the home screen.

Step 3: Press the button on the back of the Chromecast to put it into pairing mode.

Do not hold the button in. This may begin the factory reset process.

Reset button on the back of the Chromecast with Google TV

Step 4: Insert the new set of batteries and replace the battery cover.

That should automatically sync your Chromecast remote after a few seconds.

If not, jump to the next section to manually pair the Chromecast Voice Remote.


How to Pair Chromecast Remote [Manually]

If you’ve tried the process above and your Chromecast remote won’t pair, the next step is to attempt to manually pair the remote.

For these steps, it helps to have the Google TV app open on your smartphone so you can navigate around the screen.

Step 1: Open the Settings menu. Then go to Remotes & Accessories tab.

Step 2: Click “Pair remote or accessory.”

Chromecast with Google TV: Pair remote or accessory screen

Step 3: This puts the Chromecast into pairing mode. This is similar to pressing the button on the back of the device.

Chromecast: searching for new accessories.

Step 4: Press and hold the Back and Home buttons on the Chromecast Voice Remote to put it into pairing mode.

The status light at the bottom of the remote should begin pulsing slowly.

Press and hold the Back and Home buttons on the Chromecast Voice Remote to put it into pairing mode

Step 5: The voice remote should appear on the right side of the screen.

A message appears telling you that the remote will begin pairing automatically in a few seconds.

Chromecast Remote found and pairing begins

Step 6: Once pairing is complete, you’re returned to the Remotes & Accessories screen.

The Chromecast Remote will appear in the list below.

Chromecast Remote successfully paired

Factory Reset your Chromecast With Google TV Voice Remote

When all else fails, you can factory reset your Google TV remote without resetting the Chromecast.

This will wipe any custom settings you’ve enabled on the remote and bring it back to factory defaults.

Step 1: Remove the batteries from your Chromecast with Google TV remote.

Step 2: Press and hold the Home button, and re-insert the batteries.

You should see a solid light on the bottom of the Chromecast remote.

Press and hold the Home button to reset Google TV remote

Step 3: Once the light starts pulsing, release the Home button.

The factory reset process should take a few seconds. At that point, the Google TV remote should pair automatically with your Chromecast.

If it does not, follow the steps above to manually pair the remote to your Chromecast.

Tim Wells