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.
Amazon Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote Pro (newest model) with remote finder, TV controls, and backlit buttons
4.5 | 17,614 ratings
Price: 24.99
Last update: 12-22-2024
About this item
“Alexa, find my remote.” - Use a device with Alexa, the Alexa app or Fire TV app and Alexa Voice Remote Pro will emit a ring. No searching cushions.
Backlit for your convenience - Navigate movie night with a motion-activated backlight that illuminates buttons in dimly-lit rooms.
Two customizable buttons - Create your own shortcuts to favorite channels, apps, or any Alexa commands.
Dedicated headphone button - A new shortcut to the on-screen Bluetooth menu that lets you pair your wireless headphones fast.
Integrated TV controls - Control power, volume, plus surf live TV with dedicated channel buttons all from one remote.
Press and ask Alexa - Use your voice to find your shows, open apps, manage volume, and even control compatible smart home devices.
Compatible with most Fire TV streaming media players, Amazon Fire TV smart TVs, and smart TVs with Fire TV built-in.
Not compatible with Fire TV (1st and 2nd Gen), Fire TV Stick (1st Gen), Element Fire TV Edition, Insignia HD/Insignia FHD, Hisense U6HF 4K ULED Fire TV Series, or Echo show 15.
Backlit for your convenience - Navigate movie night with a motion-activated backlight that illuminates buttons in dimly-lit rooms.
Two customizable buttons - Create your own shortcuts to favorite channels, apps, or any Alexa commands.
Dedicated headphone button - A new shortcut to the on-screen Bluetooth menu that lets you pair your wireless headphones fast.
Integrated TV controls - Control power, volume, plus surf live TV with dedicated channel buttons all from one remote.
Press and ask Alexa - Use your voice to find your shows, open apps, manage volume, and even control compatible smart home devices.
Compatible with most Fire TV streaming media players, Amazon Fire TV smart TVs, and smart TVs with Fire TV built-in.
Not compatible with Fire TV (1st and 2nd Gen), Fire TV Stick (1st Gen), Element Fire TV Edition, Insignia HD/Insignia FHD, Hisense U6HF 4K ULED Fire TV Series, or Echo show 15.
Top reviews from the United States
Just Me
Back-lit buttons did it for me!
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2022
Just Me
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2022
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.
Images in this review
Seasoned Pro
Excellent upgrade to the standard remote with lighted keys, find your remote and programable buttons
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2024
Shane Mullins
“Better than I hoped it would be”
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2023