Just as my brother left for work, he reminded me:
“Don’t forget to pay for our WiFi, Peter.”
Oh, shoot. It slipped my mind…
You know what else I forgot?
Where I put our Firestick’s remote.
Darn it. Just when I needed them both to reset my Firestick.
Thankfully, I found a way around it.
Keep reading to discover:
- 5 ways to reset your Firestick without remote or WiFi.
- How to use your TV remote to substitute for a Firestick remote.
- A thorough guide on how to reset your Firestick using your smartphone.
- And so much more…
How to reset Firestick without remote or WiFi? 5 fixes
#1: With the Firestick app
“It’s hopeless.”
You say as you stare at your TV.
And I don’t blame you.
After all, without WiFi and a remote, you can’t reset your Amazon Firestick.
Or can you?
Like they say:
“If there’s a will, there’s a way.”
And the way for you to reset your Firestick without a remote and WiFi?
Use your smartphone.
How?
Step 1: Get more mobile data
So, you’re going to reset your Firestick.
That means the Firestick also needs to re-download all of its apps.
Unfortunately, for this to work, you’ll need a lot of mobile data.
How much?
A typical reset costs about 3 Gb of your data. I know, it’s pretty heavy…
But what else can you do, right?
Anyway, get some more mobile data, and then enable it.
Step 2: Download the Fire TV app
Next, you’ll need the Amazon Fire TV app, which is available on Android and iOS.
Why do you need this app, you ask?
To substitute for your missing or broken remote.
But that’s not the only thing you can do with this app. Other features include:
- Voice search.
- Quick access.
- Fire TV recast support.
- Use as a keyboard or controller.
- Navigation and playback controls.
Pretty useful, right?
So go ahead and install the app.
However, it’s not time to use it just yet.
There’s something else you need to do first.
Step 3: Trick your TV
Now, I know you’re going to ask:
“Why and how are you supposed to trick a device?”
Okay, so remember how you don’t have WiFi?
The problem here isn’t only that you can’t download the apps after a reset…
You need your phone on the same WiFi network as the Firestick to use it as a remote.
Do you follow so far?
Good.
Going back to your Firestick…
For sure, you’ve used it with WiFi before, right?
It doesn’t matter if that network’s long gone. You just need its name and its password.
Why?
Because you can’t connect a new WiFi network without a remote.
So, we’ll use your mobile hotspot to imitate a network already connected to your Firestick.
Now, here’s what you need to do:
For iOS
- Go to your Settings menu.
- Press General.
- Tap About.
- Set Name to the name of your old WiFi network, and then press Done.
- Now, go back to the Settings page.
- Head to Personal Hotspot.
- Set WiFi Password Field to the password of your old WiFi network.
- Enable your hotspot.
For Android
- Go to your Settings menu.
- Head to Connection & Sharing.
- Tap Personal Hotspot.
- Press Personal Hotspot Settings.
- Set Name to the name of your old WiFi network.
- Set Password to the password of your old WiFi network.
- Enable your hotspot.
Step 4: Power cycle your Firestick
Your Firestick won’t connect to your hotspot while it’s on. So you’ll have to turn it off first.
And the best way of restarting any device?
A power cycle.
This is how to perform one:
- Turn your TV off.
- Detach the Firestick from the TV.
- Unplug your TV for 30 seconds.
- Plug the TV back into the socket.
- Reattach the Firestick.
After that, you’re done with this step.
This method ensures that not only will your Firestick fully restart…
Once you power it on, it’ll also be free of glitches and stuck processes.
Step 5: Reset your Firestick
You should now have everything you need to reset your Firestick.
All that’s left to do is to complete the reset.
Don’t worry. This is the easy part.
Just follow these 7 simple steps:
- Switch to your Firestick input on the TV.
- Open your Fire TV app.
- Once it detects your TV, enter the 4-digit code on your screen to the phone.
- Now, head to Settings.
- Go to My Fire TV.
- Tap Reset to Factory Defaults.
- Select Reset to confirm the process.
And you’re good to go. Just wait until the setup finishes, and you’ll have a Firestick that’s good as new.
You may also be interested in: 9 Steps To Reset Firestick Without Remote
#2: Using a PC
Now, what if that didn’t work…
But your TV’s still connected to your hotspot, and your smartphone still works as a remote?
What can you do then?
Grab your laptop.
We’re going to use that to reset your Firestick.
“Wait, I can do that?”
Sure you can. You just have to:
- Switch to your Firestick input.
- Using your phone as a remote, press Home.
- Head to Mirroring.
- Once the prompt appears, click Connect on your laptop.
You should now be able to control your TV using your PC. Next:
- Navigate to Settings.
- Go to System.
- Select Reset To Factory Settings.
And, voila. All data on your Firestick is now gone.
#3: With a wireless mouse
Do you have an extra mouse lying around somewhere in your home?
If so, you can also use that to reset your Firestick.
How?
You see, you can connect a mouse directly to your TV through its USB port.
But that won’t work on the Firestick.
Instead, you’ll have to connect your mouse directly to the Firestick.
The thing is:
Firestick doesn’t have a USB-A port; it only has USB-C.
So, what can you do?
First option is to invest in a USB-C wireless mouse.
The second?
Snag a USB-A to USB-C adapter.
Once you have either of those, you can now use your mouse to navigate through the Settings menu.
The only thing left to do is:
- Go to your Settings menu.
- Head to System.
- Press Reset to Factory Settings.
- Select Reset to confirm.
Do you want to see someone use a mouse for their Firestick?
Take a peek at this video:
#4: With a keyboard
So, remember when I told you that you could use your mouse to navigate through your Settings?
The same principles apply to using a keyboard.
Just connect a keyboard to your Firestick through an adapter and:
- Use your Home key to go to Settings.
- Use your Arrow keys to go to System.
- Press Enter.
- Go to Reset to Factory Settings, and then press Reset.
Note: If you ever make a mistake, simply press the Esc button.
#5: With HDMI-CEC
“If only I could use my TV’s remote for the Firestick, life would be so much easier…”
What if I told you that you can?
That’s right. You just need to enable your TV’s HDMI-CEC function, and you’re good to go.
Now, if you haven’t heard of CEC…
That’s totally normal. Why?
Because, for some reason, brands insist on naming it differently. Instead of just calling it CEC.
These are the trade names for HDMI-CEC for different brands:
| Brand | CEC Trade Name |
| Hitachi | HDMI-CEC |
| Insignia | INLink |
| LG | SimpLink |
| Mitsubishi | NetCommand or Realink |
| Panasonic | VIERA Link, HDAVI Control, or EZ-Sync |
| Philips | EasyLink or Fun-Link |
| Samsung | Anynet+ |
| Sony | BRAVIA Link or BRAVIA Sync |
| Toshiba | CE-Link or Regza Link |
| Vizio | CEC |
Like I told you…
It’s a little confusing.
Now, the only question is:
How can you turn CEC on?
Here. Let me guide you.
Samsung
- Press the Home button on your remote.
- Go to Settings or All Settings.
- Head to General or Connection.
- Select External Device Manager.
- Set Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) to On.
Sony
- Press the Home button on your remote.
- Go to Settings.
- Head to Watching TV.
- Under External Inputs, tap Bravia Sync Settings.
- Set Bravia Sync Control to On.
LG
- Press the Home button on your remote.
- Go to Settings.
- Under General, head to SimpLink.
- Set SimpLink to On.
- Toggle on Auto Power Sync.
Vizio
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Go to System.
- Head to CEC.
- Set CEC to On.