Skip to Content

8 Easy Steps To Open Your Firestick Remote (With Video)

How To Open Firestick Remote

“Why would they put a battery compartment when no one can open it?” 

Is this your first Firestick remote?

Welcome to the club!

Firestick remotes have this one weird reputation…

Their battery compartments are sooo hard to open.

It’s so difficult that how-to-guides, like this one, are posted about it.

So, if you need help with opening your Firestick remote battery compartment,

You’re in the right place!

Continue reading to learn:

  • 8 easy steps to open Firestick remote.
  • Why new Firestick remotes are hard to open.
  • What to do to loosen the battery compartment cover.
  • And that’s only the beginning…

How to open a firestick remote?

To open a Firestick remote, flip the remote and position it upside down. Next, place one thumb in the cover indent and the other near the opposite edge. Apply pressure on both thumbs, then push the cover forward. Avoid touching the sides of the remote, as this will prevent the remote from opening.


8 steps to open your firestick remote


#1: Flip the Firestick remote

First, flip your Firestick remote. The back of the remote should be facing you.

Like regular TV remotes, the battery compartment of Firestick remotes is on the back.

All Firestick remote battery compartment covers are opened by sliding them out.

Seems pretty easy, huh?

But here’s the tricky part.

Firestick remotes have a half-cylindrical form.

And the edges of the battery compartment covers extend to the sides of the remote.

So, when you attempt to open it, it will seem stuck.

Because your palms touch the sides of the remote, and it prevents the cover from sliding out.

No matter how hard you push forward, it would be difficult to open.

This happens because your hands act as resisting forces.

The more you try to open using the same technique, the more your hands will get tired.

And it would take you longer to open the Firestick remote cover.

#2: Hold the remote vertically

Next, you should hold your remote vertically.

The Firestick remote has to be in this position. Because you would open the remote cover by sliding it out.

And you would be able to exert more force when pushing forward than pushing sidewards.

“Why do I have to exert so much effort? Is it really that hard?”

Two things make the Firestick remote battery compartment hard to open:

  1. The battery compartment cover extends to the sides.
  2. Micro-texture edges on the cover from fresh cutting.

TV remote parts are cut using cutting machines. 

And sometimes, these cutting machines leave micro-texture edges from fresh-cut plastic pieces.

The micro-texture edges create friction whenever you try to open the cover.

Micro-texture edges are rough. So, it’s easier for them to stick and resist your force.

So, no, Firestick remote covers are not sticky. 

They’re just literally stuck.

“So, what should I do to smoothen the micro-texture edges?”

We’ll discuss that later, after step #8.

We have to go through the other steps first. So, it’s easier for you to follow.

#3: Position the front side of the remote towards you

Front Side Of Firestick Remote Faces You

Next, make sure that the front side of the remote is facing your body. 

The front side of the remote is where the power button is.

This way, it would be easier to open the remote cover.

“What’s the reason this time?”

Normally, a person can exert almost the same force when pushing and pulling.

But in this case, your object is small and slim. 

And it’s not like you would slide the cover with your whole body.

You only have to use your hands. Specifically, your thumbs.

Given that, it would be easier to slide the cover forward than backward.

Plus, it’s more comfortable to push your thumbs forward.

Given how small and narrow the surface.

#4: Place one thumb on the indent

For the 4th step, place one thumb on the battery compartment cover.

Firestick remote covers are designed to be opened.

You’ll know that because the remote has indents on the battery compartment covers.

Indents are small raised shapes on the battery compartment cover.

Firestick remote versions have different cover indents.

It can either be:

  • Two horizontal line indent.
  • One horizontal line and one arrow indent.

But, 2nd generation Firestick remotes have one flush circle.

Tip: Use hand gloves or anything to tighten your grip on the remote.

As mentioned, the cover of brand new remotes has micro-texture edges.

And it makes opening the cover harder.

So, you might want to use “sticky” tools to help tighten your grip.

Some tools you can use are:

  • Rubber band.
  • Latex hand gloves.
  • Rubber hand gloves.

These materials have a somewhat sticky texture. 

So, it can help hold your grip on the remote while you’re pushing it.

Cleaning the remote beforehand can also help slide the cover easily.

Extra tip: Use your dominant hand to hold the cover indent. You would need to exert more force on the area where the cover indent is. And so, using your dominant hand would be helpful.

#5: Place another thumb near the opposite end

Next, place the thumb of your other hand near the opposite end.

“Why does it need to be near the opposite end? Can’t I place it above my other thumb?”

You can place your thumb above the other. But it would need you to use more force.

The locks of remote covers are usually on the ends.

So, it would be more logical to place your thumbs on the opposite ends.

And opening a new Firestick remote cover needs several tries. 

No matter how hard you try, the cover won’t slide open if the front lock barely moves.

So, when you put your thumb near the other, no force helps the front lock to open.

And so, your thumbs can get tired faster.

So, take this advice and place your thumbs on the opposite ends. 

That way, you wouldn’t have to exert more effort. Plus, it would be easier to open the remote cover.

If you need a visual guide on where to put your thumbs, then watch this video!

Note: Knowing where to put force is much helpful than exerting greater force.

#6: Apply pressure on both thumbs

The 6th step is to apply pressure on both thumbs.

New Firestick remotes are seriously hard to open. Regardless of which version.

So, exert as much pressure as you can.

But not too hard! 

Putting extreme pressure on your remote can damage the components of the device. Especially the remote button contacts and the circuit board.

And you wouldn’t want that.

To know how much pressure you should exert, first do trial runs:

  1. Slide your thumbs on the remote cover and “feel” how stuck it is.
  2. Gradually add pressure until you find the right amount of pressure to exert.

Note: Use your force wisely and save your energy. Exert pressure only when you’re about to push the cover.

Instead of constantly pushing pressure on the cover, time your pressure.

Rest your thumbs on the cover indent and near the opposite end.

And when you’re about to slide the cover forward, push pressure on the said areas.

Doing this will save you so much energy.

Plus, force on sudden exerted pressure is greater.

When you do this, you’ll open your Firestick remote cover in no time.

#7: Push both thumbs forward

After knowing how much pressure to exert, push your thumbs forward.

There’s no other way to go but forward.

Slide your thumbs as straight as possible. 

Doing this is important as this directs the force to go forward.

When the direction is right, it would be easier for the Firestick remote TV to loosen up.

“What’s the big deal in changing the direction of the force?”

When you change the direction of your thumbs, you will lose momentum.

And the amount of force decreases. 

According to physics, the more momentum an object has, the more opposing force is needed to stop it.

So, go straight and forward.

Once you get momentum, your Firestick remote TV will open easily.

#8: Remove the battery compartment cover

By this time, your Firestick remote cover should be loosened up.

The only thing you have to do is to lift the cover open.

It’s very simple.

You can now remove your thumbs on both ends.

And use one thumb to slide off the remote cover completely.

Congrats! You’re now able to remove your Firestick remote cover.

Check out: Solved: Firestick Remote Volume Not Working

Bonus: Repeat steps 4 to 7 several times

If you don’t like the struggles of removing your Firestick remote cover again, then do this bonus step.

Just repeat steps 4 to 7.

Doing this will help smoothen the micro-texture edges of the remote cover. 

Once smoothen, it would be easier to remove the remote cover.

“I only have to change my battery once or twice a year. Why would I have to do this?”

That’s true. 

But you wouldn’t know when you’d need to access the battery compartment. 

For example, battery corrosion can happen. 

And it would be frustrating to fail to open the remote cover when you most need to.

Plus, it would decrease your chances of using tools like pliers to open the cover.

In other words, it saves you from damaging your Firestick remote further.

You might also like: How to reset a Firestick remote?