Why Is Virgin Remote Not Working? (Proven Solutions!)

Wondering why the Virgin remote not working? Stay with us to learn everything to know!

The most frequent cause for a non-working remote is worn-out batteries. However, the hurdle comes when the remote is still not working even after a battery replacement.

So, in this guide, we’ll uncover all the reasons why a Virgin remote will stop working, and of course the solution.

The Virgin remote control may stop working due to drained batteries, physical or wireless IR interference, lack of programming to the receiver, or issues with the receiver itself.

Keep reading to understand more about the problem!

Why is Virgin Remote Not Working?

A remote that isn’t working properly could ruin your streaming experience completely.

To resolve the problem quickly and efficiently, it’s essential to learn what can potentially impact the remote.

Here’s what primarily causes the Virgin Media remote control to malfunction:

The batteries of the Virgin Media remote control are drained.
There’s physical or wireless interference blocking the signal.
The Virgin remote control is disconnected from the receiver.
There’s a factory settings problem with the remote control.
There’s a problem with the Virgin Media receiver or the TV.

How to Test Virgin Media Remote Control?

To verify that the remote has really stopped working, press every single button that causes an output on the TV/receiver and check if anything will work.

It is possible that only one or a few buttons from the remote have malfunctioned, which can be fixed with a simple cleanup.

Note: In case none of the remote buttons are working, you’ll need some troubleshooting!

Virgin TV Remote Not Working – 5 Simple Ways to Fix!

1. Reinsert the Remote Batteries

In order to ensure that the connection between the batteries and the remote is secure, it is recommended to take them out and place them back in after a few seconds.

This process is also known as the “remote power cycle” and works by discharging the hardware of electricity.

Follow these steps to power cycle the Virgin remote in easy steps:

First, place the Virgin remote facing down.
Remove the battery compartment latch.
Eject the batteries out of the compartment.
Next, hold each remote button for 5 seconds.
Then, hold the power button for 10 seconds.
Reinsert the batteries of the remote and test.

Tip: Replace the Virgin Remote Batteries!

If simply taking the batteries out, waiting, and putting them back in didn’t work, replace the batteries of the remote and place a fresh set of two AA units.

Then, double-check if the new batteries are properly embedded into the compartment and close the battery latch.

Note: Only insert brand-new batteries into the Virgin remote!

2. Reprogram the Virgin Remote

One of the possible reasons why the Virgin Media remote won’t work with the receiver is that it got unprogrammed.

It means that the remote is no longer connected to the receiver/TV and must be re-programmed by holding a specific set of buttons until the TV box recognizes it again.

How to Program Virgin TV 360 Remote to Receiver?

First, point the remote towards the receiver.
Hold the “TV” and “0” buttons on the remote.
Hold the buttons for 10 seconds and wait.
Check if the receiver will display any prompt.

Tip: To test the programming, either press the “Power” or “Volume +/-” buttons on the remote!

How to Program Virgin TV 360 Remote to TV?

In order to pair a Virgin 360 remote to a TV, it must be already programmed with the receiver.

To activate a third-party device pairing through the Virgin Media receiver, open the settings and go to “Pair Remote” > “Pair TV”. Then, follow the on-screen instructions.

Info: When paired to a TV, the remote only works for controlling the TV volume, Source, and Power of the device.

All of the remaining buttons only respond to the Virgin receiver!

3. Resolve Underlying IR Interference!

Since Virgin Media remote uses an IR transmitter to communicate with the TV box, there is a high chance of interference, as simple as blocking the signal.

There are a couple of major factors for underlying interference, so let’s investigate the causes and the respective solutions.

Solid Objects/IR Obstructions

Furniture, tables, drawers, or other large pieces of furniture between the remote and the TV could indefinitely prevent the signal from reaching the receiver.

So, dislocate all solid furniture objects between the remote and the TV temporarily and then test if the remote is working.

Metallic Objects/Wireless Devices

The IR signal sent by the remote could be interfered with by other wireless devices that work on the same radio frequency.

Hence, dislocate all wireless or IR transmitters nearby the TV or the remote as well as metallic objects, which on their end, can repel the IR signal.

Impacted Remote/Receiver “Eye”

Another possibility for the underlying malfunction with the Virgin remote is interference caused by an unclean remote or receive “eye”.

The “IR eye” is the communication point (transmitter) of the remote that sends the signal to the receiver and the receiver’s “eye” is the meeting point.

Thoroughly clean the frontal part of the Virgin Media remote using an anti-fibre cloth and a little bit of rubbing alcohol.

Then locate the IR bulb location on the frontal part of the Virgin Media receiver or on the TV device and clean the receiver as well.

Tip: Feel free to use your smartphone to observe through its camera whether the IR bulb on the remote flickers upon pressing buttons.

4. Power Cycle the TV/Virgin Receiver

If the problem is on the TV or receiver’s end, a power cycle will help. This is one of the quickest methods, yet, one of the most powerful ones.

There is no data loss in this process, instead, this will only discharge your TV or receiver, refreshing all services, which will hopefully help.

How to Power Cycle Virgin Media Receiver?

First, push the switch on the back of the TV box to “OFF”.
Once the TV box has shut down, unplug it from power.
Wait for 3-4 minutes while the TV box is disconnected.
Finally, reattach the power cord of the TV box to power.

How to Power Cycle Any Smart Television?

Locate the in-build power button on the TV.
Then, press the button and hold it for 5 seconds.
Next, unplug the power cable of the TV device.
Wait for 30-40 seconds and reconnect the power cable.
Turn on the TV by pressing the in-built power button.

Note: If the TV does not have a physical power button, directly unplug the power adapter!

5. Factory Reset the Virgin Media Remote

There is a simple way to perform a factory reset when the Virgin remote not working and won’t communicate with the receiver or the TV.

In order to undergo a factory reset, the only thing your Virgin Media remote control needs is functional batteries.

Follow these steps to perform a factory reset on the Virgin Media remote:

First, locate the “TV” and “Clear” buttons on the remote.
Hold the buttons simultaneously and for 10 seconds.
Release the buttons Virgin remote’s LED flashes twice.
Press the thumbs-down button 3 consecutive times.
Press “OK” and wait for the top of the remote to flash.

If the remote doesn’t have any type of output throughout the factory reset, thus, it isn’t blinking, repeat the steps above again.

In case it doesn’t blink, re-insert the batteries and test again!

Virgin Remote Still Not Working?

If the remote fails to communicate with the Virgin Media receiver even after applying all of the solutions above, we recommend purchasing a new remote control.

Original Virgin Media 360 remotes come at an approachable price and are shipped by Virgin themselves!

How to Order a New Virgin Remote?

Your new Virgin remote will be shipped in 3-5 days, ready for use with compatible batteries installed in the battery compartment.

Tip: If you’re impatient, feel free to program the basic functions of the universal remote control and use it to adjust the volume and power your TV box.

Quick Recap:

Whenever the Virgin remote not working, power cycle the remote first and then replace the batteries if the remote is still not communicating with the TV/receiver.

Furthermore, apply a factory reset on the remote and then hard reset the TV and Virgin Media receiver. Follow us for more!

Finn Wheatley

Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.