TiVo Remote Blinking Yellow Light: Causes & Fixes

There are quite a number of reasons why your TiVo remote will be blinking its yellow light, in this article, we will be outlining the common and most probable causes, and guiding you on how to fix the issue.

TiVo 4K remotes are quite durable, so if you’re having the issue of a blinking yellow light, no need to worry, the problem is most likely not hardware related, you get it fixed by following any of these guidelines.

TiVo Remote Blinking Yellow Light: Possible Causes

The following reasons could be why your TiVo remote is flashing its yellow light indicator.

1. If the remote is set up in Radio Frequency (RF) mode.
2. If you have a weak, discharged, or damaged battery.
3. Your TiVo remote could begin flashing its yellow light if there’s physical damage.
4. It sometimes happens if there’s a blockage or interference between your receiver and the remote.

TiVo Remote Blinking Yellow Light: How to Fix

To stop your TiVo remote’s yellow light indicator from blinking, you can do the following.

• Switch from RF Mode to IR

All TiVo remotes with RF capability will always flash their yellow light when in RF mode. To fix it, you’ll want to take it back to IR mode. You can do this by long-pressing the TiVo+Red C buttons until the activity indicator on the remote flashes red three times.

• Check the IR Sensor 

Like your regular remotes, if you’ve got a bad/blocked IR sensor, you’re likely to receive indications – in the case of TiVo through the flashing yellow light. You can remedy this by cleaning the IR sensor with a soft cloth, in cases where you notice damage, you may need to get a new remote for your TiVo box. While that’s the case, the IR sensor of your TiVo remote is something you want to clean and check routinely to avoid this sort of damage.

• Check the Batteries

If all seems to be okay with the IR sensor and IR mode is locked, the next likely fix you want to carry out is a battery check. If you have a defective battery in your TiVo remote, you may see the flashing yellow light as an indicator suggesting that it’s due for a change. When getting new batteries, you want to make sure you buy AAA batteries to ensure durability. After battery replacement, pair your remote and check if the light still flashes.

• Program/pair the TiVo Remote Again

Typically, when you replace the batteries of your TiVo remote or do any kind of examination, you’ll want to pair it with your TiVo TV again.

• Press the TiVo button on your remote as soon as you turn on the TV box
• Navigate through to Remotes & Devices through Settings and Messages in the Settings section
• Click on “Remote Control Setup” and follow the on-screen guidelines to pair the remote.

If this method doesn’t work for you, you can choose to pair manually by long-pressing the TiVo and back navigation button – release when you see the activity light glowing red. During manual paring, you want to make sure that you’re not less than 3 feet away from the TV box.

• Check for Interference

Sometimes, our remote can be totally fine, but it still, gives the flashing yellow light indicator because there are electronic devices or appliances nearby messing with its signal. You first want to read your user guide to know the kind of electronics that can be used alongside or close to your TiVo TV box. Bluetooth soundbars and microwaves are examples of devices that can interfere with your remote’s signal.

• Power Cycle the TV Box

Before even checking out for interference, you may want to cold boot your TV to clear any temporary bug or error that can make the remote indicator start flashing a yellow light. 

• Turn off your TV and disconnect the power cable from the socket
• Power it back on after 3-5 minutes and see whether the problem continues.

• Reset the TiVo Remote

If power cycling the TV box doesn’t change the situation, you may want to rest the remote.

• Long press the TiVo and TV power buttons simultaneously
• Press the volume down button three times and press the TiVo button when you see a read-like flash on the activity indicator
• Next, you’ll see the activity indicator flash three times again. Proceed to pair it with the TiVo box again.

• Use a Global Reset

If all else fails, you can then try a global reset to solve the issue. Usually, this should be your last resort because if it doesn’t solve the problem, you may need to get another TiVo remote.

• Long-press the TiVo and TV power buttons until you see the activity
• Press the “thumbs down” three times, and then enter. You’ll know your global reset is successful when the activity indicator flashers three red lights