LG TV not responding to the remote? Checks for 2023–2025 webOS TVs

First, find out whether the TV or the remote is the problem

If a 2023–2025 LG webOS TV ignores its remote, look at the standby light on the TV and try the TV’s own power button. If the TV doesn’t respond to its own button either, check the power before blaming the remote. If the TV turns on from its button, the fault lies between the remote and the TV: replace the batteries with alkaline ones and clear anything in front of the TV’s remote receiver (a soundbar should be at least 10 cm away). If a Magic Remote still does nothing, try re-registering it by holding Home + Settings for more than 5 seconds (see below).

These checks come from LG’s 2023–2025 webOS guides. For a 2014 LB-series TV, see using an LB-series TV without the remote.

Check the standby light and the TV’s button

1. Look at the standby light. LG’s troubleshooting says the standby light should be red when the TV is off and has power.
2. If the light is off, check that the power plug is pushed fully into the outlet. If you use a power strip, plug the TV straight into a wall outlet to rule the strip out. Some models also let you turn the standby light off in Settings → All Settings → General → System → Additional Settings → Standby Light, so a dark light isn’t proof on its own.
3. If the light is white, the TV may be in Always Ready. This applies to models with Hands-free Voice Control: during Always Ready the light is white when Hands-free Voice Control is enabled, and red when it isn’t available. In Always Ready with the screen off, pressing Power turns the TV on. See turning off Always Ready for what each button does in that mode.
4. Press the button on the TV. On the 2025 C5, a short press turns the TV on. LG’s 2025 owner’s manual shows two button types, and the position varies by model.

What you see decides the next step:

• The TV doesn’t turn on from its own button either: the TV isn’t getting power or has a fault. Recheck the plug and outlet, then contact LG support.
• The TV turns on from its button but not from the remote: continue below.
• The TV turns on but the picture appears a little later: LG says this is normal. The TV runs a noise-removal process at power-on; it isn’t a fault.

Check the remote

1. Replace the batteries. LG says to use alkaline batteries. Fit them the right way round, matching the + and − marks in the compartment. The guides don’t state the battery size; check the compartment.
2. Point the remote at the TV with nothing in between. LG’s 2025 owner’s manual says to check for obstacles between the remote and the TV’s remote sensor.
3. Move anything that sits in front of the TV’s remote receiver. LG warns that a soundbar or similar obstacle placed in front of the TV’s remote control receiver can block the signal. Keep it at least 10 cm away from the receiver.
4. Stay within 10 metres with a Magic Remote. LG says wireless routers and microwave ovens can cause communication failures.

Re-register a Magic Remote

If the TV turns on from its button and fresh batteries didn’t help, try registering a Magic Remote again. LG documents this re-register step as the fix for a missing pointer; its troubleshooting doesn’t list it for a remote that does nothing, so treat it as a next step to try rather than a guaranteed fix:

1. Turn the TV on with its button.
2. Point the Magic Remote at the TV and hold Home and Settings (the gear button) together for more than 5 seconds, until instructions appear on screen.
3. The TV removes the old registration and registers the remote again.

If that doesn’t work, wait about 20 seconds after the TV has turned on, then press Wheel (OK) while pointing at the TV to pair it as a new remote. If it still fails, turn the TV off and on and try again.

If you use a set-top box remote

If you turn the TV on and off with your cable or satellite box’s remote, the box remote’s TV integrated control function must be on. When it’s off, the box remote can’t power the TV. That setting belongs to the box, so ask your set-top box provider how to turn it on.

If you set up Universal Control so the Magic Remote runs your box, and the box doesn’t respond, check the box’s power plug, replace the remote batteries, and make sure nothing blocks the front of the box’s own remote receiver.

When to contact LG

Contact LG support if the TV doesn’t respond to its own button with the power checked, or if a compatible remote still doesn’t work after new alkaline batteries and re-registering. The sources don’t describe a way to test whether the remote is sending a signal, so these checks narrow the problem down rather than prove which part has failed.