An unused Roku remote can keep controlling your TV or streaming player, and stopping it doesn't always erase its pairing. Roku documents ways to disable a remote, but it doesn't publish a universal procedure that deletes the stored pairing. Start with the supported button shortcut, or pull the batteries if your remote has them.
Disable an unused Roku remote
Check that the unused remote has Back, Home, and Mute buttons. Roku's troubleshooting guide doesn't list which models support this shortcut.
Hold Back, Home, and Mute together for five seconds. Roku describes this as disabling the remote. It doesn't say the shortcut deletes stored pairing information.
Tip: If your remote is missing one of these buttons and has removable batteries, remove the batteries instead.
If your simple remote still controls the Roku
A Roku simple remote uses infrared, so it has no pairing to remove at all.
You can spot a simple remote because it has no voice button. A missing pairing button doesn't tell you much on its own, because some voice remotes don't have one either.
To stop a simple remote from sending commands, remove its batteries. It works as soon as batteries go in, so leave them out for as long as you want it disabled.
Remove the batteries to stop commands
This stops simple remotes and battery-powered voice remotes from working. It won't help with Rechargeable Voice Remote Pro models, which don't have user-removable batteries.
Open the unused remote's battery compartment.
Remove the batteries.
Leave the batteries out for as long as you want the remote disabled. This stops the remote from working, but Roku doesn't describe it as deleting pairing information.
What unpairing options actually mean
Disabling a remote and deleting its pairing are two different things. Roku's current instructions cover disabling an unused remote. They don't give a universal way to erase a physical remote's pairing.
Older guidance from Roku Team described a Forget remote option for the original rechargeable Voice Remote Pro. Roku's current support instructions don't confirm that the option is available or give its exact menu path on current devices. To stop an unused remote from working, use the documented disable shortcut or remove the batteries.
Other button combinations do different jobs. On a voice remote without a pairing button, holding Back and Home for five seconds starts pairing. On a rechargeable voice remote, holding Pairing for 20 seconds restarts the remote, and on rechargeable models without a pairing button, holding Back and Home for 20 seconds does the same. None of these is a confirmed way to delete pairing.
Keep control with the Roku mobile app
Install the official Roku Remote app for iOS or Android from the Apple App Store or Google Play link on Roku's mobile app page.
Connect your phone to the same local network as your Roku.
Open the Roku Remote app and sign in with your Roku account.
Select your Roku device from the list of discovered devices.
Open the Remote tab to control your Roku.
Tip: Your Roku must already be on the local network with mobile app control allowed, and the app has no documented command for unpairing a physical remote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I unpair a rechargeable Roku Voice Remote Pro by removing its battery?
No. Rechargeable Voice Remote Pro models don't have user-removable batteries. If an unused remote has Back, Home, and Mute buttons, Roku says you can disable it by holding all three together for five seconds. Roku doesn't say this deletes the pairing.
Does Home, Back, and Pairing unpair a Roku remote?
Roku doesn't document that combination as a supported way to unpair a remote. Don't rely on claims that holding it for three to five seconds deletes the pairing.
Will unlinking my Roku account or factory resetting the device unpair the remote?
Unlinking your account removes the streaming device from your Roku account. Roku doesn't document either account unlinking or a factory reset as a way to delete a physical remote's pairing.
Does putting the batteries back in keep the remote disabled?
No. The remote only stops sending commands while the batteries are out. A simple infrared remote works again as soon as batteries go back in. On battery-powered voice remotes, Roku's restart steps are to remove both batteries, press any two buttons, and reinsert the batteries. Roku documents this as a restart, not as deleting the pairing.