How to Program Your DIRECTV Remote

Does using your new DIRECTV remote have you scratching your head? We’ve made a step-by-step guide to help you get it paired and ready to go.

First, which remote do you have?

Depending on how long you’ve been a customer and what equipment you have, you probably have one of two DIRECTV remotes: a standard universal remote control or the DIRECTV Genie remote. If you have a DIRECTV Ready TV, that’s another pairing process that we spelled out below, too. We’ll start with the universal remote.

Program a Universal Remote with On-Screen Pairing

 Follow these steps for on-screen pairing:

1. Press the Menu button on your remote.
2. Select Settings & Help > Settings > Remote Control > Program Remote.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions that walk you through the rest of the process.

Program a Universal Remote Manually

To manually pair your universal remote, follow these steps:

1. Turn on your TV and receiver.
2. Locate the five-digit code for your TV brand using DIRECTV’s website.
3. Make sure the Mode switch on your remote is set to TV.
4. Press and hold the Mute and Select buttons until the remote’s green light flashes two times.
5. Enter the five-digit remote-control code from step two.
6. Test the connection by pointing the remote at the TV and pressing the Volume Up button. If the volume goes up, proceed to the next step. If nothing happens, repeat steps two, three, and four with a different code. There may be several possible codes, depending on your TV’s model number.
7. Press and hold the Mute and Select buttons again until the green light on the remote flashes twice.
8. Enter the code 960 on the remote keypad. The green light should flash twice again.
9. Set the Mode switch to the DIRECTV position.
10. Your remote should now be paired and ready to go.

Program a Genie Remote with Automatic Pairing

1. Point the Genie remote at your Genie cable box, then press and hold the Mute and Enter buttons until the remote’s green light blinks twice. The TV will display the “Applying IR/RF Setup” message once completed.
2. Power on the device you’re pairing with your remote.
3. Press Menu on the remote.
4. Select Settings & Help > Settings > Remote Control > Program Remote.
5. Choose the device you want to pair, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Program a Genie Remote Manually

 If the automatic pairing process fails, follow these instructions to manually pair your remote.

1. Point the Genie remote at your Genie cable box, then press and hold the Mute and Select buttons until the green light on the remote blinks twice.
2. Enter the code 961 on the remote keypad.
3. Press the Channel Up button.
4. Press Enter.
5. The TV will display “Your remote is now setup for RF.” Select OK.
6. Turn on the device you want to pair.
7. On the remote, press Menu.
8. Select Settings & Help > Settings > Remote Control > Program Remote.
9. Select the device you want to pair, and follow the on-screen instructions.
10. You’re all set to control your devices and enjoy DIRECTV programming.

Program a Genie Remote with a DIRECTV Ready TV

When included as part of a DIRECTV setup with a Genie DVR, a DIRECTV Ready TV lets you watch DIRECTV without an additional receiver. That means you don’t need to buy separate Genie Minis for each room you want to watch DIRECTV in. Instead, DIRECTV Ready TVs have wireless receivers built in to the TVs themselves.

DIRECTV Ready TV functions basically the way a Roku TV does, except it’s specific to DIRECTV service and at least one TV in the house needs to be connected to the Genie for all of them to work.

So, if your satellite TV setup includes a DIRECTV Ready TV, use these steps to easily pair your Genie remote with it:

1. Point the remote at your Genie DVR, then press and hold the Mute and Enter buttons until the green light on the remote blinks twice.
2. The TV screen will display the message “Applying IR/RF Setup.”
3. Power on your DIRECTV Ready TV.
4. Press and hold the Mute and Select buttons on your remote until the green light blinks twice again.
5. Enter the manufacturer’s code for your DIRECTV Ready TV. Here are TV codes for Samsung, Sony and Toshiba:
   • Samsung TV Code: 54000
   • Sony TV Code: 54001
   • Toshiba TV Code: 54002
   • For other manufacturers, use the DIRECTV website lookup.
6. Your remote should now be paired and ready to go!

With your remote paired and devices active, you’re ready to set aside this guide and enjoy your DIRECTV service. Happy watching!