How to Program a GE Universal Remote

This article was co-authored by Jocotra Cathey and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Jocotra Cathey is a TV Mounting Service Expert and the business owner of TV Mount Charlotte, a professional TV mounting company operating in Charlotte, North Carolina. For the past 18 years, Jocotra's company has offered premier home theater installation services, specializing in home theater design, wiring and installation, projector and screen installation, wire concealing, and more. He has received certifications in Computer Science and Low-Voltage Certification from Central Piedmont Community College.

This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.

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Setting up your GE Universal Remote to control your TV, DVD player, gaming systems, and other devices is easy—you can program it manually by entering a code or by searching for a code automatically. This wikiHow guide will help you search for the right codes for your GE Universal Remote, and teach you how to scan for codes without entering a code at all.

Method 1 of 3:

Entering a Code

Open the battery compartment of your GE universal remote control and remove the batteries.

Locate the version number of your remote. You'll find this info on the white sticker inside the battery compartment. Look for V1-V5, none = V1 (older), newest = CL3 or CL4. [1] X Research source

Re-insert the batteries and replace the battery cover.

Go to https://byjasco.com/support/ge-universal-remote-codes in a web browser. This website features a full list of programming codes for the GE Universal Remote.

Scroll down and click CL3 , CL4 , or CL5 . Click the button that corresponds with the version number you found inside the battery compartment. [2] X Research source

Some devices have multiple codes. In some cases, you may need to try one or more codes until you find a code compatible for your device.

Select the brand from the "Brand Name" menu. Once selected, you will see one or more codes for that device.

Turn on the device you want to program. For example, if you plan to use the remote for your DVD player, power that device on now.

Press and hold down the Setup button until the red light comes on. The light is usually at the top of the remote or on the power button. Release your finger once the red light is visible. [3] X Research source

If there's no button for the device specifically for the device want to program, choose any other device button. The name of the button is just for ease of use.

Enter the device code. If you see multiple device codes for your device, enter the one at the top of the list. The red light will turn off once the code is entered. [5] X Research source

If the device doesn't power off, try the next code on the list.
If none of the codes work for your device, try using the "Searching for a Code Automatically" method.

Program more devices if needed. Advertisement Method 2 of 3:

Code Search Programming

Power on the device you want to control. For example, if you want to use your GE remote to program your TV, turn on the TV now.

Press the button for the device you want to program. For example, if programming the remote for use with your DVD player, press and release the DVD button. The red light will blink and then stay solid.

It's important to keep pointing the remote at the device during the code search.
If the light does not blink automatically, you'll need to press the Power or Play button manually every 2 seconds to search for the code.

If you had to press the Power or Play button manually to code search, the lock-in key might be Enter, Mute, or Save instead of the 1 key. [9] X Research source

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If you had to press the Power or Play button manually to code search, press and release either Enter, OK, or Save to lock in the code. [11] X Research source

Advertisement Method 3 of 3:

Troubleshooting Remote Problems

Replace the batteries in your remote if it fails to respond. Low battery life can sometimes keep you from being able to program a device.

Remove physical obstacles between the remote and the device(s). Walls and large pieces of furniture can prevent the remote from making contact with your devices.

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Keep in mind that the GE Universal Remote may not control all aspects of a device. For example, you may be able to use the remote to power your device off and on, but you may not be able to adjust or control the volume of your device. This means you may need to keep other remotes nearby for more advanced features.

Community Q&A

My GE universal remote turns the TV on and off but will not change the channel. What can I do? Community Answer

It is probably a suboptimal code issue. Retry with another code or try/retry the code search programming method.

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How do I program a GE Universal remote? Community Answer Read the instructional booklet.

How do I unmute with a GE universal remote? Community Answer

You should see a 'mute' button on your remote that can be used to mute and unmute the volume. If you don't see the mute/unmute button, you can try checking the manual that came with your TV. If nothing else works, contact the manufacturer.

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