How to Program a GE Universal Remote (With or Without Codes)

There are two ways to program a GE universal remote: type in the 4-digit code for your device, or let the remote search through its own codes when you don’t have one. Both start by holding SETUP until the red light comes on. Below are the steps for each method, how to tell an older GE remote from a newer one, and what to do when the light doesn’t behave.

Before you start

• Turn on the device you want to control, using its own buttons.
• Find your code list version. Jasco, which makes GE remotes, prints the model and the version (CL3, CL4, CL5 or CL6) inside the battery compartment, under the batteries or on the underside of the cover. Each version has its own codes. Older models, such as the 25040, came with a printed code list instead.
• Find the red light. Depending on the model, it’s a small light at the top of the remote or the POWER button itself.
• Pick a device button. Any device button can run any type of device: GE says the CBL button can control a satellite receiver, converter box or streaming player, and Jasco says a spare CBL/SAT button can run a soundbar or Blu-ray player.
• Try TV first if you have a Samsung. Some GE remotes, such as the 4-device 33709, come set up for Samsung TVs, so press TV and test it before programming anything.

Method 1: Enter the code (direct code entry)

This is the method GE recommends, because it’s usually the quickest. Look up your device’s brand in the code list for your version and write down all of its codes in order. Our GE universal remote codes have every brand by version, and there are separate lists for the 4-device, 3-device and 6-device remotes. Then:

1. Hold SETUP until the red light comes on, then let go. The light stays on.
2. Press the device button you want to use, such as TV, CBL, DVD or AUX. The light blinks once and stays on.
3. Type the first 4-digit code. The light turns off after the fourth digit.
4. Point the remote at the device and test the buttons you use most: power, volume, channels and the menu.
5. If anything doesn’t respond as it should, go back to step 1 and try the next code.

A few things that help:

• If the light flashes and stays on after you type a code, the remote didn’t accept it. Older GE manuals say you can type it again straight away; check the digits and your code list version.
• Don’t pause too long. Older GE remotes leave setup mode if you press nothing for 35 seconds, so have your codes ready first.
• Keep going down the list if only some buttons work. GE notes that some codes run only a few functions, and another code on the list may control more.
• For a Roku TV, use the Roku TV entries. Jasco lists Roku TVs separately, for example as TCL (Roku TV) and Hisense (Roku TV), so start there rather than with the TV brand’s usual codes. CL3 lists have no Roku TV entries, so use the auto search on those.
• Combo devices may need two buttons. For a TV/DVD combo, GE says you may need one code under TV for the TV and another under a second device button for the player.
• Write down the code that works, so you can type it straight in if you ever have to program the remote again.

For a TV, the first codes to try are 5791 for Samsung and 6021 for LG on CL4, CL5 and CL6 remotes, and 3301 and 0001 on CL3. If you’re still looking for your TV’s code, our guide to finding the TV code for your universal remote walks through it.

Method 2: Program it without a code (auto code search)

Use the auto code search when your brand isn’t on the list, or none of its codes work. GE remotes search in one of two ways depending on their age. Start the search and watch the red light after you press POWER: if it blinks a run of times and then stays on, you have a newer remote; if it keeps flashing every couple of seconds, you have an older one.

Newer GE remotes: test codes in batches of 10

These steps are from GE’s manual for the 4-device 33709.

1. Turn on the device with its own buttons.
2. Hold SETUP until the red light comes on, then let go.
3. Press the device button, such as TV. The light blinks once and stays on.
4. Point the remote at the device and press POWER. The remote sends 10 codes, and the light blinks once for each. If the device doesn’t turn off, press POWER again to try the next 10.
5. When the device turns off, turn it back on with its own button. Press VOL+, and the remote resends the first of those 10 codes. Keep pressing VOL+, waiting about 3 seconds each time, until the device turns off again.
6. Press the same device button you chose in step 3. The code is saved.

VOL- steps back through the batch, and the light flashes twice at the first or last code of each batch of 10. The search only works for devices that turn off with POWER; for anything else, use direct code entry.

Older GE remotes: press 1 to lock the code

Older models, such as the 25040, search on their own once you start them, so read the steps first.

1. Turn on the device with its own buttons.
2. Hold SETUP for about 2 seconds, until the red light stays on, then let go.
3. Press the device button. The light blinks once and stays on.
4. Point the remote at the device and press POWER, or PLAY for a DVD player or VCR. The light flashes about every 2 seconds while the remote works through its codes. Keep it pointed at the device the whole time.
5. Rest a finger on 1. As soon as the device turns off or starts playing, press 1 within about 2 seconds. The light turns off and the code is locked in.

Missed it? Press SETUP while the light is still flashing, and the search turns round and goes back. GE warns that the search can take several minutes because the remote holds a lot of codes.

With either search, turn the device back on and test the other buttons. If some don’t respond, run the search again to find a better code. Search methods for other brands are in our guide to programming a universal remote without a code.

Find out which code your remote is using

After a search, newer GE remotes can show you the code they saved, so you can write it down:

1. Hold SETUP until the red light comes on, then let go.
2. Press the device button you want the code for.
3. Press ENTER, then 1, and count the flashes. That’s the first digit.
4. Do the same with 2, 3 and 4 for the other three digits, then press ENTER to finish.

Make the volume buttons control your soundbar

GE’s master volume feature makes VOL and MUTE always control one device, so you can stay in TV mode while the volume goes to your soundbar or receiver. Hold SETUP until the light comes on, press the button you programmed for the soundbar, then press MUTE and VOL+. The light blinks twice. To turn it off, do the same but press VOL- instead of VOL+. Soundbar codes are in GE codes for soundbars and receivers, and other volume fixes in universal remote volume not working.

If programming doesn’t work

• The red light doesn’t do what the steps describe. Jasco says bad batteries are the most common cause, and even brand-new ones can be faulty. Put in a different set and start again.
• The device ignores the remote completely. Aim straight at the device with nothing in the way, and check that you pressed the right device button before testing.
• A streaming stick won’t respond. Jasco says its GE infrared remotes don’t work with streaming sticks that use radio remotes, such as the Roku Streaming Stick and Fire TV Stick.
• You want to start over. A factory reset clears every code. Our guide to resetting a GE universal remote has the steps.

Still stuck? Our GE universal remote troubleshooting guide goes through the fixes by symptom.

In short: check the CL version in the battery compartment, hold SETUP, press a device button and type the first code. If no code works, run the auto search for your remote’s age, then use code identification to note the code it found. For programming steps on other brands, see how to program a universal remote.

Frequently asked questions