topic Re: Flipper remote control in Sky Q

Flipper remote control

stu+the+foo — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 13:19:16 GMT

I have been trying without success to set up a flipper remote for my 92 year old mother who has dementia and can't work the normal multi- button sky Q remote.

the flipper paired ok, turned up volume and turned TV off. Then paired sky box and set up favourite channels. Again all fine. Turned tv/sky off - fine. Powered on and sky loads the Home Screen. Flipper can't navigate off this so I tried numerous ways to get Sky to start on the last channel rather than Home. No success.

Having to use the Sky remote to navigate from home to a channel - where the flipper then works - is not an option. It's more confusing for mum with 2 remotes.

I think I have come to conclusion that the home function is fixed and not something that can be changed?

Can anyone help.

Re: Flipper remote control

TimmyBGood — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 13:21:17 GMT

@stu+the+foo wrote:

I think I have come to conclusion that the home function is fixed and not something that can be changed?

Unfortunately that's correct: a Q box will always open at the Home screen.

Re: Flipper remote control

stu+the+foo — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:14:27 GMT

Thanks for your very prompt advice. I went through numerous suggestions by Copilot yesterday, turning/changing numerous settings and even unpairing the Sky remote. Eventually I came to the conclusion hitch you have verified.

I find it VERY disappointing on the part of Sky that the Home lock cannot be changed or that they can't offer a suitably simple for the elderly, physically impaired and dementia sufferers - which must make up a decent proportion of their client base.

My mum is an avid sports watcher, has all the Sky & TNT channels, but the only way she can watch them now is for me to drive to her home any put the correct channel on for her. Even trying to explain the remote operation over the phone is now near impossible.

Is anyone aware of an alternative I can look at. Watching Sport is one of the few remaining pleasures she has left but I'm seriously thinking about cancelling her contract because frankly she can't use the system on her own ☹️

Re: Flipper remote control

TimmyBGood — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:17:29 GMT

@stu+the+foo

Some of us have been suggesting for years that starting at the last viewed channel should be an Accessibility option: unfortunately Sky regards the Home screen as valuable commercial real-estate and has always been remarkably reluctant to permit UI changes.

Re: Flipper remote control

stu+the+foo — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:19:25 GMT

As I said previously Thanks 👍

Its a shame Sky doesn't listen and seek to help its less able customers.

Re: Flipper remote control

stu+the+foo — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:56:06 GMT

Hello again. I have contacted Flipper and they have suggested a workaround so I can use their remote to avoid the Home Screen issue.

Basically it's possible to disable the unit from turning off the sky box when it turns off the TV, so theoretically the sky box signal should remain as the last viewed channel. For this to work I assume I need to disable any screen saver type mode that the sky box might have. Is that possible?

Re: Flipper remote control

MightyQuinn — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:01:39 GMT

@stu+the+foo wrote:
Hello again. I have contacted Flipper and they have suggested a workaround so I can use their remote to avoid the Home Screen issue.

Basically it's possible to disable the unit from turning off the sky box when it turns off the TV, so theoretically the sky box signal should remain as the last viewed channel. For this to work I assume I need to disable any screen saver type mode that the sky box might have. Is that possible?

Hi @stu+the+foo I'm afraid that the chances are that the box will reboot overnight by itself for housekeeping.

Re: Flipper remote control

stu+the+foo — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:20:23 GMT

before I contacted you learned lot I tried Copilot and it says that setting the screen saver to NONE will work - but if your advice is correct it seems that this will only be an interim fix?

Re: Flipper remote control

MightyQuinn — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:24:42 GMT

@stu+the+foo wrote:
before I contacted you learned lot I tried Copilot and it says that setting the screen saver to NONE will work - but if your advice is correct it seems that this will only be an interim fix?

Hi @stu+the+foo Setting the Standby settings to None used to work, then a few years back they decided that the box benefits from a quick reboot every night, even with the Standby settings set to None.

Re: Flipper remote control

nigea99 — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:27:17 GMT

@stu+the+foo Unfortunately even with the eco modes off on the SKY Q box, the box will power down after a few hours if there is no interaction which cannot be turned off AFAIK

Whilst watching you do get a prompt but obvisouly overnight or other long periods with the TV off this won;t be seen and it will power off.

BTW I think the Home screen does eventually return the last channel but if this is the case it is only after quite a long time and likely to be confusing/annoying for your mother. (I could be wrong on this)

Re: Flipper remote control

stu+the+foo — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:34:10 GMT

Thanks - it seems I'm flogging a dead horse. It's a shame I can give my Mum this level of simplicity. I may have to cancel her Sky subscription, watch 'council telly, and buy a simple universal remote ☹️