Dealing with an Unresponsive Outlet Pal

Check the Indicator Light

The light on your Outlet Pal tells you everything about its current state.
Before doing anything else, take a look at the LED and note what it’s doing.

If it’s off, pulsing, or solid on, that’s your first clue.

Quick Reference

Problem Likely Cause Fix
Always Off Not paired Double-click to pair
Always Off Paired to wrong Leader Hold button to unpair, then re-pair
Always Off Out of range Move closer to Leader
Always On Configured as Leader Triple-click to switch to Follower mode


If the Outlet Pal Is Always On

If your Outlet Pal is constantly on and your lamp or device never turns off when you flip the switch, it may be operating in Leader mode instead of Follower mode.

Possible Cause: It’s Configured as a Leader

Leaders stay powered as long as the outlet itself has power. They send wireless signals to other devices but don’t turn off unless the wall switch controlling that outlet is flipped.

How to check:
The indicator light is solid on

Fix it:
If you want this device to act as a Follower instead:

  1. Triple-click the button to switch its role.

  2. The light will turn off, confirming it’s now a Follower.

  3. Pair it to a Leader using the double-click process.

After that, it will turn on and off based on the Leader’s state.

If the Outlet Pal Is Always Off

If your Outlet Pal’s light is off and your connected lamp or device never powers on, here are the most likely reasons:

Possible Cause: It’s Not Paired Yet

Every Outlet Pal starts as a Follower by default. If it’s never been paired to a Leader, it won’t turn on when you flip your wall switch.

How to check:
The light indicator is off and not pulsing.

How to fix it:

  1. Double-click the button on your Follower to enter pairing mode (light blinks).

  2. Double-click the button on your Leader within 30 seconds to connect.

  3. The Follower light will start pulsing when paired.

Possible Cause: It’s Paired to a Different Leader

If your Follower light pulses normally but doesn’t respond to your current wall switch, it may still be paired to another Leader — possibly in a different outlet or room.

How to check:
If the light indicator is pulsing and turns on/off with the wrong Leader, then it's likely paired to the wrong device.

How to Fix it:

  1. Hold the button on the Follower until the light turns off to unpair.

  2. Double-click the button on the Follower to re-enter pairing mode.

  3. Double-click your desired Leader to re-pair.

Now your Follower will listen to the correct Leader.

Possible Cause: It’s Out of Range

If your Leader and Follower are too far apart, or separated by walls or metal furniture, the signal may not reach.

How to check:
The light indicator is pulsing and moving the plug close to the Leader causes it to work more reliably.

How to fix it:

  • Make sure there’s a fairly clear path between the two devices.

  • Avoid placing either unit behind thick furniture, metal cabinets, or large electronics.

Once the signal strength is improved, the Follower will reconnect automatically.

Possible Cause: Its Leader was reset

If your Follower was unplugged when its Leader was reset, then it may not have been notified to unpair and may be listening for messages that it'll never receive.

How to check:
The light indicator is pulsing and the Leader is unable to control it, even when next to one another.

How to fix it:

  • Hold the button on the Follower until the light turns off to unpair.

  • Double-click the button on the Follower to re-enter pairing mode.

  • Double-click your desired Leader to re-pair.

Now your Follower should be re-paired with its Leader.

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