Furby Not Working? Resets and Fixes by Model (2026)
Furby not working? Put in four brand new alkaline AA batteries first, because weak batteries cause most freezes, sleepy Furbys and half-working features. If a 2023 Furby still will not respond, turn it upside down and hold the mouth and heart gem together for over 5 seconds until the ears flash red. On a 2012 or Furby Boom, press the Refresh button inside the battery base for 2 seconds.
That covers most cases. The rest of this guide works through the problems parents and collectors keep posting about, model by model: a Furby that will not turn on, one that will not stop talking at 5 a.m., a heart gem that does nothing, frightened noises, stuck feet and corroded battery springs. It finishes with how to tell when a Furby is actually broken and what to ask Hasbro for.
Why is my Furby not working?
Low or mismatched batteries are the most common cause. A Furby on weak batteries can freeze, fall asleep and refuse to wake, or run only some features. After batteries, the usual suspects are fur caught in the battery compartment, a loose battery cover, a stuck heart gem on 2023 models, and corrosion on the battery springs.
Hasbro’s own support answers start in the same place. For a 2023 Furby that will not turn on after a battery change, Hasbro says to replace the 4 AA batteries with a new strong set, reset Furby if that fails, and check that no fur is caught in the battery area. For a 2023 Furby where some features work and some do not, the official fix is, again, a fresh set of batteries.
Use alkaline AAs from the same pack. Rechargeable NiMH cells run at a lower voltage, and many electronic toys read them as “almost empty” from the start.
Which Furby do you have?
The fix depends on the model. The 2023 Furby has a light-up heart gem on its forehead and no LCD eyes. The 2012 Furby and Furby Boom have LCD screen eyes and a tail you can pull. The original 1998 Furby has plastic eyes that open and close and a mechanical body.
| Model | How to spot it | Batteries | Quick fix | Full reset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furby (2023) | Light-up heart gem, plastic eyes, no app | 4 AA | Fresh batteries, check battery cover | Upside down, hold mouth and heart gem over 5 seconds |
| Furby (2012) and Furby Boom | LCD eyes, pullable tail | 4 AA under a screwed base | Press Refresh button 2 seconds | Upside down, pull tail and press tongue 5 seconds |
| Furby Connect | LCD eyes, antenna on head, Bluetooth | 4 AA | Fresh batteries, then Refresh | Upside down, pull tail and press tongue 5 seconds |
| Original Furby (1998) | Mechanical eyes and ears, no screens | 4 AA | Fresh batteries | Small reset button on the underside |
A full reset erases what Furby has learned and returns it to out-of-box settings. Try fresh batteries and the soft fixes first if your kid is attached to its current personality.
How do you reset a 2023 Furby?
Turn the 2023 Furby upside down, then press and hold the mouth and the heart gem at the same time for more than 5 seconds. The ears flash red and you hear a beep. Furby returns to out-of-box settings, including the first-time tutorial, so expect it to act brand new afterward.
That method comes straight from Hasbro’s answer on how to reset a 2023 Furby back to out-of-box settings. Do it with fresh batteries in, and keep holding past the 5 seconds. Letting go early is the most common reason a reset “does not work.”
After the beep, press the heart gem to wake Furby up. If nothing happens at all, go to the heart gem section below.
How do you reset a 2012 Furby or Furby Boom?
Loosen the two screws on the base, remove it, and press the small Refresh button inside the battery compartment for 2 seconds, then replace the base. This soft reset fixes freezes and sleepy Furbys while keeping its personality. For a full factory reset, hold it upside down, pull the tail and press the tongue for 5 seconds.
Hasbro’s FAQ for the 2012 model says the Refresh button resets the hardware while keeping all personality data, and that it is the fix for a Furby that fell asleep and will not wake. A sticker inside the battery compartment points to the button.
The full factory reset (upside down, tail pulled, tongue pressed, about 5 seconds) is documented by the Furby community wiki, which notes it is based on Hasbro’s Furby Connect guide and works on the 2012 and Boom models too. The wiki also warns to do it only on fresh batteries, because a power drop mid-reset can corrupt the memory.
Why won’t my Furby turn on with new batteries?
Check that all four batteries face the right way, that the battery cover is fully screwed down, and that no fur is caught in the compartment. Then look for white or green crust on the springs. On a 2023 Furby, a stuck heart gem can also stop it from waking, even with good batteries.
Work through this order:
- Swap in a second fresh pack. A “new” pack from the junk drawer is not always new.
- Check orientation. One reversed battery is enough to kill the whole toy.
- Clear the compartment. Hasbro specifically says to make sure no fur is in the battery area.
- Inspect the springs. Corrosion blocks contact. Our guide to cleaning toy battery corrosion shows the vinegar and cotton swab method.
- Try the reset for your model, with the fresh batteries in.
- Test the heart gem (2023 models) as described below.
Why won’t the heart gem work on my 2023 Furby?
If the heart gem does not light or respond, Furby may never fully wake, and you cannot run the reset that needs it. A quick test: remove one battery and put it back. If the heart gem sound plays on power-up but presses do nothing after, the button is likely stuck or faulty.
The Furby wiki’s 2023 troubleshooting page describes this exact test, along with an advanced repair that involves removing the fur, opening the shell and cleaning the heart gem circuit board. That is a real fix for collectors, but it is fiddly and will void any warranty, so it is a last resort, not a Saturday-morning project with a crying six-year-old.
Heart gem failures on early 2023 units were a recurring complaint on r/furby, including toys that stopped responding within days of a holiday unboxing. In several of those threads, parents reported contacting Hasbro and being asked for a short video of the problem before a replacement or refund was arranged.
How do you stop a Furby from talking or waking up?
On a 2023 Furby, press the heart gem rapidly 3 times to power it off fully, or lay it on its back for sleep mode. On a 2012 Furby or Boom, pull the tail for about 10 seconds or lay it on its back. Removing the batteries is the guaranteed silence button.
Those steps come from Hasbro’s answers on shutting off a 2023 Furby and its 2012 Furby FAQ. If a 2023 Furby keeps waking itself and chattering at night, a heart gem that is registering phantom presses is a likely cause, which is worth a Hasbro support request rather than a lifetime of battery removal.
Why does my Furby keep making scared noises?
A 2023 Furby makes frightened sounds when it hears loud noises or detects a fall, and also when the battery cover is not screwed on tightly. Tighten the cover first. If it acts dizzy or scared while just sitting still, its tilt sensor may be confused, which a reset often clears.
Hasbro’s answer on a 2023 Furby that keeps making frightened sounds lists exactly those two causes: a loose battery cover and loud noises or falls. A Furby sitting near a TV soundbar on movie night will be one nervous gremlin.
Why are my Furby’s feet or body stuck?
On 2012 and Boom models, grime around the feet and base can block the movement inside. Remove the base like you would for a battery change and clean around the foot opening with a dry cloth or cotton swab. Never pour water or cleaner into a Furby, since the electronics sit right behind the fur.
The iFixit Furby 2012 troubleshooting guide lists dirty feet as a common cause of poor movement and recommends the same base-off clean. For the fur itself, spot clean only. Our guide on how to clean plush toys covers surface-washing toys with electronics inside.
When is a Furby actually broken?
If fresh alkaline batteries, a correct reset and a clean battery compartment do not help, the problem is likely hardware: a failed heart gem, a loose internal cable or a damaged board. For a newer Furby, contact Hasbro support or the retailer before opening it up, because opening the shell usually ends any chance of a replacement.
When you contact Hasbro, have the model, purchase date, receipt and a short video showing the problem ready. If you are within the store’s return window, a straight exchange is often faster. And if the Furby was a gift and a replacement is weeks away, our list of electronic learning toys for kids has a few interactive alternatives that are harder to break.
FAQ
How do I wake up a Furby that will not wake up?
Put in four fresh alkaline AA batteries, then press the heart gem on a 2023 Furby. On a 2012 Furby or Furby Boom, press the Refresh button inside the battery base for 2 seconds. If it still sleeps, run the full reset for your model.
Does resetting a Furby delete its personality?
A full reset does. On a 2023 Furby, holding the mouth and heart gem upside down returns it to out-of-box settings. On 2012 and Boom models, the Refresh button keeps the personality, while the tail and tongue reset erases it. Try the soft fixes first.
Can I use rechargeable batteries in a Furby?
You can, but Hasbro’s fixes all call for a new, strong set of batteries, and alkaline AAs work most reliably. Rechargeable NiMH cells run at lower voltage, so a Furby may act sleepy or glitchy sooner. Use four matching batteries from the same pack.
Why does my Furby only work sometimes?
On-and-off behavior almost always points to power: weak batteries, mixed old and new batteries, a loose battery cover or corroded springs. On 2023 models, an intermittent heart gem can also cause random waking or ignored presses. Fix the power first, then test the heart gem.
Will Hasbro replace a broken Furby?
Hasbro support handles faulty toys case by case. Owners in r/furby threads describe being asked for a short video of the problem before a replacement or refund. Have your receipt, model and purchase date ready, and try the store’s return window first if you are still within it.
