home-assistant/core · warning · TimeoutError

No infrared code received within {LEARNING_TIMEOUT.total_sec

Error message

No infrared code received within {LEARNING_TIMEOUT.total_seconds()} seconds

What it means

TimeoutError raised by _async_learn_ir_command: the loop polls device.api.check_data once per second until LEARNING_TIMEOUT elapses; if no data arrives (ReadError/StorageError from check_data just continue), it gives up with this message. The persistent notification is dismissed in the finally block either way.

Source

Thrown at homeassistant/components/broadlink/remote.py:353

        persistent_notification.async_create(
            self.hass,
            f"Press the '{command}' button.",
            title="Learn command",
            notification_id="learn_command",
        )

        try:
            start_time = dt_util.utcnow()
            while (dt_util.utcnow() - start_time) < LEARNING_TIMEOUT:
                await asyncio.sleep(1)
                try:
                    code = await device.async_request(device.api.check_data)
                except ReadError, StorageError:
                    continue
                return b64encode(code).decode("utf8")

            raise TimeoutError(
                "No infrared code received within "
                f"{LEARNING_TIMEOUT.total_seconds()} seconds"
            )

        finally:
            persistent_notification.async_dismiss(
                self.hass, notification_id="learn_command"
            )

    async def _async_learn_rf_command(self, command):
        """Learn a radiofrequency command."""
        device = self._device

        try:
            await device.async_request(device.api.sweep_frequency)

        except (BroadlinkException, OSError) as err:
            _LOGGER.debug("Failed to sweep frequency: %s", err)

View on GitHub (pinned to 58a3fdb3ea)

Solutions

Retry the learn and press the button within the timeout, 1–5 cm from the Broadlink in dim light.
Hold the remote close and press firmly; try multiple presses/angles for short-burst protocols.
Replace batteries in the original remote.
Retry when no transmission is in progress and avoid double-triggering automations that call learn_command concurrently.

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Try / catch

try:
    code = await remote._async_learn_ir_command(command)
except TimeoutError as err:
    _LOGGER.warning("IR learn timed out: %s", err)
    raise HomeAssistantError("Press the remote button during the learning window") from err

Prevention

Press the button on the original remote immediately after learning starts and hold the remote 1–5 cm away.
Avoid bright sunlight and interfering IR sources while learning.
Announce the learning window duration to users in automations that wrap learn_command.

When it happens

Trigger: remote.learn_command started, the user never pressed a button on the original remote (or pointed it away) before LEARNING_TIMEOUT expired, or the device could not capture the signal (weak/very short bursts, sunlight interference).

Common situations: User walks away during learning, wrong remote grabbed, battery-dead original remote, learning in bright sunlight or at bad angle/distance, HA busy so the 1-second polling loop is starved.

Understand the failure class

Timeouts: ETIMEDOUT, deadlines, and hung requests — what actually expires when a request times out.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of home-assistant/core@58a3fdb3ea (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/32765c9255177f98. Report an issue: GitHub.