Get your Fire TV Stick back to normal with these fixes to common problems.
It's frustrating when your Fire TV doesn't work as it should. It can happen anytime, during setup, or after you've done the same steps dozens of times, and then there's the one time it just doesn't work.
These troubleshooting tips for Fire TV will help with a few common issues that users might face.
Before we address specific problems, learn some basic troubleshooting procedures for the Fire TV Stick.
Unplugging the Fire TV Stick, restarting it, or, as a last resort, starting over and restoring it to the factory defaults may be the answer to a problem.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick setup may have more steps than you expect. Follow along on how to set up your Amazon Fire TV Stick for the best results. At some point, you may make a mistake and want to go back. But once you press the back button, the Fire TV Stick could freeze.
Don't worry—it's not the end of the world. All you need to do is reset the Fire TV Stick, and this will restart the Fire TV.
The two ways to reset the Fire TV Stick are:
If the four sides of the video seem like they are spilling over past the edge of the screen, then your Fire TV Stick needs to be scaled to fit within your TV display. You can usually fix this problem by calibrating the display through the settings. This is different from calibrating your TV for the best picture quality.
If you are in the Amazon Prime Video app and the screen goes blank, follow these steps:
Remote failure is probably the Fire TV's most common error. Sometimes, for seemingly no reason, the Alexa Remote stops working with the Fire TV Stick.
Before you go through any steps, replace the batteries and see if that fixes the problem.
If not, follow these steps:
If your Fire TV becomes disconnected from your home Wi-Fi, here are a few steps you can take to get back online:
Software bugs and probable gremlins in your Fire TV will cause your Fire TV not to perform. Whether your remote stops working, the Fire TV can't connect to the internet, or you make a mistake during setup, you can fix it yourself. Take a deep breath, follow the tips here and remember that most problems can be solved with a restart, reset, or restore.
Barb Gonzalez started writing about technology when she looked at the back of an AV receiver and thought, “How will anyone be able to figure this out on their own?” She’s written and illustrated two books, “The Home Electronics Survival Guide,” and “Home Theater Made Simple,” and worked for numerous websites reviewing and simplifying technology. Barb has an insatiable curiosity about tech and a goal to make it accessible to everyone. When she’s not writing, she loves going on long hikes with her corgi, photographing stunning nature photos.
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