An Amazon Fire TV stick is a great way to stream TV shows and movies, but from time to time you may run into issues with it. It may crash, freeze, or be stuck buffering. I did some research into how to fix all of these issues and here’s what I found.
As a general rule when your Fire TV keeps crashing, freezing or buffering it’s caused by no internet connection, or your Fire TV stick needs to be restarted. If it’s only one app that crashes your Fire TV device then you should clear the app cache and data according to Amazon. Then restart your device.
Generally, it might only happen when you open one app for example Netflix. If it only crashes when you open a specific app then you should try uninstalling the app and reinstalling it again.
The port and cables that you plug your Fire TV stick into might also be worn, or it might not be plugged in all the way. But, each Fire TV stick is a bit different, and whether your Fire TV stick crashes, freezes, or is stuck buffering needs a unique solution.
Read on, where I’ll explain how to resolve each of these problems so that your Fire TV stick works again.
Fire TV Slow And Freezing
Fire TV is a popular streaming device that allows users to access a wide range of content on their television. However, many users have reported experiencing slow performance and freezing issues while using the device.
There are several reasons why Fire TV can be slow and freezing, including overloaded cache, outdated software, overheating, network issues, and too many apps running.
Here are possible causes for why Fire TV is slow and freezing:
- Internet Connection: If you can navigate the Fire TV interface but video content keeps buffering or freezing, your internet connection is most likely the problem.
- App Cache: The more you use an app, the more temporary files it creates and stores on your Fire TV. Over-accumulation of cache data can lead to unresponsiveness and other problems in the long run.
- Outdated App: If the app keeps freezing your Fire TV, the app is probably outdated or contains some bugs.
Here are some ways to fix these issues:
- Check Your Internet Connection: Fire OS lets you check the status of your Wi-Fi connection. Head to the Settings tab, select Network, move the cursor to the active network, and press the Pause/Play button on the remote. On the Connection Status page, make sure both checkmarks read “Connected to Wi-Fi” and “Connected to the internet.” Additionally, ensure the network’s Signal Strength reads “Very Good.” If the Connection Status page displays a “Connected with problems” error message or the network signal strength is labeled “Weak” or “Poor,” your Fire TV may buffer content while streaming. To resolve this, restart your Wi-Fi router and reconnect your Fire TV to the network. You should also consider adjusting your router’s antenna, disconnecting other devices from the Wi-Fi network, or using a Wi-Fi extender.
- Force Stop and Clear App Cache: If your Fire TV only keeps freezing when you use a particular app, kill the app, delete its temporary files (or cache data), and rerun it. Here’s how to force-quit an app on your Fire TV: Navigate to the Settings tab and select Applications. Select Manage Installed Applications. Select the app that keeps freezing your Fire TV. Select Force stop. That’ll prompt Fire OS to close the app in the foreground and background. Select Clear cache to delete the app’s temporary files. Wait for a minute and open the app again.
- Update Your App: Make sure that all of your apps are up-to-date.
Fire TV Keeps Crashing
When your Fire TV stick crashes, you need to wait for it to turn back on. Worst of all if it happens right in the middle of a really important part of a movie or TV series. Here’s how to stop your Fire TV stick from crashing, and what causes it:
As a whole your Fire TV device will crash if there is a bad connection between it and the TV/receiver. You should check that it’s plugged in all the way. After that you should restart the device and do a factory reset. If that doesn’t resolve the issue then you should swap out the cables.
The good news is that the cables that your Fire TV stick uses are very common. For example it uses an
- HDMI to USB cable
- USB to micro USB cable
You may have some of these lying around for other devices such as a Bluetooth speaker. But, if you don’t have them you should try these initial steps to stop your Fire TV stick from crashing. Before going out and getting some new cables.
Below, I’ll explain how to fix it step by step no matter what Fire TV device you have.
Fire TV stick 4k regular (1080p)
There are 4 major Fire TV sticks:
- Fire TV Stick 4k regular (1080p)
- Fire TV Stick 4K
- Fire TV Stick Lite
- Fire TV Cube
The steps to stop all of the different Fire TV devices from crashing is the same. Which are:
1. Restart the device
You can either unplug the device and plug it back in again or restart it in the settings. From the home screen select Settings > My Fire TV > Restart. After that your Fire TV stick will restart itself. Use your Fire TV stick as normal to see if it fixes the issue.
2. Clear the app cache
A certain app may have corrupted files that need to be deleted, or didn’t download properly and causes the app to crash when you open it. To clear the app cache you need to go to the home screen and then select:
Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > select the app that crashes > Clear cache > Clear data.
That can fix the issue, so run your Fire TV device for a while to see if that fixed the issue. If it still crashes then you should reinstall the app.
3. Reinstall the app
Sometimes you might open up an app and it will go back to the home screen, or restart your Fire TV stick. To fix this issue you should uninstall the app that crashes, and reinstall it again.
There are settings to do this through the Fire TV stick menu. From the Home screen select
Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > select the app that causes the issue > select Uninstall
It will take some time for the app to uninstall and it will be removed from your Fire TV stick. Once, it’s finished you should install it again. To do so go to the Home screen on your Fire TV stick, and then navigate at the top to Apps.
Then find the app either by looking for it in the categories, or in the featured tab if it’s a very popular app. Once you find it, highlight it, and hit install. That will install the app again, and should fix the issue. If that doesn’t stop your Fire TV stick from crashing then you should…
4. Check the cables
The cables are a bit different between the different Fire TV sticks. Here’s a handy table which shows what cables it has and what cables to check
|
Device |
Cables it has |
Cables that could cause it to crash |
|
Standard (1080p) |
HDMI, HDMI extender, USB to micro USB. |
USB to micro USB |
|
4K |
HDMI, HDMI extender, USB to micro USB. |
USB to micro USB |
|
Cube |
Ethernet extender, HDMI, IR extender, Power port |
Power port |
|
Lite |
HDMI, HDMI extender, USB to micro USB. |
USB to micro USB |
As you can see all of the Fire TV devices except for the Cube use the USB to micro USB to power them. If the power cable is a bit loose your Fire TV stick will shut off when it needs to draw a lot of power.
The Cube on the other hand has a dedicated power port, which you should check to make sure it’s plugged in all the way, and your Fire TV stick isn’t crashing because the power cable is a bit loose.
Your Fire TV stick uses a lot of power when it needs to stream from the internet, so you might only notice it crashes when you start watching a TV show or movie. And navigating around the menu works just fine.
4. Do a factory reset
Doing a factory reset will reset the device back to how it was when you first bought it. Bear in mind that this will delete any apps and data you have on your Fire TV stick. And you should only do this step if you’ve tried every other step on this list.
You can factory reset your Fire TV stick by going to your Home screen, then selecting Settings > My Fire TV > Reset To Factory Defaults.
If you try each of these steps I have covered above and your Fire TV stick still crashes then you should contact Amazon support about the issue, and they might need to replace your Fire TV stick for you.
If it’s a relatively new device then you should contact Amazon regarding having it replaced under warranty. But, if it’s a bit older you may want to spend the $50 to get a brand new one. Fire TV Cube’s are a bit more expensive, so you’ll want to spend more time looking into whether it’s covered by the warranty.
Generally, there’ll be a warranty card in your Fire TV device box, or attached to the invoice/receipt for it.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on May 20, 2021.
Fire TV Keeps Freezing
Another common issue that can occur with a Fire TV device is that it can freeze, and you need to unplug it and plug it back in again. To fix your Fire TV when that happens…
As a whole this is caused by either a problem app, the remote not working, or the internet being slow. If your Fire TV device freezes when you open a specific app, then you should clear the cache and reinstall the app. For the other issues you should check your remote and the internet is working.
A Fire TV stick has a tonne of different apps on it, and with all the different apps sometimes an error can occur in the background on the computer processor on your Fire TV stick.
To get it all working again, a good first step is to check the batteries on your Fire TV stick device remote.
1. Check the batteries on your remote
Sometimes, it may not be that your Fire TV is frozen but that you can move anything on the screen because your remote is out of battery. Throw a pair of new batteries into your Fire TV remote, and see if that gets it working again.
It would be convenient if there were some buttons on your Fire TV device that you could use to navigate around the menu. That way you could see if it’s the remote that’s out of battery or broken.
But, as you know, a Fire TV stick is very small and doesn’t have any buttons. A Fire TV Cube, though, has buttons on the top that you can use to check whether your Fire TV is frozen, or if it’s the remote.
2. Reinstall the problem app
If you open up a specific app such as Hulu or Netflix and your Fire TV freezes, then it’s a good sign that there’s an issue with the specific app. And there are a range of fixes. In some cases you may want to sign out of the app and resign again.
But, a good first step is to uninstall and reinstall the app again. The steps to do that are the same for whatever Fire TV device you have and to do that go to the Home screen on your Fire TV device, then go to:
Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > select the app that causes the issue > select Uninstall
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on May 20, 2021.
For a specific app issue like with Netflix, it’s best do a Google search for ‘My Netflix is freezing’. And you can search for any app this way. This article would go on too long if I had to explain how to fix the issue for every single app you can get on your Fire TV stick.
3. Internet is slow
When the internet is slow your TV show, movie, or game will just freeze as the Fire TV stick tries to download the files it needs – also known as buffering. The internet connection between your Fire TV device can be slow for a range of reasons.
I’ll explain what they are and how to fix them in the next section.
Fire TV Keeps Buffering
A common issue that you can run into when using your Fire TV device is it will keep buffering. It’s directly related to your internet connection, but here’s what it is and how to make sure your internet is at the proper speed.
Buffering occurs when your Fire TV stick can’t get a good download speed because the internet is slow. The internet can be slow temporarily if other devices are downloading large files, or if your modem is faulty. A modem that needs to be replaced will drop the internet connection often.
If you are watching a TV show or movie just fine on your Fire TV device and then it suddenly pauses it means your internet connection disconnected temporarily. And it is in the process of reconnecting itself.
If this happens a lot it’s best to contact your internet service provider and ask them to troubleshoot the issue.
A good way to see if your internet connection is to go on to Google.com and type speed test in the search. It will bring up Google’s tool which will tell you how fast your internet is.
You can also run a test through Speedtest.net and it displays how fast your internet is for your country and compared to other countries.
If your internet speed is just fine but your Fire TV stick is still buffering then, it means that the WiFi signal is weak, and you may want to get a WiFi signal booster. A WiFi signal booster sits in between your Fire TV stick, and your WiFi modem, and boosts the signal.
ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on May 20, 2021.
A good way to check if you should use a WiFi signal booster is to check the internet speed using different devices in the same room as your Fire TV stick. For example, test the internet speed on your smartphone and on your laptop. If you’re getting good speeds, then it means your Fire TV stick might be behind a firewall or something similar, and it’s best to contact your internet service provider about how to get it set up correctly.