I’ve used many different streaming devices and services and a Fire TV device is a great way to stream TV shows and movies. But, sometimes you can run into issues with it. I collected the most common problems that occur with the Fire TV app and how to fix them and thought I’d put together what I found together in this helpful article.
If a Fire TV app is not working, it might be due to insufficient storage space on the device. Clearing the cache or data of unused apps, or uninstalling them, can free up space and potentially resolve the issue.
Another common reason for app issues on Fire TV is an outdated app version. Apps that are not updated to the latest version can have compatibility issues or bugs that hinder their functionality. To fix this, go to the Fire TV’s app store, check for updates for the specific app, and install any available updates. This ensures the app is up-to-date and can often resolve performance issues.
Network connectivity problems can also prevent apps from working correctly on Fire TV. A weak or unstable Wi-Fi connection might cause apps to not load, update, or function properly. To address this, try improving your Wi-Fi signal strength by repositioning your router or Fire TV, or resetting your internet connection. If possible, use a wired Ethernet connection for a more stable and reliable internet connection.
When it still doesn’t work after that you should verify you have an internet connection. Each issue that you can have with your Fire TV app doesn’t need a slightly different solution. This article will cover the main issues you can have and how to fix them.
Fire TV App Not Downloading
One thing that can happen when you’re using your Fire TV stick is that when you go to download an app nothing happens. Here’s what to do to get it to download the app:
A primary reason for the Fire TV app not downloading is insufficient storage space on the device. To resolve this, check the available storage on your Fire TV device. If it’s low, free up space by deleting unused apps or clearing cache. This can be done in the settings under ‘Applications’, then ‘Manage Installed Applications’. Making room often allows the app to download smoothly.
Another potential cause could be an outdated Fire TV operating system. If your device’s software isn’t up to date, it might struggle to download new apps. To fix this, go to the settings on your Fire TV, select ‘My Fire TV’, and then ‘About’. Here, you can check for system updates and install any available ones. Keeping your device’s software current can often resolve download issues.
I explain exactly how to fix a Fire TV stick that won’t connect to the internet in the section below titled “Fire TV App Not Connecting”. Follow the steps in that section if you tried everything above.
Fire TV App Not Connecting
Sometimes, your Fire TV App won’t connect to the internet or to an app and when that happens it can be caused by a range of factors. To get it working again here’s what you should do.
Generally, the first step you should take is check that your Fire TV is connected to the internet by going to Settings > Network. From there it will say the name of the internet network you are connected to or it will display a list of available networks.
It will also tell you how strong the signal is. If you have a weak signal then it will take longer for your Fire TV App to connect. Or, your Fire TV might disconnect from the internet every now and then.
You can check if your internet connection can be causing your app to not connect using the below steps:
1. Run a speed test on your internet
You can see how fast your internet is, and whether it’s currently running slow by doing a speed test on your internet. To do a speed test you need to access a web browser such as Opera, Safari, or Google Chrome from a device that is connected to the same internet connection.
For example, a smartphone that’s connected to the same WiFi connection. From there go to Speedtest.org. It will run a speed test on your internet and let you know if there are any issues with it.
Speedtest also collects data and displays the average internet upload and download speed for your city, and for other cities around the world. So, you can compare if your internet is slow or fast.
If your internet is running slow then you should contact your internet service provider to have them fix it for you.
2. Check another device
Use another device to watch a Youtube video or similar but try to put it close to where your Fire TV stick is. Your Fire TV stick, when it’s connected to your TV might be in an area of the house that doesn’t get a good WiFi signal.
You can use a WiFi signal booster to give you better coverage if your Fire TV device can’t get a good signal. But, before getting one it’s a good idea to contact your internet service provider.
They can run through some other fixes and steps to take so that your Fire TV device has a solid internet connection.
3. Clear the cache and uninstall and reinstall the app
To do that first go to Settings from the Fire TV home screen, then select ‘Manage Applications’. From there you’ll have a list of the apps that are installed on your Fire TV device. By highlighting the app in question you can select ‘clear cache’.
See if that works. If not, then you should uninstall the app. The option to do that is in the same place as where you cleared the cache. Once it’s uninstalled you need to install it again. Exactly how to install a Fire TV app is covered in the next section.
Fire TV App Not Installed
A Fire TV App might not be installed at all on your Fire TV App. Before, you can use an app such as Netflix you need to install it. Here’s how to install an app on your Fire TV.
As a whole you need to locate the app you want to download from the list of apps on your Fire TV stick. To access that navigate to Apps from the Fire TV home screen using your Fire TV remote. From there you can search for the app by name, or see a list of apps in each category and find one manually.
Once you find the app you want to install, select it, and then press on install. Your Fire TV stick will download the files it needs and then it will install it to your device. The app will now be ready to use and is fully installed.
Fire TV App Not Found
There is an unusual error message you can get on a Fire TV App which will say ‘app not found’ or something similar. This can be caused by a few things, and here’s how to fix it.
On the whole you want to restart your Fire TV device, make sure the software is up to date, reinstall the app, and make sure certain apps aren’t blocking it from working. You’ll need to try each of these steps until one of them works for you.
Restarting your device is the easiest thing to try first. You can either unplug it from your TV and the power outlet and then plug it back in. Or, you can restart it by selecting a Settings > My Fire TV > and then selecting Restart.
With each new software update more bugs are removed from the Fire TV. So, you should double check that you’re running the latest Fire TV software. To do that go to Settings > My Fire TV > About > System Update. It will say whether a new software update is available.
Finally, there may be certain apps you’ve installed that could be blocking the app from opening. These could be apps like ad blockers. Remove any apps that you don’t use at all by going to Settings > Manage installed applications > that will bring up all the apps you have installed.
Remove any you don’t use, to free up space, and eliminate any app conflicts. After doing that check whether you’re still getting the error message. If you are you should uninstall the app that says ‘can’t be found’. And then install it again. If none of these fix the issue then you should contact Fire TV Support, and one of their customer service reps will be in touch.
Fire TV App Not Working
When you select an app you’ll want it to load it up straight away and then start working, but when there’s an issue it won’t work. To get it working again this is what you should do…
A Fire TV App that’s isn’t working is fixed by restarting your Fire TV device, double checking your internet connection, clearing the app cache, reinstalling the app, and updating the Fire TV software. All of these fixes don’t take very long and it should be all working again in 5 to 10 minutes.
Just turning your Fire TV app off and then turning it back on again can fix this issue. You can also unplug it from the power outlet and plug it back in again. This will close all of the apps that are open in the background. Once it turns back on, test whether the app is working.
If the app still doesn’t work, check that you have an internet connection to your Fire TV and clear the app cache. For the exact step by step instructions go to the section near the top of this article that says ‘Fire TV App Not Connecting’ and follow those 3 steps.
Once, you’ve done that if the app still won’t work then you should update your Fire TV software to the latest version. You can see what version you have and whether a new update is available by going to Settings > System > About.
There can sometimes be a conflict between different versions of an app and the Fire TV version. After you’ve updated your Fire TV software you should test out the app to see if it works not. If not, then you can uninstall the app and install it again.
To uninstall an app go to Settings > Manage Installed Applications. After you select the app and uninstall it, you can install the app again by searching for it on the app store. When that still doesn’t work it’s best to create a support ticket with the Amazon Fire TV support team.
Fire TV App Not Responding
A Fire TV App will typically start right up, and you can begin scrolling around on it and selecting different shows or movies. Or, it will start playing straight away, sometimes though the app doesn’t respond. To get the app working again, here’s what you need to know…
As a general rule, you should start by restarting your device, then try clearing the cache on the app that’s having the issue. Make sure it’s just that specific app and not your Fire TV in general by trying to open a different app.
Next, verify that it’s connected to the internet, and then reinstall the app again. Restarting your Fire TV app will force all background apps and frozen apps to close and reopen. Sometimes, apps can get stuck in the background and can interfere with other apps.
The cache also fills up over time, and might be using up a lot of storage space which slows down your Fire TV stick and can cause a memory issue.
Clearing the cache on the app can get it working again. It can be done by going to:
- Settings
- Manage installed applications
- It will display a list the apps that are installed
- Select the app that doesn’t respond and clear it’s cache.
In that same menu you can uninstall the app. But, first verify that when you cleared the cache it didn’t fix the issue. If it didn’t then go ahead and uninstall it and reinstall it.
The issue can also happen because the video is buffering and this happens when the internet is slow or disconnected.
As your Fire TV plays a movie or TV show it downloads the files from the internet. And when the internet connection isn’t connected or is running slow it will freeze and won’t play when you open it.
If you tried everything above and the app still won’t respond, then you should check your internet connection by following the step by step instructions in the section near the start of this article titled “Fire TV App Not Connecting”.
Fire TV App Not Loading
Another common thing that can happen with a Fire TV app simply won’t load. To get it working here’s what you need to do…
A Fire TV App not loading is caused by an issue with your internet connection or the app itself. To start with you should turn off your Fire TV device and turn it back on again. Then you should clear the cache for the app, and if that still doesn’t work then you should reinstall the app.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on May 10, 2021.
To access the settings to clear the cache for the app, you should go to the Settings > Manage Installed Applications > it will bring up a list of the app you’ve installed.
Select the app and hit ‘clear cache’. Exit out of this menu, and then try to open the app again. If that didn’t fix it then you should uninstall the app, and do a fresh install. You can uninstall the app in the same place you clear the cache.
If none of these fixes work, then you should check what the internet connection is like on your Fire TV stick. A poor internet connection can mean the app can’t download the files it needs to open.
To troubleshoot your internet connection you can contact your internet service provider and they can generally help you with it over the phone. But, I’ve included some steps to check your internet connection as well at the top of this article under the heading ‘Fire TV App Not Connecting’.
There are 3 simple steps there to go through, to check your internet is working 100%, and fast enough for your Fire TV apps to load. If none of these fixes work then your best bet is to contact Fire TV support and raise a support ticket with them.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on May 10, 2021.
Well, there you have everything you need to know to get a Fire TV app working again when it’s not working.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on May 10, 2021.