Amazon Fire TV

How to Jailbreak FireStick TV – The Complete Guide

Last updated on July 15, 2019

Want to find out how to jailbreak FireStick TV and unleash the streaming capabilities of the portable entertainment system? Here’s everything to know about jailbreak the Amazon Fire TV Stick, how you can do it, and the benefits that it has to offer.

The modern age of entertainment is a cord cutter’s dream come true, with the biggest names in the business moving towards online streaming. Google may have started the online push after taking over YouTube and making it the largest database of videos online, but a list of names has followed since. The entertainment industry has flourished upon the arrival of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and other premium subscription-based services, but bringing the streaming services to the big screen has been the effort put in through devices such as Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and many others.

In order to make premium content available to the masses on various streaming platforms, Amazon introduced the Fire TV Stick. Offered as a compact and affordable solution to connect your home entertainment system to the internet and enjoy online streamed content along with live TV channels over the web, the Amazon Fire TV Stick has been revered by users all across the world. However, users have been buzzing the support forums all over the internet to discover different methods on how to jailbreak FireStick TV and unlock its true potential.

What Does Jailbreaking FireStick TV Mean?

The term jailbreaking is usually associated with Apple’s iOS devices, where a user is able to enjoy unprecedented software and hardware access by modifying the system files. Unlike the iPhone or the iPad, the system installed on the Amazon Fire TV Stick is actually based on Android 5.0 Lollipop, although it does not include the traditionally preinstalled suite of Google apps and services. Amazon offers its very own App Store, with thousands of offerings that are tailored to work best with the Fire TV on the big screen with navigation support from the Alexa Remote.

When we speak about learning how to jailbreak Amazon Fire Stick, it refers to the ability to install apps on the device while bypassing the App Store. The ability to so has existed natively on all Android devices right from the get-go, which is offered as a feature embedded in the Developer Options menu. Jailbreaking the Fire TV Stick allows you to “Install from Unknown Sources”, which essentially means that you can install apps in their raw format (APK) directly on the device, without requiring the permission of the Amazon App Store, and is generally referred to as “sideloading”.

Why Jailbreak Amazon Fire Stick TV?

Generally speaking, the reason Google Play Store has been put in place is to act as an inspector, ensuring that all apps are put through a screening process before being installed on your phone. While you would wish for the same on your Amazon Fire TV Stick, but the exclusion of the Google Play Store in lieu of the Amazon App Store limits the number of available apps for use significantly. Thanks to the ability to sideload apps to the Fire TV Stick, you get the ability to install thousands of big-screen apps to your TV.

Additionally, the popularity of Android streaming devices has led to the release of third-party app stores built for simplified navigation. For instance, the Aptoide TV App Store allows you to find some of the best Android TV apps and install them to your Amazon Fire TV device. These third-party app stores and app repositories also allow you to install apps such as Showbox for Android, that aren’t officially available neither on the Amazon App Store, nor the Google Play Store.

Once you jailbreak the Fire TV Stick, you can also install the Kodi media player app on it, which unlocks the doors to entertainment heaven for you. From enjoying live TV shows, to having the latest and greatest movies and TV shows at the click of a button, Kodi media player on your Amazon Fire TV devices brings a whole new dimension to your entertainment experience on the big screen.

How to Jailbreak FireStick TV

Now that you you’ve understood what jailbreaking Amazon Fire Stick means and how you can use it to your advantage, it’s time to understand how you can start using it. You need to start by enabling the ability to sideload apps to the Amazon Fire TV Stick, which comes by switching on the “Unknown Sources” feature in the Developer Options menu.

Right from the main screen on your Amazon Fire device, head over to the Settings
Head over to Device tab and then navigate to the Developer Options
You will find the tab that reads Apps from Unknown Sources and click on it to turn the feature ON.

Now that you have enabled the “Unknown Sources” option from the Settings, you can begin to sideload apps on your Amazon Fire TV Stick.

How to Sideload Apps on FireStick TV

Once you have the Unknown Sources features enabled on your Fire TV Stick, you will now be able to bypass the Amazon App Store and install apps directly. But before you can start doing this, you will need the App Store on your Fire TV one last time, to fetch the Downloader app. This app essentially works as a web browser and download manager, allowing you to get APK files online and then directly install them to your streaming device.

From the main menu screen, look out for the Apps
Using the search bar, find the Downloader
Press the Install button and wait for the app to be installed on the Amazon Fire TV.

Bonus: Install the Aptoide TV App

A third-party app store that is designed especially for the Android TV platform, Aptoide TV brings you access to thousands of apps. Apart from apps that are available on the Google Play Store, you can find a bunch of independent apps as well.

Open the Downloader app and go to the Home section to enter the URL.
Type in the following URL in the empty box – http://m.aptoid.com/installer-aptoid-tv/ and hit the Go
Select OK when the app asks to you to enable JavaScript, which is essential for webpages to load within the Aptoide TV app.
Wait for the Aptoide TV APK file to be downloaded, and then press the Install button and once again to confirm.

The Aptoide TV app will now be installed on your Amazon Fire TV Stick, so you can press the Done button to exit, or choose to launch it by pressing the Open button.

Use ExpressVPN When You Jailbreak FireStick TV

One of the primary reasons to jailbreak your Amazon Fire Stick TV is to be able to enjoy video streaming content from apps that are aren’t originally available. This may include regional apps which are not supported officially by the Amazon App Store, but there may be other barriers in the way too. Geo-restrictions are put in place by several big names in the online streaming business, and the only way to get around these restrictions is to put a VPN service such as ExpressVPN to use.

Bypassing Geo-restrictions – Depending on where you live, you won’t be able to access the services online even with a jailbroken Fire TV, but ExpressVPN offer you a way around this. Allowing you to connect to hundreds of remote servers across the world, you can choose to log in from more than 60 different locations.

Avoid ISP Logging – Even if a streaming service is not barred in your region, the ISP (internet service provider) can still keep an on-file record of the user data. The online activity that you perform on the Fire TV Stick can be logged, which poses not only a privacy treat, but the problem of being fined for unauthorized usage as well.

High-speed Streaming –When you choose a mediocre VPN service that helps you get past the ISP but underperforms in terms of connectivity, you could end up with minutes of buffering, which can impact the entertainment experience. With ExpressVPN and its smart filtering of servers that rank highest on the Speed Index, you can choose a network server with the best streaming speeds on the Fire TV Stick.

Native Support – The sheer popularity of ExpressVPN not only makes it a viable solution for desktop and mobile devices, but for streaming devices such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick as well. The Amazon App Store officially supports the ExpressVPN app, allowing you to hook up to a proxy server, easily choose your service location, and even monitor your streaming speeds for a surreal viewing experience.

Get ExpressVPN to protect your viewing behavior

Final Words

With the massive improvements in the communication infrastructure, there is high-speed wireless connectivity across not just the United States, but the entire world. This evolution in the communications industry has bolstered the efforts to cut the cord when it comes to entertainment and ditch the local cable companies in favor of premium streaming services. Bringing the ability to stream content online directly to the big screen has been made possible for the masses, thanks to budget streamers such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Since people are always looking to make the most of the capabilities of what their gadgets can do, the ability to jailbreak FireStick TV has become a popular trend. We’ve highlighted the reasons why an individual would be inclined to take up the process steps and get their device enabled for sideloading apps. If you have any questions regarding how sideloading works on the Fire TV, or have any other queries, just reach out to us in the comments.

How to Watch Live TV on FireStick TV – Best Amazon Fire TV Apps for Live TV

Last updated on May 13, 2019

Have you cut the cord but miss those cable shows and want to learn how to watch live TV on FireStick TV on the big screen? Here’s a list of the best Amazon Fire TV apps to get live TV streaming for limitless entertainment all the time. We’ve come a long way from being at the mercy of the cable companies who dictated the entertainment that we get to enjoy. The paying customer has been empowered greatly by the wireless streaming entertainment services such as Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and many others, who have helped instill the cord-cutting lifestyle that many of us take for granted today. Bringing affordable and quality media streaming experience across the world, Amazon has not only been a frontrunner in online entertainment for years now. Through the Prime Video service as well as the inception of the Fire TV series of devices, Amazon has reshaped the home entertainment industry for good. However, even with the luxury of being able to watch premium quality content on the fly, there will be times when you do miss the minute-to-minute entertainment that only live TV can offer. Whether you want to enjoy a live NBA match or wish to catch on to some breaking news from the top news outlets, there is still a way to learn how to watch live TV on FireStick TV without having to go back to your tyrannical cable company.

Best Amazon Fire TV Apps for Live TV

All thanks to the resourceful the wide variety of entertainment apps for Android that offer live content for free and at a premium subscription as well, you can relive the glorious days of cable entertainment on a modern streaming device. We’ve handpicked some of the best offerings which are available, giving you the ability to watch live content on the big screen. Note: The Amazon App Store has a limited collection of apps, which restricts the ability of how to watch live TV on FireStick TV. However, since Fire TV is based on a version of Android OS, you can sideload the APK files of Live TV apps and install them on the Fire TV Stick to watch a massive library of content of live TV channels on the streaming device

1. Sling TV

https://youtu.be/flcrwNy5QIs Marketing with the idea of “stop paying too much for TV”, the Sling TV service allows you to create a personalized experience with streaming live TV. Rather than purchasing a package from your local cable company that forces a bunch of channels upon you, Sling TV allows you to handpick content from a collection of more than 100 different channels. With a feature called Cloud DVR included for a subscription fee, Sling TV enables you to watch anything at any time in more than 18 different languages.

Get the Sling TV App

2. Mobdro Unlike the first offering on the list, Mobdro is entirely free to use right out of the box and comes with a gigantic collection of live video streams from across the world. You have the ability to browse through dozens of languages and look up channels that cover every genre there is. The best part is that you can even download your favorite streams for offline viewing, and always get a list of curated content which you can recommend to your friends and let them know what you’re watching.

How to install Mobdro App

3. Kodi

The original streaming media player that has already become a community favorite among Amazon Fire TV users, Kodi is also the solution on how to watch live TV on FireStick TV. While the Kodi app itself comes with no such feature, it is the power of free and premium Kodi add-ons that allows you to watch all forms of content. Apart from the ability to watch live TV, the latest version of the Kodi media player also allows you to use it as your personal DVR to record live streams the easy way.

How to install Kodi on Firestick or FireTV

4. Hulu

If you don’t like the fact that the apps and services available for live TV viewing on Amazon Fire TV as not officially supported and you need to manually install them, then Hulu is your best shot at enjoying live TV officially. What makes Hulu different from other subscription services is the fact that apart from a large collection of movies, Hulu Original content, and TV shows, it also offers live and on-demand content. You can handpick the cable channel networks that you wish to subscribe to, and even get the virtual DVR service to record live streaming content the easy way.

Get the Hulu App

5. YouTube TV

After dominating the video streaming industry for more than a decade, YouTube is now putting another nail in cable TV’s coffin with the YouTube TV service. Offering more than 70 primetime channels of local sports, news, entertainment and education, YouTube TV is the solution of how to stream live TV on FireStick TV, but through an unofficial way. Apart from allowing 6 users at once, YouTube TV offers cloud DVR service with unlimited storage for you to enjoy content even when you’re offline or on the go.

Get the YouTube TV App

ATTENTION: USE A VPN TO PROTECT YOUR VIEWING BEHAVIOR

ATTENTION: ISPs and governments regularly track their users’ online behavior. If the users are found streaming copyrighted content on your Fire TV device, you could potentially get into a trouble. Your IP is visible to everyone unless you use a solid VPN service. I strongly recommend you to get the best VPN for FireTV devices and mask your identity/IP so that your streaming and viewing experience isn’t tracked by your ISP. Using a VPN is perfectly legal and safe. I use ExpressVPN which is the fastest and most secure VPN in the industry. It is very easy to install on any device including Amazon Fire TV Stick. Also, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like their service, you can always ask for a refund. ExpressVPN also has a special deal where you can get 3 months free and save 49% on their annual plan.

How to Watch Live TV on FireStick TV

Now that you have discovered some of the best Android apps there are to watch live TV with, you can start sideloading them on your Amazon Fire TV streaming device to enjoy the entertainment on the big screen. All you need to do is follow the instructions down below to install each of the apps, and for the purpose of this tutorial, we’ve chosen the Sling TV app to demonstrate how the process needs to be done.

Step 1: Enable Unknown Sources on Amazon Fire TV

Before you can begin installing the live TV apps on your Amazon streaming device, you need to enable the Unknown Sources feature. This option enables you to install APK files of Android apps directly to the system, so you can use apps that are not officially available on the Amazon App Store for download.

Turn on the Amazon Fire TV device and use the navigation keys on your Fire TV Remote to scroll down to the Settings
On the Settings screen, press the right-arrow button to scroll and find the Device option you see.
Now go ahead and find the Developer options tab on the screen.
Select the option that reads Apps from Unknown Sources on the TV screen.
Choose the Turn On button when the option pops up, and the feature will now be active.

Step 2: Install the App

Once you have the Unknown Sources enabled from the Developer Options menu, it is time to fetch the APK file of the live TV app and install it to the Fire TV Stick.

Head over to the Apps section from the home screen of your Amazon Fire TV.
Tap on the Search icon, look for the Downloader app and install it.
Now head back to the main screen and open the Downloader
Type in the URL of the download link of the APK file that you want to download.
After the APK file has been downloaded, open it and hit the Install

Once the APK file has completed the installation process, you will be able to see the app icon on the home screen of your Amazon Fire TV. You can use the same process to download and install even more live TV streaming apps that you like.

How to install Kodi on Roku

How to install Kodi on iPhone

How to install Kodi on PC

Final Words

There is no doubt about the fact that Amazon Fire TV has revolutionized the way we consume entertainment. But despite being based on Android OS which is the epitome of freedom, the Amazon App Store restricts the ability of the Fire TV device to do more. The most convenient methods on how to watch live TV on FireStick TV have been highlighted above, whether you’re looking for a premium solution or a free fix. With the apps mentioned above, you won’t have to live with a moment of regret for cutting the cord and taking the online route of entertainment. Which of the apps or services mentioned above are you going to put to use to stream live TV on your Amazon Fire TV Stick? Have we missed out on a great app or service that definitely deserves a mention on the list above? Be sure to highlight it in the comments section right down below, and we’ll make it a point to review it too.

Guide to the Best VPN for FireStick – Unlock the Entertainment

Last updated on April 30, 2019

Looking for the best VPN for FireStick that can bring you unfiltered access to the beauty that is the internet? Here’s a hand-picked selection of the best VPN apps for your Amazon Fire TV streaming device that you can start using right now.

In an attempt to break the stronghold that cable companies across the globe have created on the entertainment content that viewers can enjoy, online streaming services were introduced. As a stronger wireless network infrastructure has been put in place worldwide, there has been rapid expansion of premium subscription streaming service like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, and many others. However, even with the extended freedom, there is certain regional limitations that is put in place.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick has been one of the most renowned media streaming devices out there, offering the ability to connect with every major subscription service. Despite the cable-free content, the only thing that seems to get in the way of unfiltered access to entertainment is regional restriction put in place due to copyright laws. However, there’s a way to get around it all by selecting one of the best VPN for FireStick in the market.

Why do you need a VPN for Amazon Fire TV?

Since you’re already paying a premium for the subscription entertainment services, shelling out a few extra dollars each month may not seem too tempting. However, there are plenty of reasons why you should invest in a VPN service that can be used with your Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Privacy Protection

With government agencies like the NSA keeping a close eye on everything that you do, privacy has become a priority for users. Since VPN services make your browsing sessions anonymous by masking the IP address of your Internet Service Provider and encrypting the data transferred across the servers, you can rest assured knowing that your browsing experience is private.

Avoid Censorship

The worst thing that can happen to an entertainment junkie is media censorship, which is unfortunately practiced in almost every country, and far more strictly under regions such as Saudi Arabia and China. Allowing to unblock services such as YouTube, Facebook, and plenty of restricted content at any time, getting the best VPN for FireStick is your shot to jumping past unnecessary and oppressive censorship laws.

Bypass Geo-Restrictions

There are hundreds of different media streaming services out there, but the reason you can’t use most of them with your Amazon Fire TV Stick is geo-restrictions. Since you can use the VPN service to spoof your location by connecting to a remote server located abroad, this enables you to provide a fake geographical location to the streaming service and helps unlock a large catalog of restricted content for viewing.

Best VPN for FireStick

Now that you know why the Amazon Fire TV Stick can make the most out of what VPN services have to offer, the hard part is making the right choice. To make things easier for you, we’ve sieved through the different available VPN services to help you find the right one out there.

ExpressVPN– Best Value and Performance

An industry leader in the VPN service space, ExpressVPN has successfully cast a wide net across all platforms, including a official app for Amazon Fire TV Stick as well. Backed by an assuring money-back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied with the service within 30 days, ExpressVPN is available for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS as well.

When it comes to bypassing geo-restrictions, none can do it better than this VPN for Fire TV, which offers more than 130 VPN servers that span across more than 90 countries worldwide. While it may be a tad bit pricier compared to the others on the list, features such as smart DNS proxy and 24/7 customer support make it worthwhile.

Get 30% Off ExpressVPN

IPVanish

One of most highly-rated VPN services for Amazon Fire TV Stick out there, IPVanish has become a popular choice among users who use VPN services for streaming, all thanks to the high-speed data transfer rates. Maintaining a no-log policy for its clients, you don’t have to worry about user data collection when you’ve got one of the best VPN for FireStick by your side.

Allowing optimized support for Kodi media player, multi-level connection support spread across devices, and a dedicated Amazon Fire TV app to go with it, IPVanish allows you to unlock an entire catalog of content when streaming with subscription services like Netflix and Hulu.

Get the IPVanish

ZenMate

While ZenMate may not be as old as some of the other contenders on the list of the best VPN for FireStick out there, but it certainly is among the most prominent ones. Apart from offering features such as high-speed connectivity with low latency to keep buffering at bay and no-logging policy to keep your entertainment experience private, ZenMate comes with multi-device support.

Built under the strict data-protection guidelines of the European Union, ZenMate offers some of the fastest servers in the United States and the United Kingdom. The single-click connect app designed for Amazon Fire TV makes it easy for you set it all up and get going, and although it isn’t the cheapest offering on the table, it certainly more than makes up for it in quality.

Get the ZenMate

TorGuard

A VPN service that has positioned itself as the “fastest VPN protocol on the internet”, TorGuard started offering official support for all Amazon Fire TV devices last year. Offering tightknit security protocols through no-logging and features such as SSTP/L2TP/IPsec/OpenVPN, TorGuard comes loaded with more than 3,000 servers across 50+ countries.

The TorGuard app for Amazon Fire TV is specifically designed to help you do away with geo-restrictions and access region-specific Netflix entertainment catalogs from anywhere in the world. Since the service uses a dedicated IP address, you can easily bypass the security firewall set up by Netflix and enjoy a content online at anytime from anywhere.

Get the TorGuard

Private Internet Access

A relatively newer entry into the market, Private Internet Access has still managed to cement its position as one of the best VPN for FireStick out there. The service comes with multi-platform support across a whopping 10 different devices at once, and is all locked down with features such as encrypted data transfers, ad-blocking, and no-log policy.

There is no bandwidth restriction put in place by Private Internet Access, which is ideal when you’re streaming gigabytes of content in high definition. Supporting VPN servers in more than 32 countries across the world, Private Internet Access also offers you complete anonymity when you browse the internet or watch media online.

Get the Private Internet Access

Bonus

Apart from the list of the best VPN service providers listed above for Amazon Fire TV, here are couple other great choices for you to try out:

BulletVPN

Designed for the modern user in mind, BulletVPN is a relatively new entry into market which puts streaming on focus. Although the service does not offer a humongous number of servers across the world, what makes it one of the best VPN for FireStick is the fact it takes buffering out of the equation with high-speed server connectivity.

Setting up the service is a cakewalk with the official Amazon Fire TV app available for download, and it all comes backed with a 30-day guarantee. The customer service support will help you tackle with any and every issue you come across, while the ability to spoof your location and access geo-restricted content is always a bonus.

Get the BulletVPN

NordVPN

Another giant in the VPN service industry that has skyrocketed in popularity by offering premium quality service at a fairly reasonable price, NordVPN is spread across all system platforms. Apart from offering an official app for the Amazon Fire TV devices, NordVPN is available for every major mobile and computer operating system.

There is a 30-day refund policy put in place by the company to make sure that your investment is always safe. While NordVPN may not have the gigantic amount of servers like ExpressVPN does, it successfully operates across more than 50 countries globally with multiple servers in high-traffic regions such as the United States to ensure optimum speeds.

Get the NordVPN

Final Words

The unprecedented freedom that users on the internet once enjoyed, has certainly been curbed over the past decade. In the wake of cybercrimes and cyber warfare waging across the world, federal agencies are more vigilant than ever in monitoring what goes on in the World Wide Web. This comes at a serious cost to the end-user, but virtual private network services surely help take the edge off.

When it comes to enjoying unfiltered access to the hundreds and thousands of hours of entertaining content out there that is blocked due to geo-restrictions, nothing comes close to what the best VPN for FireStick devices have to offer. We’ve tried and tested the best ones out there that not only offer decent transfer speeds, but also keep your browsing experience secure at all times.

Which VPN service have you commissioned to keep your Amazon Fire TV viewing experience better than ever? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section right down below.

How to Install YouTube TV on FireStick TV

Last updated on April 11, 2019

Want to unlock the potential of your streaming device and learn how to install YouTube TV on FireStick TV? Here’s everything you need to know about YouTube’s very own premium internet TV service and how you can unofficially bring it to your Amazon Fire TV.

Ever since the internet became a widespread phenomenon and affordable for most households across the country, the entertainment industry has been pushing to go online. Cutting the cord and bringing the power of streaming content has changed the way we enjoy media, and service like YouTube has played a crucial role in it. Thanks to plenty of premium entertainment streaming services like Netflix, and even private cable brands such as Comcast opting to go online, the wireless entertainment solution is finally here.

However, if you enjoy your favorite TV shows and movies on the big screen through Amazon Fire TV, chances are that you don’t get to experience YouTube the way it is intended to be on the big screen. Due to the beef between Google and Amazon, there is no officially supported YouTube app for Amazon Fire TV. There is the option to watch YouTube on Amazon Fire TV devices through the web version that can be accessed through Silk Browser. But even this bypass method does not give you access to YouTube TV, the internet-based wireless live TV service.

What is YouTube TV?

Back in 2017, Google introduced the YouTube TV entertainment service across a few select regions in the United States as a standalone service that brings live TV streaming. Offering cable-free live TV anywhere at any time, you get the ability to stream more than 60 different channels on your mobile phone or on the big screen. The best features include your very own cloud-based DVR system which allows unlimited storage, and the support for 6 users at once.

Comprising a collection of all the popular premium subscription TV channels, you get the no-commitment contract to start off at just $40/month with YouTube TV. What makes YouTube TV useful is that it is compatible with a wide range of devices, which includes Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, and a wide range of Smart TVs. Despite the widespread device support, YouTube TV does not seem to extend the same for millions of Amazon Fire TV devices out there.

How to Install YouTube TV on FireStick TV

Despite the beef between Amazon and Google, when it comes to offering the software on the Amazon Fire TV Stick, the company sticks to Android. Running a different flavor of Android, the Fire TV Stick pack FireOS, which does not include the Google Play Store. This cuts you off from the millions of Android TV compatible apps out there, which includes the YouTube TV app as well.

Since each and every Amazon Fire TV device is running Android OS at its core, there is the ability to sideload apps in the form of APK files. Thanks to a feature called Unknown Sources that is built into the system, you can manually flash APK files directly on the Amazon Fire TV. To do so, all you need to do is fetch the latest APK file of YouTube TV online, install it on the Amazon Fire TV by enabling the Unknown Sources feature, and you’re all set.

Step 1: Enable Unknown Sources

Similar to how the process works on your Android mobile phone, you need to enable the Unknown Sources feature on the Amazon Fire TV before you can sideload the YouTube TV APK file. This process is fairly simple since the feature is tucked away in the Settings of the system itself, which can be easily accessed and enabled.

Turn on the Amazon Fire TV and use the navigation keys on your Alexa Remote to scroll down to the Settings
On the Settings screen, press the right-arrow key to scroll and select the Device option you see.
Now go ahead and find the Developer options
Select the option that reads Apps from Unknown Sources on the screen.
Choose the Turn On button when the option pops up, and you’re all set.

Now that you have the Unknown Sources option enabled, you can move on to the next step on how to install YouTube TV on FireStick TV device.

Step 2: Download ES Explorer

Now that you have the means to install APK files on your Amazon Fire TV up and running, it is time to fetch the APK file for the YouTube TV app. The easiest way to move and install an APK file to your Amazon Fire TV device is through the use of ES File Explorer. One of the most popular file manager apps available on Android, the ES File Explorer is officially supported by Amazon Fire TV, making is the right tool for us to use here.

On your Amazon Fire TV, scroll to the Apps section and press the Search
Type in ES File Explorer in the search bar and press the Download button right below the app screen.
Download the ES File Explorer on your Android mobile phone from the Google Play Store (Download Link).

Once you have the ES File Explorer app installed on both, your Android device and your Amazon Fire TV Stick, make sure that they are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This is important to make sure that you are able to transfer the YouTube TV APK file from your mobile device to your Amazon Fire TV in the next step.

Step 3: Download and Install the YouTube APK File

With the ES File Explorer installed and set up, you can now go ahead and fetch the YouTube APK file from the internet.

Download the YouTube TV APK file on your Android device using the download link given here.
Open the ES File Explorer app on your Android phone and grant the required permissions asked.
Navigate to the folder where you have downloaded the YouTube APK file.
Press and hold the YouTube APK file, tap on More and select the Send option to shoot out the file to the Amazon Fire TV.
Turn on the Amazon Fire TV device and make sure that the ES File Explorer app is open to receive the APK file.
You will see a confirmation box on the Amazon Fire TV screen, so press OK to receive the YouTube TV APK file.
Now using the navigation keys on the Alexa Remote, select the YouTube APK file and press the Install
Wait while the installation process completes, after which you will be able to see the YouTube TV app icon on the main screen of your Amazon Fire TV device.

Final Words

That’s all there is to it! You can now enjoy the live TV service of YouTube TV unofficially on your Amazon Fire TV. Albeit the controls aren’t designed for navigation using the Alexa Remote, but we can confirm that it seems to work okay. Apart from learning how to install YouTube TV on FireStick TV using the sideload method we have heighted above, you can use the same steps to enable Unknown Sources on your Amazon Fire TV and install all kinds of other unsupported Android apps and use them on the big screen.

Are you excited to unlock the true potential of your Amazon Fire TV and enjoy cord-free cable TV live through the YouTube TV service? If you need help setting things up or have any query regarding it all, just ask away in the comments section and we’ll surely respond.

Amazon Fire Stick Remote Not Working – Here’s How to Fix It

Last updated on March 28, 2019

Need to get your entertainment on but tired of the Amazon Fire Stick remote not working right? Here’s a complete troubleshooting guide on how to fix what’s wrong and make the Fire TV Remote work every time.

Even before home entertainment became the wireless phenomenon that it is today, remote controls have always had a special place among households. The way traditional remote work is through infrared, but when you compare it to the modern standard of remote controls that are used with Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV devices, the technology is quite different. Since the Amazon Fire TV Stick remote works on low-power Bluetooth technology instead of Infrared, the ways to fix it are also widely different.

Reasons Why Amazon Fire Stick Remote Not Working

Whether the Fire TV remote stopped working abruptly, or never worked right out of the box, there are plenty of reasons that could cause this issue. Some of the common issues that users have reported and the reasons to why the Amazon Fire Stick remote isn’t working for you below, along with the ways to fix them.

Issue No. 1 – Battery Problem

While the technology that goes into the Amazon Fire TV Stick remote may be widely different from the traditional IR remotes, it still operates on standard AAA batteries. The most common issues that users face with the Fire TV remote is when the device is running on low battery. Unlike regular remotes that tend to work long-term even on low battery, the Bluetooth-based remote of Amazon Fire TV tends to go haywire when the battery runs low, causing it to malfunction or stop working entirely. Here’s what you can do to counter this problem:

Remove the back of your Amazon Fire TV remote and pop out the batteries.
Make sure that you reinsert them in the right order (+ and – side).
If the batteries in your Fire TV remote are a few months old, try replacing them.
Try using Alkaline batteries (1.5V) instead of the Rechargeable batteries (1.2V) for better performance.

If you’ve made sure that the batteries are inserted in the correct order and even tried replacing them, then the issue with the Amazon Fire Stick remote not working seems to do with something else.

Issue No.2 – Unsuccessful Pairing

On your regular TV remote, there is a set frequency for the IR remote and the receiver over which they connect and operate. As we have mentioned earlier, the remote you get with your Amazon Fire TV works differently since it is Bluetooth-based and not IR-based. This is why it first needs to establish a successful paired connection with the Fire TV Stick before you can begin using it.

Connect the Fire TV Stick to an HDMI port at the back of your HDTV and plug in the MicroUSB cable to provide it power.
Switch the HDMI Channel over which the Fire TV Stick is connected and wait for the Fire TV to boot up.
Bring the remote closer to the Fire TV and then press and hold the Home button on the remote.
Press and hold down the Home button for around 10 seconds and then release it.
The Fire TV remote should now become responsive and you should be able to use it with your streaming device.

You may need to repeat the steps mentioned above a couple of times if it does not work right away. However, if this solution does not seem to work for you or does not work as you would intend for it to, continue below to resolve the Amazon Fire Stick remote not working issue.

Issue No. 3 – Poor Range

What makes the Amazon Fire TVStick remote effectively better than the good old IR remote is that since it is Bluetooth-based, you don’t need a clear line of sight between the remote and the device plugged into the back of your HDTV. However, just like every other wireless connectivity technology out there, Bluetooth also has a definitive range, after which it either works less than optimally, or not at all.

If you’re operating the remote in a large room, try moving any obstruction between the TV and the Fire TV Stick remote.
Try moving closer to the back of your TV where the Fire TV Stick and connected to see if it works in close range.
Use the extension cable that is provided with the Amazon Fire TV to bring the dongle out from behind the TV, which improves connectivity with the remote.
If the HDTV is placed in an enclosure or cabinet, open it and see if the remote works to find out if obstruction is the problem here.

Issue No. 4 – Interference

If all of the issues that have been highlighted above don’t seem to be the problem, then there could be more to the problem here. While Bluetooth technology does have a wide range of benefits over the traditional Infrared, it is also prone to interference when it comes in proximity with any other connectivity technology. The elements mentioned below have been known to interfere with the effectiveness and range of Bluetooth:

Microwave radiation (microwave oven)
Wireless speakers (Bluetooth channel interference)
Unshielded coaxial cables

If you have either of these devices in close proximity to the TV and Fire Stick, then remove them from the vicinity and try operating the remote again. However, if this does not seem to correct the problem of Amazon Fire Stick Remote not working, there may be only one solution left.

Issue No. 5 – Faltering Remote

While the Amazon Fire TV along with its remote is built to last, it is a piece of technology that can always face issues. If you’ve had the Fire TV Stick long enough, there are chances of mishandling and breakage, even if it may not seem obvious, or maybe you just got a shorter end of the stick with a malfunctioning remote. Either way, replacing the Amazon Fire TV Remote with an official one may be your only hope.

Buy Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K with all-new Alexa Voice Remote, streaming media player Fire TV Stick Remote

Remember, you will need to pair the new remote again with your Fire TV Stick, so all you need to do is follow these steps to do it:

Connect the Amazon Fire TV Stick to the HDTV and turn it on.
Bring the new remote closer to the Fire TV.
Press and hold the Home button on the remote.
Keep holding down the Home button for around 10 seconds and then release it.

The new Amazon Fire TV Stick remote should now be paired with your streaming device and ready for use.

Bonus: Use the Amazon Fire TV App

While the Amazon Fire TV remote is a fine accessory, it does not beat the simplicity of having a wireless remote app built into your phone. The official Amazon Fire TV App takes a page out of the book of Apple TV, bringing full-fledged controls for navigation though a virtual remote control.

The app comes with touch navigation that makes it a breeze to get through the menu, along with features such as Alexa voice command, playback controls, virtual keyboard, and quick access to your favorite apps and games that are installed on the device. All you need to do is install the free Amazon Fire TV App on your Android or iOS device, pair it with your Amazon Fire TV Stick and you’re set.

Get Amazon Fire TV App for Android

Get Amazon Fire TV App for iOS

Final Words

There can be plenty of reasons behind the Amazon Fire Stick Remote not working, and we’ve tried to diagnose each and every one of them above. However, we do recommend that you try out the Amazon Fire TV App even if you do have a fairly functional remote, since it makes the navigation a lot simpler. If you’ve faced plenty of issues with the Fire TV remote not working and were successfully able to work around it, be sure to help your fellow users and mention it in the comments section below.