Firestick Troubleshooting

Rebooting the Firestick

Using the remote

As long as your Firestick is moving around with the remote you can reboot it using the remote.

1. Hold down the okay button, and the play/pause button at the same time for about 8 seconds.
2. Let go once the screen goes black and you see Fire TV.

Hard Reboot the Firestick

This method should work in almost every case.

1. Remove the power cable from the Firestick itself behind your TV, or from the power outlet.
   It should look similar to a phone charger.
2. After 10-20 seconds, replace the power cable.

Remote is not working

1. Do you get a blue flashing light when you press the microphone or blue button with a white circle near the top of the remote?
   Yes
   This means your remote batteries are likely fine, and the firestick is instead frozen.
   Go to Hard Reboot The Firestick
   No, but it flashes multiple colors
   This means your remote batteries are likely fine, but your remote is in troubleshooting mode.
   Go to Exiting Remote Troubleshooting Mode
   No, I have no lights
   Continue to the next step
2. Do you get a flashing light if you hold down the house button on the remote for 6-10 seconds?
   Yes, only yellow
   This means your remote batteries are likely fine.
   Some other reasons could be that the remote is not paired, the firestick itself has frozen, or the TV is not on the correct input.
   Go to Hard Reboot The Firestick
   Yes, but it flashes multiple colors
   This means your remote batteries are likely fine, but your remote is in troubleshooting mode.
   Go to Exiting Remote Troubleshooting Mode
   No
   This means your remote batteries are likely dead.
   Go to Replacing the Remote Batteries

Use Remote Troubleshooting Mode

1. Press the Rewind and Right on the side of the ring buttons at the same time for three seconds to activate the troubleshooting mode.
2. Press the Menu button (three lines on the right below the big ring).
   The LED turns green to show that your remote is now in troubleshooting mode.
3. Press any button on your remote.
   The LED flashes with a specific color to help you identify the issue.
   Red (slow blinking): This means your remote batteries are low.
   Go to Replacing the Remote Batteries
   Red (fast blinking): There's a problem with your remote.
   Go to Factory Reset The Remote
   Orange: The remote is not paired to the Firestick.
   Go to Pairing The Remote
   Blue: There is no issue with the remote.
   Go to Hard Reboot The Firestick
   No light: Make sure your TV is on, and on the correct input.

Exiting Remote Troubleshooting Mode

1. Press the Play/Pause and Up (top of the big black ring) buttons at the same time for three seconds.
2. Then, press the Menu button (three lines on the right below the big ring) to turn off troubleshooting mode.
3. Next, remove and reinsert the batteries into the remote.

Check Network Settings on Firestick

1. Hold down the Home button on your Firestick remote for 1-2 seconds.
2. You should now see the current time in big numbers with several boxes below it.
3. The far right box should be Settings, scroll over to it by going right (press on the right side of the black ring repeatedly).
4. Select Settings here by pressing the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
5. Scroll over to Network Settings using the black ring to go up, down, left, or right as necessary. It will look like a wifi symbol (waves growing off of a dot).
6. Select Network Settings by pressing okay (the center of the big ring) once.
7. If you see Ethernet and Wi-Fi, then your Firestick may be wired to your router instead of using Wi-Fi
   Press the Play/Pause button on the remote (below the house, it looks like a right arrow with two vertical lines) once.
8. Does it show that it is connected to your Wi-Fi or via Ethernet? You should see this in the first section of this box.
   Yes: Your router is working and the Firestick sees it, which is good. Continue with the next step.
   No: Your Firestick does not see your router.
   Go to Connect Firestick to Network
9. Does it show that it is connected to the Internet? You should see this in the second section of this box.
   Yes: Your Firestick is online. Continue with the next step.
   No: Your router might not have Internet.
   Are other devices working on the Internet?
   If not, then this is the root of the issue and we need to fix that first.
10. At the bottom of the screen should be two buttons, the first one in white should be "Run Speed Test". Press the Okay button (press the center of the big ring once) to run the Speed Test.
11. It will ask you to confirm running the test, press Okay again.
12. The test may take a minute or two to run. While it is running a small circle should be spinning in the third section of the screen.
13. Once the test finishes:
    My speed is 60 Mbps or higher:
    Your firestick has a good connection to the internet.
    You can press the Home button (below the big black ring) to leave Network Settings, unless we say otherwise.
    My speed is below 60 Mbps (or has Kbps next to the number)
    Your Firestick is not receiving a good connection and this will cause you to have issues.
    Continue to the next step.
    The test is a line, zero, or I received an error message
    Your Firestick likely lost the internet, or the test server is having issues.
    Go to Rebooting the Firestick using Remote

Check Firmware Updates

1. Hold down the Home button on your Firestick remote for 1-2 seconds.
2. You should now see the current time in big numbers with several boxes below it.
3. The far right box should be Settings, scroll over to it by going right (press on the right side of the black ring repeatedly).
4. Select Settings here by pressing the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
5. Navigate down and to the box labeled My Fire TV and select it by pressing the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
6. It should already be highlighting About. Select it by pressing the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
7. Scroll down (with the bottom of the black ring), to Check for Updates or Install Update.
8. Click this with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).

Firestick Remote

Replacing the Remote Batteries

1. Remove the back cover from the remote.
   You may need to use something to assist in sliding it off. Some people have had luck using rubber dish gloves or latex gloves.
2. Remove the old batteries.
3. Inspect the battery section to ensure the old batteries did not corrode inside the remote.
   Battery acid is hazardous, do not touch with your bare hands.
   If there is corrosion you may be able to clean minor corrosion yourself.
   Major corrosion however likely has totally damaged the remote.
4. Replace batteries, if no corrosion or minor corrosion. Both batteries face upwards, with the flat part touching the metal nub at the bottom.
5. Replace the battery cover.

Pairing the Remote

1. Start by placing batteries in the remote.
2. See Hard Reboot the Firestick
3. Once the Firestick starts up, you will be waiting on a screen that says "We could not detect your remote".
4. Once this screen appears, hold down the Home button on your remote for 10 seconds. The light should start flashing yellow.
5. If pairing works, you will see this message disappear with another one popping up briefly in the corner saying Remote Connected.
6. Try the remote to see if you can move up, down, left, and right.
7. If this does not work, see Factory Reset the Remote.

Programming to a TV

1. Hold down the Home button on your Firestick remote for 1-2 seconds.
2. You should now see the current time in big numbers with several boxes below it.
3. The far right box should be Settings, scroll over to it by going right (press on the right side of the black ring repeatedly).
4. Select Settings here by pressing the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
5. Navigate down and to the box labeled Equipment Control.
6. Click this with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
7. Scroll down the middle portion to Manage Installed Equipment and click this with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
8. Scroll down the middle portion to TV (specifically just TV), and click this with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
9. Scroll all the way down, off the screen, on the middle portion to Change TV and click this with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
10. It will ask you to confirm that you want to do this. It says it will take 5-10 minutes. Usually this is less.
    Sometimes you will get a warning about using USB power first, this means your firestick is not plugged in using a wall outlet, and is instead hooked to your TV for power.
11. Make sure Change TV is highlighted in white, and click this with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once)
12. It will try and identify your TV.
    For some TVs, this is all you have to do. It will simply say it has been setup.
13. Other TVs, you will need to tell it your manufacturer, and then go through the on-screen steps to validate the controls.
    If your is one of these, you may have to repeat steps each time you say No. This is normal, it is cycling through various codes in sequence.

Programming a Soundbar/Speaker

1. Hold down the Home button on your Firestick remote for 1-2 seconds.
2. You should now see the current time in big numbers with several boxes below it.
3. The far right box should be Settings, scroll over to it by going right (press on the right side of the black ring repeatedly).
4. Select Settings here by pressing the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
5. Navigate down and to the box labeled Equipment Control.
6. Click this with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
7. Scroll down the middle portion to Manage Installed Equipment and click this with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
8. To pair a soundbar/speaker to your remote, you will need to scroll to Add Device.
   If one has already been paired, then this works nearly identical to programming a TV.
   You will need to scroll down to Change Soundbar and confirm to change it.
9. It will then ask what device it is.
10. You then have to click on the manufacturer.
11. It will attempt to go through known codes one by one with you.

Removing Soundbar/Speaker programming

1. Hold down the Home button on your Firestick remote for 1-2 seconds.
2. You should now see the current time in big numbers with several boxes below it.
3. The far right box should be Settings, scroll over to it by going right (press on the right side of the black ring repeatedly).
4. Select Settings here by pressing the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
5. Navigate down and to the box labeled Equipment Control.
6. Click this with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
7. Scroll down the middle portion to Manage Installed Equipment and click this with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
8. Scroll down to Soundbar, but do NOT click on it
9. Press the menu button (three lines to the right of the home button) to tell it you wish to remove the soundbar.

Factory Reset the Remote

1. You will have to hold down three buttons at once: Back (the curly arrow left of home), Menu (the three lines right of home), and left on the ring.
2. Remove the batteries from the remote, and replace them.
3. Pair the Remote

Manage Applications

Pinning an App on Top

1. Hold down the Home button on your Firestick remote for 1-2 seconds.
2. You should now see the current time in big numbers with several boxes below it.
3. A box on the right should be Applications, scroll over to it by going right (press on the right side of the black ring repeatedly).
4. Select Applications here by pressing the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
5. Scroll through the list using the outer edge of the black ring to move the silver square around the app you wish to move.
   Do not press the okay (center of the big ring) here.
6. Press the menu button (three lines to the right of the home button)
7. You have two choices here:
   • Move to Front This will place the selected app in the first position on top. Continue on step 8.
   • Move This will let you move the selected app to the place of your choosing. Continue on step 10.
8. Move to Front Scroll down (with the bottom of the black ring) to the option labeled Move to Front.
9. Move to Front Click the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
10. Move Click the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
11. Move Scroll through the list with the black ring to move the app where you want to place it.
12. Move Click the okay button (press the center of the big ring once) to drop the app into position.

Removing an App

1. Navigate down and over to the box labeled Applications and select it with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
2. Choose the last option in the menu - Manage Installed Applications with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once)
3. This brings up an alphabetical list of all of the apps on the Firestick.
4. Scroll down until you find the app and select it with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once)
5. Choose to Uninstall/Remove App with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
6. It will kick you back to the list.

Clearing Application Cache

1. Navigate down and over to the box labeled Applications and select it with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
2. Choose the last option in the menu - Manage Installed Applications with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once)
3. This brings up an alphabetical list of all of the apps on the Firestick.
4. Scroll down until you find the app and select it with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once)
5. Go down the menu to Force Stop and select it - you'll only see the 2 words blink once when you select it with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
6. Go down the menu to Clear Cache and select it - you'll only see the 2 words blink once when you select it with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once)
7. Now relaunch the app (scroll back up the menu for this option)

Clearing Application Data

1. Navigate down and over to the box labeled Applications and select it with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
2. Choose the last option in the menu - Manage Installed Applications with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once)
3. This brings up an alphabetical list of all of the apps on the Firestick.
4. Scroll down until you find the app and select it with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once)
5. Go down the menu to Force Stop and select it - you'll only see the 2 words blink once when you select it with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
6. Go down the menu to Clear Cache and select it - you'll only see the 2 words blink once when you select it with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once).
7. Go down the menu to Clear Data and select it - you'll be prompted to select Clear Data again - go ahead and confirm with the okay button (press the center of the big ring once)
8. Now relaunch the app (scroll back up the menu for this option)