The Firestick is a user-friendly device, but it can have problems all of a sudden, just like any piece of hardware. Here are some tips and tricks to help you deal with problems.
Amazon Firestick is one of the best devices for streaming the most popular entertainment apps if your TV won’t connect or if you prefer to use a streaming device. It comes with a USB device and a remote control to help you watch your favorite Netflix shows anytime. You can easily install other third party applications.
But even modern advanced technologies are not perfect. When the fire wand stops working, it ruins your great party. Still a disappointing experience. You cannot stream any content from Netflix, Hulu, or mirror content on your smartphone screen.
Take it easy, because you have, fortunately, come to the right place. This article contains the most common problems and how to solve each of them.
Firestick troubleshooting ideas and how to do it?
Firestick troubleshooting is a simple process that requires some tweaking here and there. First, try to determine the cause of the problem, for example, if the FireStick is not responding or the “No signal”error.
Then look for appropriate solutions. For example, in the example above, the Firestick is not responding due to a malfunctioning remote control, and the no signal error may be due to a loose connection.
Follow the article in the same way, scroll to the problem you are facing and solve it accordingly.
Problems connecting TV and Firestick
Are you getting a “No Signal”error or a blank screen when connecting to Firestick?
Follow these instructions to quickly resolve the issue:
- Restart Fire Stick
- Check your HDMI connection
- Firestick Remote not sending signal
- FireStick Defects
1. Restart your Fire Stick
First, you should try to perform a power cycle. Simply turning the power on and off can solve a lot of problems. To restart FireStick:
- Press the Home button for a few seconds.
- Go to “Settings”
- Scroll down and click “My Fire TV”.
- Find and click “Reboot”to restart your device.
2. Check your HDMI connection
A bad connection between the Firestick and the HDMI port is one of the most common causes of FireStick related errors. Follow these instructions for the HDMI port:
- Check your FireStick’s connection to your TV. If you are not using an HDMI extender and the FireStick is loosely attached to the TV or you see a gap, press the FireStick firmly against the TV.
- Alternatively, try plugging the Firestick into a different HDMI port. If it works, it’s done! The stumbling block was a faulty HDMI port.
Remember:
Visit your company’s TV store to get your faulty HDMI port fixed.
3. Firestick Remote not sending signal
The Firestick will not turn on if it cannot receive a signal from the Firestick TV Remote for two possible reasons:
- The remote may not work because the batteries are dead. Use strong, energetic AA batteries, as FireStick remotes work via Bluetooth, not infrared.
- Physical damage and liquid damage may have affected the remote control. Inspect the remote for these defects.
4. Firestick Defects
The final cause of the No Screen or Blank Screen error is either a hardware defect or a FireStick software bug. In this case:
- Inspect the FireStick for hardware defects such as a broken HDMI cable or burned out internal circuitry. You may notice a strong odor coming from the FireStick.
- The FireStick operating system may be missing for several reasons.
- The main reasons are a damaged hard drive or BIOS errors. In this case, your only option is to buy a new FireStick.
Frozen Fire Stick Screen
You bought a FireStick to watch your favorite shows on Netflix, not a blank “No Signal”screen. Follow these steps if your FireStick screen freezes, stops responding, or stays on.
1. Check the batteries of the remote control.
Once again, install new remote control batteries if you notice the Firestick’s screen is frozen. The Alexa remote uses more power than the standard remote.
2. Clear cache and clear data
Over time, the Firestick fills up with so much information that it runs slowly, and eventually the screen freezes. In most cases, the problem is with one application and the rest of the applications work fine. Here are the instructions for clearing the cache and data:
- Open Settings and swipe right to Apps.
- Scroll down to Manage Installed Applications.
- Find the app that is not working and click on it.
- Perform three operations. Force stop the app first, clear the data, and finally clear the cache.
- Now open the app and see if it works.
Screen mirroring issues
Screen Mirroring lets you view photos from your phone or laptop on your TV screen. It usually works without problems, but at any time it can cause problems. Here are some things to pay attention to before doing screen mirroring:
Turn on “Enable Display Mirroring”
Here is how to mirror your Android/iOS Phone and Windows/Mac to Firestick:
- Open the settings menu of your FireTV device.
- Go to the Screen and Sounds tab.
- Scroll to enable display mirroring.
By enabling this feature, other devices can interact more effectively with your Fire TV.
Using the same Wi-Fi network
Screen mirroring requires your device and FireStick TV to be on the same Wi-Fi network. Also, make sure the devices are within 30 feet of each other.
Amazon Fire Sticks Buffering Issues
Try these things if you see the little circle of doom going around in circles on a regular basis.
1. Restart your Fire TV and WiFi router.
A simple restart clears memory, ends background processes, and speeds up your device. Hold down the Select and Pause buttons for about five seconds to restart your Fire TV. You can reset your Wi-Fi router by turning it off and on again.
2. Run speed tests
Buffering happens when your FireStick fails to load a certain amount of data before playing a video. Here is how you can check your internet speed on FireStick:
- Swipe right and select Apps from the top menu.
- Select “Categories”and go to “Utilities”.
- Click Amazon Silk-Web Browser.
- Enter fast.com and run tests
- Here is a table showing the internet speed you need to have on your FireStick to stream Netflix:
| Qualitative | Required internet speed |
|---|---|
| 4K | 15 Mbps |
| High definition 1080p | 5 Mbps |
| High definition 720p | 3 Mbps |
| standard definition | 1 Mbps (recommended faster) |
3. How to fix FireStick with slow Wi-Fi connection?
Here is how you can increase internet speed to FireStick:
- Move your Wi-Fi router and FireStick closer to each other.
- If you’re streaming in 4K, connect to the FireStick with an Ethernet cable.
- Create two WiFi connections with a router. Set up one WiFi connection in the 5GHz band and another connection in the 2.5GHz band. Connect your FireTV to a 5GHz connection because it transmits the Internet at a higher speed.
Pro Tip: 2.5GHz has a wider range but slower speed than 5GHz, so you might want to use it for smart speakers or security cameras.
- Replace your router if you’re not getting the speed you subscribed to with your ISP.
- Update your router firmware.
- You should purchase a faster internet plan from your internet provider if all else fails.
Fire Stick App Crashes Unexpectedly
Follow the guide below to start the FireStick app if it keeps crashing for no apparent reason.
System software update
Performing a system update not only protects your device from ransomware, but also fixes system crashes and errors. This is how you should update.
- Swipe right on the horizontal menu and select Settings (indicated by a gear icon). Select Apps from the Settings menu.
- Click on App Store
- Make sure automatic updates are enabled
Update apps manually
- Open the home screen and swipe to the far right. Select Applications, which are shown with three squares and a plus sign.
- Hover over the app you want to update.
- Hold down the button on the Fire TV remote with three horizontal lines.
- Go to the Additional Information section. If an update is available, click Update.
Reinstall the app
Follow these steps to reinstall the app on your FireStick:
- Open Settings and select Apps.
- Go to “Manage Installed Applications”.
- Find the desired application from the list and “Select it”.
- Click “Delete”to remove the app.
- To reinstall an app, find it in the main menu. Enter by moving the mouse switch over the letters. Once you see the app, select it.
- Click “Get”to start downloading.
Perform a factory reset
A factory reset is a last resort as you will have to redo the entire setup. The only way left to start from scratch is by following these steps.
- Launch Firestick and go to “Home Screen”.
- Find the Settings option that looks like a gear icon and click on it.
- Navigate to My Fire TV, device, or system.
- Select Factory Reset by scrolling down
- When prompted, click “Confirm”to reboot the system.
Firestick internet connection issues
If you’re having trouble connecting to WiFi, try the following troubleshooting steps:
Forget Wi-Fi
You should also try reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network using
- Open “Settings”, then find “Network”.
- Now press the “Menu”button to open the options and click on “Forget network”.
- Reconnect to the network
Router Troubleshooting
Navigate to the location where your router is stored and perform the following checks:
- Turn off the router by turning off the power switch.
- Disconnect all cables from the router. Clean the Ethernet cable connector with a cloth. Put the wires back and turn the router back on. Check if the connection is restored.
- If the room where the FireStick is located does not have WiFi connectivity, bring the router and FireStick closer to increase the signal strength.
- Some older routers may not be compatible with your FireStick. The chance of incompatibility increases if your router is having trouble connecting to other devices. In this case, call a technician and get new router hardware.
Fire TV remote control defects
The FireStick remote is a simple spartan device. There are no moving parts associated with it and it does its job quietly. But that doesn’t mean he’s completely infallible.
The remote is powered by Alexa and has a sophisticated set of electronics. It can quickly stop working due to problems with defective batteries or damaged electronics. Here are some common problems with FireTV remotes and how to fix them.
1. Use new batteries
The most common reason for FireStick remotes not working is a dead battery. Replace old batteries with new batteries.
Advice
Even if you recently replaced the FireStick batteries, you should try replacing the batteries again. FireTV remotes are more energy efficient than regular remotes.
2. Install the batteries correctly
Batteries must be installed in a specific orientation. Make sure you don’t install them backwards. The minus sign should be next to the spring or steel segment and the plus sign should be towards the steel plate.
3. Move your Amazon Fire TV.
The FireStick cannot pick up signals when there is interference due to some object. It can be a TV screen, a table or decor items. Make sure there are no objects between your FireStick device and the remote.
4. Pairing with Firestick remote control
FireSticks are usually paired with Amazon Fire TV remotes. The remote should already recognize FireStick input. However, if that doesn’t work, you can connect the FireStick remote to the FireTV:
- Connect FireStick and turn it on.
- Wait a few seconds. Place the remote next to the FireStick
- Press and hold the Home button (the one in the center with the home icon) for about 10 seconds.
- Release the Home button and see if the remote works.
- Repeat the procedure at least three times if it doesn’t work. If this still doesn’t work, try the other steps.
5. Restart Firestick
Restarting the FireStick usually requires a remote, but in this case we have a broken remote. So, we will restart by disconnecting the power supply. Here’s how to proceed.
- Unplug the power cord from the outlet
- Wait at least one minute
- Plug it back in and turn on the FireStick.
Sound problems in FireStick
A simple audio glitch can rob you of all the joy of watching your favorite shows and test your patience. You should now be watching an NFL game without any comments or cheers in the background – a feeling of total numbness.
Here are some proven solutions to fix the sound on your device.
1. Check the volume
You can check the volume on the FireStick in two ways:
- Use the volume buttons on the Fire Stick remote.
- You can also ask Alexa to turn up the volume by saying “Alexa turn up the volume.”
Sometimes people install external speakers or subwoofers on the TV. In this case, check if their volume is at max.
Finally, also turn up the TV volume with the TV remote. Lots of volumes to check!
2. Check connections
Sometimes HDMI transmits video but does not transmit audio through the device. Check if the HDMI cable is firmly connected to the port and there are no gaps.
Remember
Many people prefer to use external speakers for cinematic quality sound. If you are one of these people, make sure there are no loose connections in the external speakers.
3. Disable Dolby Digital Plus.
Dolby Digital Plus is a complex technological achievement. Sometimes understanding this technology is difficult for FireStick too due to all sorts of upcoming updates. To disable it:
- Go to “Settings”and then to “Display and Sounds”.
- Under the Audio panel, find Dolby Digital Output.
- Choose “Stereo”from the options
4. Update your software
Amazon regularly releases software updates for the FireStick to fix bugs and optimize the user experience. Here is how you can update your software on Firestick.
- In the FireTV menu, go to “Settings”.
- Click Device or System, then go to About.
- Click Check for System to see if an update is available.
- Wait for the download to complete. Click “Install System Update”to begin installing the update.
5. Internal equipment may be damaged
Do you love listening to rock music with rumbling sounds and dancing on your feet? If yes, then we have bad news for you. Listening to loud sounds injures your ears and damages your speakers.
You can confirm damage by connecting a headset using the 3.5mm audio jack to your TV. If you’re listening to clear, crisp audio with an external headset, and there’s no sound through your headphones, hooray, you’ve run into a problem! The speakers are unfortunately broken. Visit your nearest TV store to get an authorized repair for your speakers.
Do not forget
When visiting a company store, make sure you have a valid warranty card.
Bluetooth device cannot connect
If you don’t see your Bluetooth device in Settings → Bluetooth Remotes and Devices → Other Bluetooth Devices → Add Bluetooth Devices, try the following:
- Make sure your device is turned on, charged, and discoverable.
- Make sure Bluetooth is within 33 feet of your FireTV device.
- Restart your Bluetooth device and turn Bluetooth back on.
- Check the Bluetooth version installed on your device.
- Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
- Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)
Summarizing
We’ve covered almost every Amazon FireStick-related fix in the hope that they’ll make your day that much easier. The most common fixes include replacing the FireTV remote batteries, making sure all wires are connected, and clearing the app’s data and cache. With these simple tweaks and thorough troubleshooting, you can get FireStick working again.
However, if none of the above fixes solve your problem, contact Amazon Customer Support. Be sure to let them know the steps you took so they can narrow down the problem. Cheers, and as always, thanks for putting up with it.
FAQ
What are some common issues with Firestick?
Some common FireStick issues include: – Screen lag or freeze – Buffering issues – Can’t connect to WiFi connection – App crashes – Sound issues – Screen mirroring issues
Will FireStick work on my TV?
FireStick works on all TVs with an HDCP-compliant HDMI port. If your TV’s trapezoid port is larger than a standard USB port, your TV is FireStick compatible.
Do FireSticks wear out?
The average life of FireSticks is 2-3 years. The only thing worth paying attention to is the batteries. FireStick batteries draw very little current, but the remote control will completely drain in a month with excessive use.
What causes buffering in Firestick?
FireStick buffering problems can occur for the following reasons: – Internet connection is too slow to stream video in the required quality – The Wi-Fi router may be far from the FireStick – Your router may fail, the Ethernet cable may be damaged or sometimes could happen failures in the internal components of the FireStick
How to improve streaming quality on Firestick?
To improve video quality in FireStick: – Go to “Settings”and then find “Settings”- click on “Data monitoring”. Set the video quality according to your internet speed. Save and exit to see if changes have taken place.