Fire Stick is simple and easy-to-use device, but many users are not aware of its full capabilities. It has many useful features and settings that users should know. However, even experienced users don’t know at least some of them. This lake of knowledge is undesirable as with those capabilities you can get a lot more from your device.
Keep reading for a closer look at tips and tricks that you will love as a Fire Stick user.
Here are tips and tricks for your Fire Stick:
Protect your privacy
Amazon collects information about you that you probably don’t want to share. Fortunately, you can regain your privacy easily. Here is how to do it:
- Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings
- Turn off Device Usage Data
- Turn off Collect App Usage Data
- Turn off Internet-based Ads
- Settings > Preferences > Data Monitoring
- Turn off Data Monitoring
Delete voice recordings
Amazon stores recordings of your voice commands to improve the accuracy of its speech recognition. To clear those recordings, do the following:
- Login to your Amazon account
- Hover over Account & Lists
- Click Your Content & Devices
- Click Devices
- Choose your device
- Click Manage Voice Recordings and click Delete
Disable autoplaying
The home screen includes featured content around the top with video trailers. Those videos will start autoplaying with sound if you pause over them long enough. To disable this feature, do the following:
- Settings > Preferences > Featured Content
- Turn off Allow Video Autoplay
- Turn off Allow Audio Autoplay
Listen with Bluetooth headphones
Fire Stick supports Bluetooth headphone connectivity. To set up the headphone, do the following:
- Hold down the Home button
- Settings > Controllers and Bluetooth Devices > Other Bluetooth Devices > Add Bluetooth Devices
- Wait until the headphones are found by the Fire Stick and then select it for pairing
Use app as remote
Check here how to use app as remote without the need for the regular remote and with additional features.
Change the name of the device
The Fire Stick has a default name for each device. However, it is better to change it to avoid confusion between multiple devices. To change the name do the following:
- Login to your Amazon account
- Hover over Account & Lists
- Click Your Content & Devices
- Click Devices
- Choose your device
- Click Edit, enter the new name and click Save
Disable notifications
Notifications are often more annoying than they are useful, but fortunately. you can disable them for all the apps or certain apps. Here is how to do it:
- Settings > Preferences > Notification Settings
- If you want to disable the notification for all the apps, turn on Do Not Interrupt
- If you want to disable the notification for certain apps, click App Notifications and choose the desired apps
Enable parental control
This feature is intended for the safety of your kids and your bank account. You can protect purchases and launching of apps with a PIN, as well as place viewing restrictions on apps. Here is how to do it:
- Settings > Preferences
- Turn on Parental Controls
- If you want to protect purchases with a PIN turn on PIN-Protect Purchases
- If you want to protect launching on apps with a PIN turn on PIN-Protect App Launches
- If you want to place viewing restrictions on apps, click Viewing Restrictions and then choose the restrictions
Add and remove apps from home screen
You visit the home screen often, so it is handy to be able to add and remove apps from there. You can add the ones you need and remove the ones which are seldom used. Apps are added to the Your Apps & Games category. Removing app from home page removes it from the Recent category, but doesn’t remove it from the apps area. Here is how to do it:
- Press and hold the Home button and click Apps
- Select the app you want to move to the home page and click the Options button (the button with three horizontal lines)
- If you want to move the app to the front of the category, click Move to front
- If you want to move it some where in the middle, click Move and drag the app to the desired location
- To remove app from the home page, select the app you want to remove, click the Options button and click Remove from Recent
Turn off menu clicks
By default, the Fire Stick clicks when you scroll through, but you can turn this off. Here is how to do it:
- Settings > Display & Sounds > Audio
- Turn off Navigation Sounds
Create a personalized screensaver
When the device is not actively used for a few minutes, the screensaver will pop up. You can customize it by choosing images stored in your Prime Photos service instead of the default ones. Here is how to do it:
- Settings > Display & Sounds > Screensaver > Current screensaver
- Choose a collection from the list
Calibrate display
If the TV image is offscreen, it is possible to adjust it so the image will fit the screen. Here is how to do it:
- Select Settings > Display & Sounds > Display > Calibrate Display
- Use the top and bottom of the Fire Stick remote control’s ring button to adjust the image size on the screen
Improve how your Fire Stick and TV work together
HDMI-CEC allows devices connected to your TV through HDMI ports to communicate with the TV. It improves the experience when working with your Fire Stick and TV, because the delays are shorter and there is no need to select your HDMI input every time you turn on the TV. Here is how to do it:
- Enable CEC on your TV
- Settings > Display & Sounds
- Turn on HDMI CEC Device Control
Once done, pressing the Home button brings you to Fire Stick on the TV.
Go to sleep mode
If you want to go to sleep mode manually, press and hold the Home button and click Sleep.
Now you can use those tips to get the most out of your Fire Stick. Enjoy it!