The Amazon Fire TV Stick is undoubtedly a popular device. This little bar allows you to stream movies, TV shows, and any other media content on your TV. The Fire TV Stick has become a go-to streaming gadget for many people due to its fairly affordable price and easy setup. Amazon put a lot of effort into making the Amazon Fire TV Stick a true streaming powerhouse. You might be a classic movies lover, a Netflix fan, or just a casual TV channel viewer – the Fire TV Stick has already got you covered.
Do you own one already? Well, what if you haven’t revealed its potential just yet? There is much more about the Fire TV Stick than it seems at first glance. You might be surprised by how versatile the thing is, starting with an AI-based assistant and ending with third-party services to expand your user experience even more. The Internet is already full of useful resources like this soplayer download guide. In this article, we will provide a rundown of the best tips, tricks, and hidden features of the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Tips for using Amazon Fire TV Stick
- Using Alexa voice commands: The Fire TV Stick features a handy voice remote based on Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant. You can “chat” with Alexa to search your loved content, control playback, or simply launch apps. To do so, press and hold the microphone button on your remote and voice your command.
- Casting your screen to the TV: Having a compatible device like a smartphone or tablet, you can even cast your screen on your firestick. This is pretty handy for showing photos and videos on a larger screen. But before you do that, make sure your device and the firestick are on the same Wi-Fi network. Then go to the Cast or Screen Mirroring and select your Fire TV Stick.
- Using the device for gaming: You can also use it for gaming. To make the gaming experience better, consider using a Bluetooth gamepad. The Fire TV Stick even has a dedicated Games section with free and paid games.
- Using headphones with the device: Sometimes, the hustle around you can really distract you from watching the latest movies or tv-shows. Well, it’s not a problem with using headphones along with your Fire TV Stick. Simply pair your Bluetooth headphones with the device, and the audio will be streamed directly into your ears.
- Setting up parental controls: We all want to prevent our kids from watching questionable stuff. The best way to do it is by setting up parental controls. Your Fire TV Stick has the option to restrict access to certain content. You can also set a PIN code to restrict purchases and access to certain apps. Or to configure different profile settings for each family member.
Tricks for customizing Amazon Fire TV Stick
- Changing the wallpaper: Want to make the UI a bit more personal? To do so, go to Settings, then Display & Sounds, then Display. Here, you can select a preloaded wallpaper or any of your custom images.
- Organizing your apps: A mess is never for good, even in digital space. To make your apps easily trackable, organize them into folders. To do so, pick an app, press and hold the Select button, and then pick the Create Folder option.
- Customizing the home screen: The app’s quick access can also be achievable by customizing the home screen. How to do this? Settings, then Preferences, then select Home Screen. Here you can set apps and content to display on the home screen, as well as their order.
- Using a different launcher: What if the home screen is essentially not your cup of tea? Well, just pick another one. Your Fire TV Stick allows third-party launchers such as HALauncher and Firestarter that are available in the Amazon Appstore.
- Changing the screensaver settings: You can make your screensaver a bit more useful, showcasing content like news headlines or weather information. The process is as simple as previous ones: Setting, then Display & Sounds, then select Screensaver. Here you can customize your screensaver pretty much as you want.
Hidden features of Amazon Fire TV Stick
- Keyboard shortcuts: Searching for content that requires a lot of typing is not a pleasant task. But you can make it easier by using keyboard shortcuts. Simply press and hold the Select button on your remote to bring up the on-screen keyboard, then press the Options button to show the keyboard shortcuts.
- Sideloading apps: Your Fire TV Stick already has a wide selection of apps available in the Amazon Appstore. But what if some are not listed out there? You can still install such apps by sideloading them. You have to enable developer options on your Fire TV Stick and install an app such as Downloader. Now, you can download and install apps from third-party sources.
- Clearing cache and data: The Fire TV Stick may become slow or unresponsive over time. But it’s easily fixable by clearing the cache and data for individual apps or for the entire device. Go to Setting, then Applications, then select Manage Installed Applications. Here, you can clear the cache and data for any app.
