1. Use Alexa for better navigation
Your Fire Stick comes with a remote control for navigating its interface. You’ll use the directional buttons to move up, down, left, and right, then the big circle button to make selections. There’s also the back button that returns you to the previous screen or menu, among other buttons. Eventually, using these buttons becomes tiring, especially when you’re typing with the on-screen keyboard. You’ll find yourself wishing for a quicker solution.
Luckily, Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa, is built into the remote and has a dedicated button. It’s blue and sitting right below the power button. Simply press and hold it to wake the assistant and voice your commands. Using search phrases like “Open Settings” will quickly take you where you need to go.
When you’re typing, just say or spell out the word and Alexa will enter them into the text box. The Amazon App is another option if you prefer to use your phone or tablet as a remote. If the assistant doesn’t respond or function properly, try restarting the Fire Stick and your router or connect to a different WiFi network. Sometimes, your connection could be unstable.
2. Disable the navigation sound
Speaking of navigation, your Amazon Fire Stick will make a clicking sound when you’re using the remote control. Nothing’s broken. That’s just the audio feedback telling you that the button commands are working. Some people find it satisfying, while others think it’s disturbing, especially when your house gets quiet. If you don’t like it, turning it off is possible and has no effect on your other settings. Here’s how to do it:
1. Go to Settings > Display & Sounds.
2. Select Audio.
3. Select Navigation Sounds to disable it.
3. Turn off autoplay
On the list of disturbing things on the Fire Stick is the autoplay feature. The home screen automatic plays previews of popular shows or movies. It’s one of Amazon’s advertisement tactics to capture your attention and encourage you to watch more content. Most times, it has the reverse effect, and you just want it gone. Here’s how to disable autoplay on your Firestick:
1. Go to Settings > Preferences.
2. Select Featured Content.
3. Disable both Video and Audio Autoplay options in the menu.
4. Set data limits
It’s easy to get comfortable in your streaming experience. But you don’t want to get too comfortable as streaming isn’t exactly free on the Fire Stick. It pulls data from the connected WiFi network and stops showing you online content when you run out of it. The settings menu houses an option that alerts you of your data spending. Once you hit the set limit, the Fire Stick will notify you so that you can stop streaming, hence saving you data. Here’s how to set the alert:
1.. Go to Settings > Preferences.
2. Select Data Usage Monitoring.
3. Enable Data Usage Monitoring. Then select Set Data Alert.
4. Enter your data limit and press the play/pause button to continue.
5. You can also set video quality to the lowest option to save data.
5. Change your device name
Your Fire TV Stick has a default name, and it’s often based on your Amazon account. So if your account carries the name Jane Doe, Amazon pulls the Jane and it becomes “Jane’s fire TV”. Although the odds are slim, it can become a problem when you’re in a house or area with multiple Fire Sticks using similar names. You’ll want to change it for easier identification. You can’t change your Fire Stick’s name on the device itself. Instead, you’ll log in to your Amazon account and manage the device’s information there.
1. On a mobile, PC, or Fire Stick browser, visit amazon.com and sign in to your account.
2. Click your account name and select Devices.
3. Select your Fire Stick.
4. Click Edit beside the Fire Stick’s name to rename it. The change will automatically apply to your Fire TV Stick after saving it.
6. Connect Bluetooth accessories for private experience
Your Fire Stick supports Bluetooth accessories. Besides game controllers and speakers, you can also pair headphones and enjoy your favorite shows, movies, or music without disturbing others around you. This feature will come in handy when you’re in a shared living space or streaming content late at night.
Just go to Settings > Controllers & Bluetooth devices. Then select Other Bluetooth Devices and add your device. Refer to your headphone’s manual for how to put it in pairing mode and connect to other devices.
7. Clear caches frequently
Fire Sticks have small internal storage, usually around 8GB, with a large portion of it occupied by system apps. The storage also fills quickly as you download apps and games. So, in the end, you have way less storage than originally promised. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max comes with 8GB, but you only get 5.3GB after setting it up. Inaccessible system apps occupy the remaining space — and it gets worse. Out of the 5.3GB space, only about 3GB is left after setting up the device and adding apps to your home screen.
Caches also count towards the storage. They’re temporary data that apps store on the Fire Stick, so that they can load faster. For example, when you use Netflix, it’ll store recently viewed thumbnails or settings. This helps Netflix load your profile and recommended shows faster when you open the app again. Caches can become corrupt when they accumulate, and cause apps to misbehave. So you’ll want to clear them frequently. Follow the steps below to clear them for apps individually:
1.. Go to Settings > Applications.
2. Select Manage Installed Applications.
3. Select an app to view its information. Then select Clear cache.
8. Screen mirror your phone to the Fire Stick
A Fire stick makes it possible to mirror your phone’s content on your TV screen, even if the TV doesn’t natively support casting. This feature is useful when you’re hosting movie nights with loved ones, or you’re making a presentation. However, the resolution won’t be improved beyond the capabilities of the phone and TV.
For example, if both devices don’t support 4K resolution but you have a Fire Stick that supports 4K, they’ll display content at the highest supported resolution. Also, it’s worth noting that Pixel phones can’t cast to Fire Sticks as they don’t support the same casting protocol as Fire Sticks, which is Miracast.
Enjoy endless entertainment on your Fire TV Stick
These tricks should keep you busy on your Fire TV Stick for the meantime. As you familiarise yourself with its interface, you’ll discover more interesting features. The apps you added during the setup process also contribute to your entertainment, but there are others to be discovered on the Amazon AppStore. You’ll find games, workout, and even music streaming apps.
