These troubleshooting tips for Fire TV will help with a few common issues that users might face.
Fire TV Stick Troubleshooting Basics
Before we address specific problems, learn some basic troubleshooting procedures for the Fire TV Stick.
Unplugging the Fire TV Stick, restarting it, or, as a last resort, starting over and restoring it to the factory defaults may be the answer to a problem.
I Pressed Back During Setup and My Fire TV Stick Froze
Don’t worry—it’s not the end of the world. All you need to do is reset the Fire TV Stick, and this will restart the Fire TV.
The two ways to reset the Fire TV Stick are:
Hold the Play/Pause button and the Select simultaneously for five seconds. If that doesn’t work, disconnect the power and then reconnect it.
I Can’t See the Full Screen, and the Video Is Cut From the Sides
If the four sides of the video seem like they are spilling over past the edge of the screen, then your Fire TV Stick needs to be scaled to fit within your TV display. You can usually fix this problem by calibrating the display through the settings. This is different from calibrating your TV for the best picture quality.
Go to Settings > Display & Sounds > Display. Make sure Video Resolution is set to Auto. Go to Calibrate Display. Likely, the tips of the four arrows aren’t touching the edges of your TV screen. To fix this, press the up and down buttons on the remote until the arrow tips are visible. Once the arrows are perfectly aligned, select Accept.
Alexa Remote Is Not Working With Fire TV Stick
Remote failure is probably the Fire TV’s most common error. Sometimes, for seemingly no reason, the Alexa Remote stops working with the Fire TV Stick.
Before you go through any steps, replace the batteries and see if that fixes the problem.
If not, follow these steps:
Unplug the Fire TV Stick from its power source, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. Take out the batteries from the Alexa Remote, wait 30 seconds, and put them back in. Wait for the Fire TV Stick to boot up fully. Then check if the remote is working. If it still isn’t working, hold Home for 10 seconds to pair the Bluetooth device again.
Can’t Connect a Fire TV Stick to Wi-Fi
If your Fire TV becomes disconnected from your home Wi-Fi, here are a few steps you can take to get back online:
Restart the Fire TV Stick by unplugging from its power source, waiting 30 seconds, and plugging it back in. Check the network status by going to Settings > Network. Find your Wi-Fi network and press Play/Pause to see its status. Follow the recommended steps. If you don’t see your network name, scroll down and click on Wi-Fi. Confirm that you want to turn off Wi-Fi. Wait 30 seconds and turn it back on by clicking on it again. Restart your modem and router by unplugging them and waiting a minute. Wait for all lights to turn on before continuing. Forget your network. Highlight your Wi-Fi network, then press the menu button (three lines) on the remote. Confirm. Set up your Wi-Fi network anew. If all else fails, restore your Fire TV to factory settings.
Get Your Fire TV Stick Back to Normal
Software bugs and probable gremlins in your Fire TV will cause your Fire TV not to perform. Whether your remote stops working, the Fire TV can’t connect to the internet, or you make a mistake during setup, you can fix it yourself. Take a deep breath, follow the tips here and remember that most problems can be solved with a restart, reset, or restore.
