The Amazon Fire Stick is one of the many streaming devices that offer access to various streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, and many more. It’s also compatible with almost all modern smart TVs. However, some Fire Stick users have experienced their Firestick going slow and Firestick lags.
Like other streaming devices, Fire Sticks are also susceptible to slow performance over time. In this guide, we’ll show you the most common reasons why your Firestick is so slow and how to optimize Fire Stick.
Read this guide to learn more.
Table of Contents
“Why is My Firestick So Slow?” — Most Common Reasons
Your Fire Stick device can run slow due to various reasons. It can primarily affect app, and streaming performance, which can be an annoying experience. Below are the most common reasons why your Fire Stick is so slow:
- You’re using an outdated Fire Stick model or version.
- The WiFi connection is slow.
- Your Fire Stick is overheating or has problems with its internal components.
- The firmware of your Fire Stick device is outdated.
- Your Fire Stick is running out of internal storage.
- The Fire Stick remote has low batteries.
It may slow down so much that it stops working altogether. In this case, we have a guide that goes into how to restart your firestick when it is frozen.
How to Optimize Your Amazon Fire Stick
If you’ve recently experienced one of the reasons above, here are some fixes to make your Fire Stick device faster. Remember to review each fix and see which one is the most effective for your Amazon Fire Stick:
Fix #1: Insert New Batteries on the Fire Stick Remote
One common reason your Fire Stick might appear slow or unresponsive is the low and dead batteries on the Fire Stick remote. Also, if the LED light on the remote shows a red light, it’s a clear sign that you should be changing its batteries.
Fix #2: Power Cycle Your Fire Stick Device
Power cycling is a quick and risk-free way of fixing most minor issues on your Amazon Fire Stick. It re-initializes your Fire Stick to its stable state and helps to cool it down once it’s overheating. To power cycle your Fire Stick, follow these steps:
- Unplug the power adapter from your Fire Stick and disconnect the device from your smart TV.
- Wait for one minute to drain the power. You may wait longer until the device is cool enough.
- Then, connect your Fire Stick to your smart TV and plug in its power adapter.
- Turn on your smart TV and Fire Stick device. Check if it now works faster.
If it’s still slow, try using a compatible power adapter on your Fire Stick. Also, connect it to an outlet in your house with enough voltage to power your device up.
Fix #3: Reboot Your Fire Stick
After trying to power cycle your Fire Stick device, you can restart it while it’s plugged in. This fixes minor glitches and bugs that might be affecting its performance. To restart your Fire Stick while it’s plugged in, follow the steps below:
- Turn on your Fire Stick and navigate to Settings (gear icon) > My Fire TV.
- Select Restart. Wait for the process to finish and see if your Fire Stick works faster once it reboots.
Fix #4: Clear the Cache on Your Fire Stick
Cache data helps your Fire Stick boot faster and load its apps more easily. However, cache and other temporary data can slow your device down, especially when it gets outdated and bulks up on your internal storage. To clear the cache on your Fire Stick, proceed to these steps:
- Switch on your Fire Stick and go to Settings > Applications.
- Select Manage Installed Applications and choose Clear Cache.
Fix #5: Force Stop and Uninstall Unused Apps
If you have apps on your Fire Stick device that cannot be uninstalled and are eating your device’s RAM, you can choose to force stop them. However, if you’ve installed them from the Amazon App Store, you can uninstall unused apps to optimize your Fire Stick.
To force stop apps on your Fire Stick device, do the following:
- Navigate to Settings > Applications and choose Manage Installed Applications.
- Choose the app you want to disable from running in the background and select Force stop.
To uninstall unused apps on your Amazon Fire Stick, follow the steps below:
- Go to Settings > Applications and select Manage Installed Applications.
- Select the app that you want to uninstall and choose Uninstall.
Fix #6: Update the Firmware of Your Fire Stick
One of the most common reasons that can cause your Fire Stick device to slow down is outdated firmware. Most firmware updates contain necessary fixes and optimization settings that help your device to run faster and support more apps.
To update the firmware version of your Fire Stick, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > My Fire TV and choose About.
- Once an update is available, select Install Update and wait for the update process to finish.
Fix #7: Disable Data Monitoring and Notifications
The data monitoring and app notification features on your Fire Stick help you control your used internet data and get the latest app updates from your installed apps. While these functions might be helpful initially, they can slow down your Fire Stick device in the long run.
To disable data monitoring and app notifications on your Fire Stick device, proceed to these steps:
- Navigate to Settings > Preferences and select Data Monitoring.
- Set it to Off. To disable app notifications, go back to the Preferences tab.
- Select Notification Settings > App Notifications and choose the apps you want to disable notifications.
Fix #8: Factory Reset Your Fire Stick
After trying all the fixes above, but to no avail, the last thing you can try is to factory reset your Fire Stick device. This restores your device to its factory state and resets all settings and configurations to their defaults.
However, this should be considered as a last resort since it effectively deletes all account and password data and uninstalls all your installed apps. To factory reset your Fire Stick, do the following:
- Navigate to Settings > My Fire TV and choose Reset to Factory Defaults.
- Select the Reset button to confirm.
Remember to keep your device powered during the reset process. Once done, you can set up your Fire Stick, connect it to your WiFi network, and install your desired apps.
Final Thoughts
Amazon Fire Stick devices are one of the most popular streaming devices today. They offer access to various streaming apps and are affordable compared to other devices. However, they can slow down due to different reasons.
Hopefully, this guide helps you to fix your Fire Stick device when it’s so slow. If you’re using an old Amazon Fire Stick model, it’s recommended to buy a new one instead of requesting Amazon Fire TV Support for a repair.