Tech & Auto
How To Speed Up A Sluggish Amazon Fire TV Stick
By CHRIS DAVIES
Restart
Although it may not look like it, your Amazon Fire TV Stick is actually a computer. Like your computer and other devices, it can benefit from the occasional reset.
Restarting your Fire TV is easy: unplug the power cord, then wait 10 to 15 seconds before plugging it back in again. Once the power is connected, it'll automatically start up.
Updates
Amazon periodically releases new firmware updates for its streaming devices, which bring new features. However, it can also fix your device's issues and bugs.
You can check for updates by going to Settings on your Fire TV, then "My Fire TV" and selecting "About." The "Check for System Update" option will begin the update process.
App Updates
Similar to Amazon improving your device with firmware updates, apps occasionally release software updates that can fix their issues and improve performance.
From the "Your Apps & Games" view, highlight the app you want to check for updates, press the Menu button, choose "More Info," and select the "Update" button if it's available.
Remove Old Apps
With so many streaming providers available, it's easy to download various apps you only use a few times. However, this can slow down your Fire TV device.
Luckily, it's easy to remove apps. Go to "Settings," "Applications," "Manage Installed Applications," select the app you'd like to remove, and then choose "Uninstall."
Clear Cache
When apps run, they save temporary files and other data to what's known as the cache. Unfortunately, the data isn't always removed, leading to slow performance.
You can manually clear this cache by going to "Settings," "Applications," and "Manage Installed Applications." Choose the app, select "Clear Cache," and then hit "Clear Data."