There are currently two versions available for purchase: the Fire TV Stick and the Fire TV Stick 4K. Both offer the same basic functionality, with the 4K version allowing you to view shows and movies in 4K resolution. 

Why Use a Fire TV Stick

In a word, simplicity. It looks like a USB thumb drive but plugs into a free HDMI port on the back of your TV. Plug it in, set it up, and you’re ready to go. It’s so small (4.25 in x 1.1 in x 0.55 in (including the connector)) you can pack it in your luggage and bring it with you wherever you go. 

The Fire TV stick delivers an optimized entertainment experience from your favorite services like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and more. It provides stunning visuals up to 1080p with the regular stick and up to 4K Ultra HD with support for HDR, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, HLG, and HDR10+ with the 4K stick.

These newer versions of the Fire TV stick offer Alexa functionality so that you can browse offerings through the stick with your voice. Browse through the offerings using voice commands spoken into the remote. 

Cut the cord from your cable or satellite provider and stream TV shows and movies wirelessly.

  • even live TV (with the right apps)Control your other compatible smart home devices with Alexa through the Fire TV stick, including lights, thermostats, and cameras.  Use Alexa to search through most of the apps you download, giving you broader search capabilities. Low content buffering through the high-powered Wi-Fi connectivity (802. 11ac standard).

What’s in the Box?

Each Fire TV Stick comes with: 

The Alexa-enabled voice remote and two batteriesPower adapter and micro USB power cordHDMI extenderInstruction manual

How to Connect a Fire TV Stick

Your Fire TV stick is now set up and ready to go.

Problems With the Fire TV Stick Remote

The remote should pair with the Fire TV Stick right away once you plug in the stick, but sometimes it doesn’t. If you’re experiencing problems, try one (or all) of these three things:

Remove and reinsert the batteries into the remote. It should automatically re-pair with your Fire TV stick. Press and hold Home on your remote for 10 seconds. It should refresh the connection and work again. Replace the batteries in your remote.

Use Alexa on the Fire TV Stick

The Fire TV stick comes with an Alexa-enabled voice remote that lets you use your voice to control it. You can use it to control the playback of your show or movie, play games, and control compatible smart home devices.

Commands You Can Use With an Alexa-enabled Fire TV Stick

Here is a starter list of commands you can say to Alexa to control your Fire TV Stick.

To watch content:

“Watch [name of show/movie]““Open Netflix”

To control the content as you watch:

“Pause/Play/Stop"“Rewind 10 seconds"“Skip 30 seconds"“Play next"“Next episode”

To find content:

“Show me [movie or TV show title]““Show me [genre of content, such as comedy or sci-fi]““Show me [performer name]““Search for [show/movie/performer name]““Add [TV show/movie] to my watchlist"“Show my watchlist"“Search for the [name] app"“Watch [Prime channel name]”

“Play my flash briefing” (if enabled in the Alexa app)“Tell me the news"“What’s the weather like today?““What’s the weather in [city]““Play [game app name]” (if you’ve enabled the game in the Alexa app)

Install Apps on the Fire TV Stick With Alexa

It’s easy to install apps on your Fire TV stick using Alexa.

Press and hold Voice on your remote. Say “Search for [app name]” and release the button. Results appear on your TV. Select the app to install with your remote and click Get. Once installed, the app is available to use on your Fire TV stick as usual.

Managing Apps on the Fire TV Stick

Adding Apps

To add apps to your Fire TV stick:

Updating Apps on the Fire TV Stick

The easiest way is to turn on automatic updates, which are enabled by default.

Disable Fire TV Stick Automatic App Updates

Here’s what to do if you want to disable automatic updates and update them manually.

Removing Apps

Updating Your Fire TV Stick

Like other devices, your Fire TV stick also needs its internal software updated to keep it working correctly. It updates itself automatically, but if you want, you can also check manually for any updates.