Firestick Getting Slow? How to Fix It

Lee Stanton June 10, 2022

Have you noticed your Firestick has become slow? If your answer is yes, don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Firestick devices may be one of the best in the streaming business, but they are far from perfect and can experience lags and glitches. Fortunately, most of the problems can be fixed in a few steps.

If you’re interested in learning how to make your Firestick device faster, you’ve come to the right place. This article will cover several solutions you can use to speed up your device.

Potential Reasons for Performance Issues

Numerous factors can cause an Amazon Firestick to slow down. Here are some of them:

Too many apps are running in the background.
You’re using an outdated version.
You have automatic updates turned on.
The batteries are low.
The device is overheating.
The internet connection is too slow.
The device doesn’t have enough storage.

How to Make Your Firestick Device Faster

As you can see, several factors can affect the performance of your Firestick device. We’ll show you different ways to speed up your Firestick, depending on what’s causing it to slow down.

Change the Batteries

Firestick remotes can drain batteries pretty quickly. If the remote isn’t responding well, the most likely culprit is a low battery. Fortunately, you don’t have to guess whether the batteries need to be replaced. Firestick remotes have a LED light that indicates how full the batteries are. If the light turns red, you should replace the batteries as soon as possible.

Check the Power Source

If you want superb performance, you’ll need to use the manufacturer’s charging cable and power adapter. Although you can always plug the USB cable into the TV’s or laptop’s port, this could slow performance.

If you’re using a third-party charging cable and power adapter, ensure they have the same output and voltage as the original.

Disconnect It From the TV and the Power Source

If you’ve used the Firestick for an extended period, you may notice it’s overheating. The increased temperature can jeopardize the device’s performance and cause numerous issues. In this case, the best solution is to allow the device to cool down. Disconnect it from the TV and the power source, wait a few minutes, and reconnect it.

Restart the Device

Sometimes, the Firestick could be experiencing a temporary glitch that affects its performance. You can usually resolve this by restarting the device. Follow the instructions below to do it:

Press the gear icon to access settings.
Go to “My Fire TV.”
Choose “Restart.”

Wait a few minutes and then check whether your device is working properly.

Switch to a Different Wi-Fi Network

The Firestick needs a fast internet connection to load content. If your connection is slow, the device won’t work correctly. It’s best to switch to a faster Wi-Fi network to ensure a smooth performance. Here’s how to do it:

Select the gear icon to go to settings.
Choose “Network.”
Select the network you wish to switch to.

Clear Cache

Firestick devices have a limited amount of storage. If you’re running low on it, you may notice performance issues. One way to free up some space without deleting apps is to clear the cache. Follow the instructions below to clean up the storage:

Press the gear icon to access settings.
Select “Applications.”
Choose “Manage Installed Applications.”
Select an app and press “Clear cache.”

Repeat the steps for the most frequently used apps, and you’ll be able to free up a significant amount of space.

Uninstall Some Apps

Not having enough storage can lead to lags and overheating. If you want to free up some space, the best and quickest way is to uninstall the apps you don’t use. Check out these steps to make some space:

Select the gear icon to launch settings.
Choose “Applications.”
Press “Manage Installed Applications.”
Choose the app you wish to remove and select “Uninstall.”

Repeat the steps for other apps you don’t need.

Force Stop Unused Apps

Sometimes, you may stumble upon an app that can’t be uninstalled. Or, you may want to keep an app even though you don’t use it very often. If you want to stop such apps from running in the background, you can use the “Force stop” option. Here’s what you need to do:

Access the settings menu by selecting the gear icon.
Select “Applications.”
Go to “Manage Installed Applications.”
Select the app you want to prevent from working in the background and press “Force stop.”

Update the Software

Amazon often releases updates that improve the Firestick’s reliability and performance. If you haven’t updated your software in a while, you may be experiencing lags and glitches. Here’s how you can update your device:

Launch the settings menu by pressing the gear icon.
Go to “My Fire TV.”
Choose “About.”
Press “Install Update.”

Wait a few minutes until the latest software version is downloaded to your device.

Turn Off Data Monitoring

The data monitoring option lets you stay on top of downloads and uploads, ensuring you don’t exceed the data allowance. Although useful, this option can interfere with the device’s performance. Here’s how to disable it:

Access the settings menu and go to “Preferences.”
Press “Data monitoring.”
Select “Data monitoring” to disable this option. You should see “Off” written below it.

Disable Automatic Updates

Most apps are updated occasionally. Many devices offer the “automatic update” option to make updating apps easier for users. While this option is convenient, automatic updates can slow down your device when you least expect it. Due to this, many users decide to disable automatic updates and update the apps whenever they want.

Here’s how to disable automatic updates on your Firestick device:

Launch your Firestick device and go to the home screen.
Select the gear icon to access settings.
Choose “Applications.”
Select “Appstore.”
Press “Automatic updates” to disable this option. Once you disable this, you should see “Off” written below “Automatic updates.”

Disable App Notifications

Although they can be useful, app notifications can often be annoying, not to mention receiving a bunch of them can impact the device’s performance. Fortunately, the Firestick enables its users to customize the notifications for each app or turn them off altogether.

If you want to disable app notifications altogether, here’s what you need to do:

Access the setting menu and go to “Preferences.”
Choose “Notification Settings.”
Press “Do Not Interrupt.”

If you want to customize the notification settings for each app, follow the steps below:

Go to the settings menu and choose “Preferences.”
Select “Notification Settings.”
Press “App Notifications.”
Find the app(s) for which you want to turn off notifications.

Turn Off the “Collect App Usage Data” Option

The “Collect app usage data” option allows Amazon to receive data about your app usage to increase the user experience and improve the apps. Even though this option may not seem directly related to your device’s performance, anything the Firestick does that doesn’t benefit you will inevitably consume system resources. This can often lead to performance issues. If you don’t want Amazon to collect your app usage data, here’s how to turn it off:

Choose the gear icon from the home screen to access the settings menu.
Press “Preferences.”
Select “Privacy Settings.”
Find the “Collect App Usage Data” option. If it’s enabled, press it to switch it off. You’ll see a message informing you about this option and asking you whether you’re sure you want to turn it off. Confirm by pressing “Turn Off.”

Perform a Factory Reset

If you’ve tried the solutions discussed above and nothing worked, you may need to perform a factory reset. Keep in mind that this means restoring your device to the manufacturer’s settings. Since you’ll lose all your data in the process, ensure you know your account information and the password to your Wi-Fi.

Here’s how to perform a factory reset:

Go to the home screen and open the settings.
Press “My Fire TV.”
Select “Reset to Factory Defaults.” Firestick will now remind you what factory reset means and ask you to confirm your decision. Select “Reset.”

The process may take several minutes. Ensure you don’t disconnect the device from the power source until the process is completed.

If your device isn’t responding, you’ll be happy to know there’s another way to perform the factory reset. Follow these instructions for a factory reset alternative:

Grab your remote and ensure the batteries are working.
Press and hold the right button and the back button simultaneously. Keep them pressed for at least 10 seconds. Once you see the reset notification on the screen, you can release the buttons.

No More Performance Issues

Millions of people use the Firestick. Although it’s very popular, the device has its flaws and can become slow over time. Fortunately, users can increase the device’s performance in numerous ways. Most solutions require only a few minutes of your time and aren’t complicated.

Have you ever experienced issues with your Firestick? How did you resolve them? Tell us in the comments section below.