Kindle Fire Won’t Download Apps – What to Do

Like any other Android device, Amazon’s tablets let you download and run many mobile apps. Since the devices use a version of Android specially developed for Amazon, you have to rely on their Amazon Appstore as the source.

Kindle Fire Won't Download Apps - What to Do

Sometimes, you may experience slight syncing issues with your Kindle Fire tablets. For example, you choose to install an app, and it doesn’t download. Or maybe the app was successfully downloaded, but it doesn’t appear on your device. Other times, apps won’t sync or update, even if you’ve set them to do so. This article discusses solutions to app download problems on Kindle Fire tablets.

Kindle Fire: Preparation Steps to Solve Download Issues

Before you proceed with the troubleshooting app download issues, you’ll need to perform a few checks first.

  1. Your Kindle Fire may be out of storage space, so it can’t receive any new content. Clean it up by deleting all the content that you’ve already consumed and don’t use anymore.
  2. Make sure that your Fire tablet gets connected to a Wi-Fi network. If not, you won’t be able to access Amazon Appstore. That would prevent you from purchasing or downloading any content. Also, the apps on your device won’t sync or update.
  3. Check if you have Whispersync enabled. This service allows you to sync content between your Amazon account and your Fire Kindle. That’s especially important if you have numerous e-books and audiobook content. To check if the service works, follow these few steps:
    1. Open Manage Your Content and Devices in a browser.
    2. Click Preferences.
    3. Click Device Synchronization (Whispersync Settings).
    4. Check if Whispersync Device Synchronization is set to ON.
  4. Enable syncing on your Fire tablet by swiping down from the top of the screen and tapping Sync. This step allows your device to get the necessary updates and download the content for your apps. Keep in mind that if there are any large files that you need to download, it may take them some time to finish.
  5. Verify if your payment settings are correct. If not, you won’t be able to purchase any new content. This scenario also disables syncing of the other content, preventing it from opening.
    1. Open Manage Your Content and Devices in a browser.
    2. Click Preferences.
    3. Click Digital Payment Settings.
    4. Click Edit Payment Method to check your 1-Click payment settings. Update them if necessary.
      amazon appstore

Troubleshooting the Download Issues

One of the previous checks may have solved your problem with the app downloads. If none of the above proved helpful, there are a few more things to try.

  1. Manually deliver the content from your Amazon account to your device.
    1. Open Manage Your Content and Devices in a browser.
    2. Click the Content tab.
    3. Select the content you’d like to deliver to your Kindle Fire.
    4. Click the Deliver button above the content list.
    5. The Deliver pop-up menu will open.
    6. Select your Fire tablet from the Devices Selected drop-down menu.
    7. Click the Deliver button to sync the content with your tablet.
      deliver
  2. Make sure that your Kindle Fire supports the content you’d like to get.
    1. There might be some apps that are incompatible work with your device. To check the compatibility, find the app on Amazon Appstore and read the Details page.
    2. When you want to switch between reading and listening to an e-book, Amazon’s “Whispersync for Voice” service will help you do so. If switching to the audio version causes you to experience issues, the title probably does not feature an audio version.
  3. If you didn’t correctly set up your payment options before purchasing, you might need to repurchase your content. This way, you’ll push the transaction to get processed. Of course, you’ll only be charged once, based on the actual successful payment.
  4. As a last resort, you might want to restart your device. Press and hold the Power button until your Kindle Fire shuts down. This process will take around 40 seconds. Once it does, release the Power button. If your tablet shuts down entirely without restarting, turn it on by pressing the Power button.

Successful Troubleshooting

At least one of the mentioned actions will certainly solve your problem with the apps that won’t download. Amazon’s online services help organize and monitor all the content that’s available in your library. If you need to remove something from your Kindle Fire, don’t worry, it’s safely stored online.

30 thoughts on “Kindle Fire Won’t Download Apps – What to Do”

Eddy says:
Trying to download a game on my new Amazon fire tablet, it started downloading and is naw stuck on “installing” can’t stop it to try again. Any help would be much appreciated
papa says:
weird how there are comments made before this piece was written
Steve Larner says:
That is because the article gets updated and it then shows the new date.
Lex says:
I had the same problem. I tried ALL of the above. Nothing worked, of course. I factory reset my device (fire 10), and now it’s downloading fine. Obviously that means you have to back up whatever files you don’t want to lose.
Mayela says:
I have tried everything i need a system update but even the system update wont download I have tried in manually nothing works.
Ryan says:
I have this problem too.
Irene Cortinas says:
Hi, Has anyone been successful on getting your apps to update or download new apps? Mine is currently stuck on “Preparing Download” for days now. I am currently chatting with customer service but not sure if they being helpful beside telling me to do the same thing i have been doing for day over and over. I have been transferred to 3 different customer service now.
Tim says:
Try files.down
Christie says:
I have a Kindle fire, it was constantly trying to download the English United States dictionary. It was not anything I ordered just a system thing. I would delete it out of the queue and it constantly just came back and back. This is what fixed it maybe it’ll fix some of y’all’s problems. On the fire go to settings, tap on device options, tap on system updates. Mine said it was running OS 7.3.1.5, below it was an option to install 7.3.1.7. if that option isn’t there just sit there and wait a little bit and see if it starts to install it. Good luck!
Tim says:
Hi.i had the same problem.preparing down load.go to files ,if u see downloads queued delete the oldest queued download,it should then see it start downloading.english dictionary was my problem app
Ronnie J says:
Hi. I have been having download problems on my FireHD for months now. It has issues with Amazon apps, Kindle downloads and gmail attachments especially.

I am pretty sure something is ‘stuck’ in the queue as people have mentioned but…

My download manager notification says ‘3 Queued, 1 failed’. I click on that and it takes me to the download manager and there are no downloads. The screen is empty.

It seems there is no way to clear the backlog. Does anyone know how to display these ‘hidden’ downloads or access the files directly from the system somewhere?

I have tried forcing stop and clearing cache from apps for download manager and the other apps but this doesn’t work either.

Help!

Ronnie J says:
Me again. I think I’ve solved it. I went into settings and apps again and noticed there is a ‘system’ option at the top. Setting this on displays loads more system apps. I scrolled down and there were two download apps. Download manager and Downloads. I forced stop and cleared cache and storage for both and it worked. It’s probably just one of them that needs it but hey, whatever works.

Hope this helps

Steve Larner says:
For “Download failed,” or “Queued” issues, tap the notification and access the menu in the top-right section. Click “Cancel all.” If that doesn’t work, try “Settings -> Apps & Notifications -> See all apps -> Downloads.” Force stop it, then hit “Storage -> Clear storage” and select “Confirm.”
Bri says:
Nothing worked. It still says “preparing download” for two months, with no option to cancel or retry. So it’s not “certain” they one of your methods worked, as you concluded.
Emily says:
Ive been able to “download” stuff, but it won’t show on my ho.e screen! And if I go to the app store and press “open”, it won’t do anything. I’m lost. Can someone help please?
Kisha says:
I’ve downloaded an app it said its successfully installed but can’t see it what should I do?
Gene says:
It seems nobody at Amazon either cares or bothers to answer anyone. Just seem strange. I received a update to fire and all of a sudden all the previous apps disappeared. I then went to the library and they no longer would install. Yet many of you have similar problems to no avail.
Yves says:
Brand new Fire 10. Not able to download anything since I got it. Chatted with amazon which was a joke. Found this discussion and sure enough the first download queued was english dictionary which I never initiated. As soon as I canceled it, everything else started to download.
Cathy Lacefield says:
I was unable to download an app this morning. After deleting the English Dictionary from the queue, the download happened immediately!
John Grace says:
Why does Amazon make it so difficult to download apps??? The messages displayed are not at all helpful. This shouldn’t be so difficult. Is anyone reading this?
Shantel Joseph says:
I am trying to.downloan an app but its asking g me to do the 1click setting I did all that but I’m still receiving the same question for one click
Papajones says:
Same issue for me. Enabled one click on Amazon web site. But it still asks to enable it every time I try do download any app. Did you find the solution?
Jaymes says:
Also, cannot download apps all of a sudden on my fire tablet 8. Plenty of space and everything else is fine. Stumped. Any answers yet?
aeroweld says:
Its like a printer queue. If one has an issue and will not print the ones in queue will be stuck behind the one with the issue. Delete the first one in queue. I had five stuck. Two automatic updates were causing the problem for me.
Alison says:
Not getting certain games to open uninstalled them and now I’m trying to download them again and keep getting a error
Rose says:
Solution for me was to go to the Download Queue and delete the first one in the list. All the others downloaded with no problem after that.
Cynthia says:
Has anyone found a fix for this problem? I now have 4 apps “preparing download” for three days.
rose says:
I found this response online “I literally just had this problem and fixed it. I swiped down from the top. At the bottom of the dropbox was “manage download queue”. I clicked it and hit X to cancel the ones that were stuck. Went back and hit download again and they all went through and downloaded immediately. Hope it works for you too.” I went to my download manager and removed the first item in line by clicking the X and everything else started to download.
Mike says:
This worked for us, I recommend anyone who’s stuck gives this a try.

The “Download Manager” can be found in the system notifications shown below the settings shortcut icons (wifi, bluetooth, airplane mode, etc).

Julia Goad says:
Can’t download anything. This forum!.suggested syncing my kindle. Now its stuck syncing on and on.
Linda L Bushu says:
I can’t download any apps from my fire hd 10, message says preparing to download then goes away, if I look in my file folder they are all there in que, I’m stumped
Jamie says:
Me too. I’ve been trying to download Facebook and Facebook messenger but they keep getting queued
3J says:
I’m able to download apps from the kindle but they end up appearing just on my phone. any ideas?
Crystal Paige says:
I’m having problems downloading apps on my HD 10
Chloe says:
Anytime I try to download an app on my fire tablet it always says, ” download faild. ” I have tried many things. What should I do?
Bruce Wilkinson says:
I also can’t download with my fire 10. I have internet connection and can browse but can’t download.
Marco says:
I cannot update animal jam.
Nelleke Knarr says:
Everything has worked beautifully on my Fire 8, until ap prox. 2 weeks ago. Now I can’t install game updates or download books, even after verifying all of the setting mentioned above and that I have abundant storage.
MIke Sobol says:
Just successfully installed the play store by following the steps, thanks.
Karen says:
How did you install play store? Thanks!
Mary Austin says:
I have rebooted, checked my settings, searched how to fix the problem…still I am unable to download any apps. What do I need to do???
amy says:
I’m not sure if I reset my kindle or something but for some reason anytime I want to download an app at all it just won’t. no matter how simple the app is, I cannot download any apps whatsoever and I’m still not sure what to do.
Kehinde says:
Same here ,I can’t download on my fire 8 HD Amazon tab
Douglas Burness says:
I have been using daily mail plus on my Fire 7 for about 6 months and it no longer downloads. I removed the app to restore it again but the same message appears (download failed)
I have rebooted and done the 40 sec reboot.
Do I need to reload the kindle fire completely?
AaronCarthy says:
Everything has worked on my Fire 10 until Now I can’t install game updates or download books, even after verifying all of the setting mentioned above and that I have abundant storage.
Jaymes says:
I also, cannot download apps all of a sudden on my fire tablet 8. Plenty of space and everything else is fine. Stumped. Any answers yet?

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