The Fire TV and Fire Stick are powerful streaming players, and with these tips you can get even more out of them.
Here are my top 10 tips for Fire device owners.
#1 Turn Off Auto-Playing Videos & Audio
We all hate that video that plays at the top of your Fire TV when you go to the Home screen. It’s typically an ad promoting some Amazon show or movie. The good news is Amazon lets you turn that off by going to Settings > Preferences > Featured Content. There you will find an option to turn off the Video Auto-Play option.
Sadly, this won’t stop the new auto-play ads when you start your Fire TV.
#2 Stop Targeted Advertising
Amazon lets you ask them to stop targeting ads to you. Go to Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings to turn off Internet-based ads.
#3 Fire TV App
Amazon has a powerful app for Android, Fire tablets, and iOS. This app will let you control your Fire TV from your phone or tablet. (Perfect for when you can’t find the Fire TV remote.)
The best part about having the Fire TV app? You can use your phone’s keyboard to type in passwords and usernames instead of trying to use the onscreen keyboard.
#4 Cast Netflix or YouTube
Searching Netflix or YouTube on your TV is not nearly as fast or as easy as on your computer or phone. Now your Fire TV will let you search for the show or video you want on your phone and cast it to your TV using the Fire TV.
#5 Sync Recently Watched Across Multiple Fire TVs
Have you ever watched an Amazon Prime show or movie on one Fire TV only to have to go and find it again on a different Fire TV? Amazon has added the ability to Sync your Recently Watched across multiple Fire TVs.
The best news is if you don’t like this feature, you can turn it off in Settings. That way what your kids watch won’t show up in your Recently Watched section.
#6 Name Your Devices
The Fire TV and Fire Stick let you cast content to your TV from mobile devices and computers; however, if you don’t know what device is in the bedroom or in the living room you may accidentally send it to the wrong player.
So, take a few minutes to name your devices to avoid that mistake.
From a computer, go to your Amazon account, then to the Manage Your Content and Devices page, and to the Your Devices tab. You may at this point be asked to sign in to Amazon once more to verify your identity. You can then click on any device to change its name.
#7 Connect Bluetooth Headphones
Want to watch your show but not wake up your spouse? Now you can use Bluetooth headphones to listen to the audio from your Fire TV without upsetting anyone in the room.
To connect a Bluetooth headset to your Fire TV, go to Settings > Controllers and Bluetooth Devices > Other Bluetooth Devices. The Fire TV should automatically find and connect to the headphones.
#8 Parental Controls
With the Fire TV you can limit kids’ access to Amazon movies and TV shows by ratings though the app by going to Settings > Preferences > Parental Controls. There you can set a pin and limit access to movies and TV shows by rating.
#9 Delete Voice Recordings
Did you know Amazon saves all your voice searches? Luckily, it also lets you delete them. Go to your Amazon account, then to the Manage Your Content and Device Page. From the Device tab, select Manage Voice Recordings, then click Delete.
#10 Pick the apps you want on your home screen!
The Fire TV pushes what it thinks you want, but did you know you can set your favorite apps to the quick launch row at the top of your Fire TV home screen? Just click on the three boxes and the + menu option to see all the apps you currently have installed on your Fire TV. From there, select the apps you want to have in your quick launch menu and hit the menu button on your remote. There you will see an option to move your apps. After that, you can move the app to the top in the quick launch row.
Do you have a pro tip for Fire TV device owners? Post it in the comments and let everyone know about it.
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