You bought a Fire TV Stick, but is it still sitting in its opened box? Actually, if you just put in the effort for the first 10 minutes, all that happens is your TV turns into a slightly smarter screen. Today, for people wondering “I’ve connected it for now, but what do I do next?”, I’m going to go through it in order: unboxing, initial setup, how to use the remote and handy settings to put in place first.

First, open the box and check the contents

When you open the box, you’ll find the device, the remote, a USB cable, a power adapter, two AAA batteries and the manual. Recent models have a much slimmer body, so it doesn’t stand out even when plugged into the side of the TV. One quietly important point here: make sure you actually use the included power adapter. If you power it from the TV’s USB port, it can be slow to start or suddenly shut down. The device is small, but it uses a surprising amount of power.

Plug it into HDMI and turn it on

What you need to do is simple. Plug the device into a free HDMI port on the TV and draw power with the USB cable. Once you’ve plugged the power adapter into an outlet, put the batteries in the remote. The battery direction is written on the back of the remote, so you shouldn’t get confused there.

Once it’s plugged in, select the Fire TV Stick with the TV’s input switch. The Amazon logo appears on screen, and after a short wait you get the remote pairing screen. If you hold down the remote’s home button here, it connects by itself following the on-screen instructions.

Connect to Wi-Fi and log in with your Amazon account

Next is the Wi-Fi setup. Select the network with the remote’s directional pad and enter the password. This is the most tedious part, but you only have to do it once. A keyboard appears on screen for entering the password, so either tap away with the remote or, even easier, enter it from the Amazon app on your phone.

Once the Wi-Fi is connected, sign in with your Amazon account. If you already shop on Amazon, you can just use the same account. Your Prime Video library shows up as it is, so you’ll feel a little like you’ve got a bonus: “oh, I can watch this”.

By the way, you can postpone the account, but it’s easier later if you put it in during the initial setup flow. You’ll have to wait a little here, but just have a coffee while you wait.

Learn the basic remote controls

The remote is simple, but at first you’ll find yourself thinking “wait, which button was it?”. If you remember at least these, you’ll be fine:

• Home button: takes you back to the home screen at any time. When in doubt, press this.
• Directional pad and center select button: moving through menus and selecting.
• Back button: to the previous screen.
• Play/pause button: controlling videos.
• Volume buttons: there’s a setting that lets them control the TV’s volume too.

Also, if your model has a voice button on the remote, you can search just by pressing it and talking. If you say something like “find the movie ○○”, you save yourself the trouble of typing, so it’s incredibly handy. It’s embarrassing at first, but once you get used to it you won’t be able to do without it.

Various settings worth doing first

From here on are settings to turn “usable for now” into “comfortable to use”. You don’t have to do all of them, but if you do, you won’t end up later thinking “huh, why is it doing this?”.

• Check the screen resolution: from “Display” in the settings, check that it’s at a resolution that suits your TV. It’s often set to automatic, but sometimes matching it manually makes it look sharper.
• Review the power-saving settings: there’s a setting that puts it to sleep after a certain time without input. If you don’t like it falling asleep too quickly, extending it makes things more comfortable.
• Amazon account parental controls: if you have kids at home, setting a PIN code gives you peace of mind.
• Check automatic app updates: check app updates from the settings. At first, it may be good to get into the habit of checking manually.

Handy apps to install first

The Fire TV Stick comes with major apps like Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube and Disney+ already installed (depending on the region). So there’s no need to panic about “I have to install something”. That said, there are also some apps where you can watch movies and shows for free, so if you search the store for “free” or “movies”, you’ll find there are more options than you’d expect. When installing apps, the basic rule is to download from the official store. If you try to install an app taken from some strange site, not only might it not work, it’s also bad for security.

To keep up with live sports and your favourite shows while you are away from home, Big IPTV Sports is an easy option.

Common stumbling points and how to deal with them

The things beginners often get caught on are the remote not responding, the Wi-Fi dropping and the screen going black. When the remote doesn’t work, reinsert the batteries or redo the pairing. If the Wi-Fi is unstable, put it near the router or try connecting to the 5GHz band. If the screen is dark, check that the input is set correctly. That solves most cases.

Also, if you think the device is hot, don’t jam it in tight behind the TV; give it a bit better airflow. It’s a small machine so it can’t be helped, but if heat builds up it can get sluggish.

Not a summary, just a word

If you’ve read this far, it surely won’t end up as “bought it but left it untouched”. Once the first setup is done, all that’s left is to find your favorite movies and dramas with the remote in hand. If you get lost along the way, just go back to the settings screen and check things one by one and you’ll be fine. Machines don’t betray you, so take it slowly.

You bought a Fire TV Stick, but is it still sitting in its opened box? Actually, if you just put in the effort for the first 10 minutes, all that happens is your TV turns into a slightly smarter screen. Today, for people wondering “I’ve connected it for now, but what do I do next?”, I’m going to go through it in order: unboxing, initial setup, how to use the remote and handy settings to put in place first.

First, open the box and check the contents

When you open the box, you’ll find the device, the remote, a USB cable, a power adapter, two AAA batteries and the manual. Recent models have a much slimmer body, so it doesn’t stand out even when plugged into the side of the TV. One quietly important point here: make sure you actually use the included power adapter. If you power it from the TV’s USB port, it can be slow to start or suddenly shut down. The device is small, but it uses a surprising amount of power.

Plug it into HDMI and turn it on

What you need to do is simple. Plug the device into a free HDMI port on the TV and draw power with the USB cable. Once you’ve plugged the power adapter into an outlet, put the batteries in the remote. The battery direction is written on the back of the remote, so you shouldn’t get confused there.

Once it’s plugged in, select the Fire TV Stick with the TV’s input switch. The Amazon logo appears on screen, and after a short wait you get the remote pairing screen. If you hold down the remote’s home button here, it connects by itself following the on-screen instructions.

Connect to Wi-Fi and log in with your Amazon account

Next is the Wi-Fi setup. Select the network with the remote’s directional pad and enter the password. This is the most tedious part, but you only have to do it once. A keyboard appears on screen for entering the password, so either tap away with the remote or, even easier, enter it from the Amazon app on your phone.

Once the Wi-Fi is connected, sign in with your Amazon account. If you already shop on Amazon, you can just use the same account. Your Prime Video library shows up as it is, so you’ll feel a little like you’ve got a bonus: “oh, I can watch this”.

By the way, you can postpone the account, but it’s easier later if you put it in during the initial setup flow. You’ll have to wait a little here, but just have a coffee while you wait.

Learn the basic remote controls

The remote is simple, but at first you’ll find yourself thinking “wait, which button was it?”. If you remember at least these, you’ll be fine:

• Home button: takes you back to the home screen at any time. When in doubt, press this.
• Directional pad and center select button: moving through menus and selecting.
• Back button: to the previous screen.
• Play/pause button: controlling videos.
• Volume buttons: there’s a setting that lets them control the TV’s volume too.

Also, if your model has a voice button on the remote, you can search just by pressing it and talking. If you say something like “find the movie ○○”, you save yourself the trouble of typing, so it’s incredibly handy. It’s embarrassing at first, but once you get used to it you won’t be able to do without it.

Various settings worth doing first

From here on are settings to turn “usable for now” into “comfortable to use”. You don’t have to do all of them, but if you do, you won’t end up later thinking “huh, why is it doing this?”.

• Check the screen resolution: from “Display” in the settings, check that it’s at a resolution that suits your TV. It’s often set to automatic, but sometimes matching it manually makes it look sharper.
• Review the power-saving settings: there’s a setting that puts it to sleep after a certain time without input. If you don’t like it falling asleep too quickly, extending it makes things more comfortable.
• Amazon account parental controls: if you have kids at home, setting a PIN code gives you peace of mind.
• Check automatic app updates: check app updates from the settings. At first, it may be good to get into the habit of checking manually.

Handy apps to install first

The Fire TV Stick comes with major apps like Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube and Disney+ already installed (depending on the region). So there’s no need to panic about “I have to install something”. That said, there are also some apps where you can watch movies and shows for free, so if you search the store for “free” or “movies”, you’ll find there are more options than you’d expect. When installing apps, the basic rule is to download from the official store. If you try to install an app taken from some strange site, not only might it not work, it’s also bad for security.

To keep up with live sports and your favourite shows while you are away from home, Big IPTV Sports is an easy option.

Common stumbling points and how to deal with them

The things beginners often get caught on are the remote not responding, the Wi-Fi dropping and the screen going black. When the remote doesn’t work, reinsert the batteries or redo the pairing. If the Wi-Fi is unstable, put it near the router or try connecting to the 5GHz band. If the screen is dark, check that the input is set correctly. That solves most cases.

Also, if you think the device is hot, don’t jam it in tight behind the TV; give it a bit better airflow. It’s a small machine so it can’t be helped, but if heat builds up it can get sluggish.

Not a summary, just a word

If you’ve read this far, it surely won’t end up as “bought it but left it untouched”. Once the first setup is done, all that’s left is to find your favorite movies and dramas with the remote in hand. If you get lost along the way, just go back to the settings screen and check things one by one and you’ll be fine. Machines don’t betray you, so take it slowly.