Fire TV Stick for Advanced Users: Useful Settings and Tricks Worth Knowing

After you’ve been using a Fire TV Stick for a while, you sometimes think “I’m bored of the basic operations now”, right? But actually, there are still lots of little-known settings and tricks hidden away. This time, for people who have already mastered the Fire TV Stick, I’ve put together advanced techniques you can try starting today.

The new Fire TV Stick 4K came out the other day, and its evolution, like the new remote and the slimmer body, is getting attention. But even if you’re using an older model, just reviewing a few settings can make it surprisingly comfortable.

1. Reduce frustration by customizing the remote

Did you know you can actually change the button assignments on the Fire TV Stick remote? You can customize the app buttons from “Settings” → “Remotes & Bluetooth Devices” → “Remote settings”. For example, if you assign the streaming services you use most to the buttons, you save yourself the trouble of going back to the home screen every time.

Also easy to overlook is the setting that lets you control the TV’s power and volume with just the Fire TV Stick remote. The newer models in particular support CEC linking with the TV, so just turning on “Settings” → “Display & Sounds” → “TV control” brings everything together on one remote. This is quietly convenient.

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2. Hidden settings to get the most performance

When you feel your Fire TV Stick has become sluggish, the first thing to check is “background app updates”. Simply disabling or uninstalling apps you don’t use from “Applications” → “Manage applications” in the settings menu can make it lighter.

Also, clear the cache regularly. Just go to “Settings” → “Applications” → “Manage applications”, choose the app and tap “Clear cache”. Apps you use often, like YouTube and Prime Video, tend to build up cache, so doing it about once a month keeps things comfortable.

Furthermore, something only those in the know use is “developer options”. Under “Settings” → “My Fire TV” → “About”, tap “Build” seven times in a row and developer options appear. Changing the animation scale to 0.5x from here makes screen transitions snappy and satisfying. Just be careful not to tinker too much.

3. Manage storage smartly

The Fire TV Stick’s internal storage is surprisingly small, so if you keep installing apps it fills up in no time. That’s why I recommend using external storage. On supported models, you can connect a USB flash drive and move app data onto it. Check “Storage” in the settings and act early when free space starts running low.

Also, the best thing is to boldly delete apps you don’t use. If you keep them “because I might use them some day”, they eat up space with every update. Personally, I recommend reviewing your apps every season. You’ll surprisingly often find ones where you think “I didn’t need this”.

4. Make full use of voice control

Are you only using the Alexa remote’s voice feature to hear the weather and news? Actually, just saying “open the ○○ app” or “search for ○○” lets you launch apps and search for content smoothly. Especially for people subscribed to several streaming services, it’s convenient because you don’t have to hunt for which app it’s available on.

Furthermore, you can do playback operations like “turn the volume up” or “go back 10 minutes” by voice too, saving you the trouble of looking for the remote. Once you get used to it, you won’t be able to do without it.

5. Review security and privacy

As an advanced user, you’ll want to be particular about security settings too. On the Fire TV Stick, you can finely configure how viewing history and voice data are handled. From “Settings” → “Alexa” → “Voice history”, you can turn off saving voice recordings or delete them regularly. You can also minimize “collected data” in the privacy settings.

Something surprisingly easy to overlook is unpairing devices. If Bluetooth devices you don’t use stay connected, they can cause interference. Remove unnecessary devices from “Remotes & Bluetooth Devices”.

6. Little tricks for a more comfortable everyday experience

Finally, a few handy little tricks worth knowing. First, setting a short screen sleep time helps prevent burn-in on your TV. You can adjust it in “Settings” → “Display & Sounds” → “Sleep”.

Next, restart the Fire TV Stick regularly. If you use it without ever turning it off, memory builds up and it can get sluggish. You can do it easily from “Settings” → “My Fire TV” → “Restart”. Making a weekly restart a habit keeps it in good shape.

Also, take another look at the screen resolution setting. Sometimes the automatic setting ends up at a lower resolution even though your TV supports more. You can set it manually in “Settings” → “Display & Sounds” → “Resolution”. If you have a 4K TV, don’t forget to set it to 4K.

None of these settings are a “do it once and you’re done” thing; they work best when you review them regularly. In particular, settings items get added or changed every time a new model comes out, so it’s a good idea to check them once after an update. The Fire TV Stick has a lot of depth, so do find the customization that suits you.