The Amazon Fire TV Stick, commonly known as the Firestick, is a popular streaming device that allows you to access thousands of movies, TV shows, apps, and games. Like other streaming devices and smartphones, the Firestick has its own app store where you can download apps and games. This app store is called the Amazon Appstore.
Over time, apps in the Appstore may release updates that add new features, fix bugs, and improve performance. It’s important to regularly check for and install these updates to get the best experience from your apps. Unfortunately, the process for updating apps on the Firestick isn’t as straightforward as on a smartphone. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to easily update your apps on the Amazon Firestick.
Checking for App Updates
The first step is to check whether any of your installed apps have available updates. Here’s how to do it:
From Your Firestick Home Screen
1. From the Firestick home screen, navigate to ‘Settings’.
2. Go to ‘Applications’ > ‘Manage Installed Applications’.
3. This will display a list of all your installed apps. Apps that have updates available will be marked with the text ‘Update Available’.
From Within the Appstore
1. Open the Amazon Appstore from your Firestick home screen.
2. Select the ‘Apps & Games’ option.
3. Choose the ‘My Apps’ tab.
4. This will display all your installed apps. Apps with pending updates will be marked with the text ‘Update’.
Once you’ve identified apps that need updating, you can proceed with the update process.
Updating Apps on Firestick
There are two ways to update your apps on the Firestick – updating them individually, or updating all apps at once.
Updating Apps Individually
1. From your Appstore ‘My Apps’ screen, select the app you want to update.
2. On the app page, find and select the ‘Update’ button.
3. The update will now begin to download and install. Follow the on-screen prompts.
4. Once finished, the ‘Open’ button will display instead of ‘Update’.
5. Repeat this process for any other apps requiring updates.
Updating All Apps
1. From the Appstore ‘My Apps’ tab, select the ‘Update All’ button at the top of the page.
2. The Appstore will start queues and begin downloading and installing available updates for all your apps.
3. A progress bar will display on the screen. Once finished, all your apps will be updated.
4. If an update fails, you may need to update that particular app individually.
Enabling Automatic App Updates
To save yourself the trouble of manually checking and installing app updates, you can enable automatic updates:
1. Go to ‘Settings’ from the Firestick home screen.
2. Select ‘Preferences’.
3. Under ‘Appstore’, turn on ‘Auto-update apps’.
With this enabled, your apps will automatically download and install updates in the background when available, keeping your Firestick up to date.
Troubleshooting App Updates
Here are some tips for troubleshooting app update issues on your Firestick:
– Check that your Firestick is connected to the internet – app updates require an active internet connection.
– Restart your Firestick and router if updates are failing – this can resolve temporary glitches.
– Clear the Appstore cache by forcing stop the Appstore app – this may fix stuck updates.
– Uninstall then reinstall any problem apps having issues updating.
– In some cases, you may need to factory reset your Firestick to fix persisting software issues.
Conclusion
Keeping your Firestick apps up-to-date is important for getting all the newest features and better performance. Following this guide, you can easily check for app updates, update apps individually or all at once, and enable auto-updates for hands-free convenience. Regularly updating your apps helps maximize the potential of your Firestick.
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Check for available app updates |
| 2 | Update apps individually or all at once |
| 3 | Enable auto-update for automatic updates |
| 4 | Troubleshoot any update issues |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won’t my apps update on Firestick?
If your Firestick apps won’t update, some common reasons may be:
– No internet connection or weak/slow connection preventing downloads.
– Insufficient storage space – try clearing cache or uninstalling unused apps.
– A particular app is stuck – reinstall the problem app.
– An error occurred – reboot your Firestick and router.
– Auto-update is disabled – enable it in settings for automatic updates.
Are app updates automatic?
App updates are not automatic by default on the Firestick. You have to manually check and install each update, or enable auto-update in settings to have apps update themselves.
Do I need to update apps on Firestick?
Updating Firestick apps is recommended. Updates fix bugs, add new features, improve compatibility and security. Out-of-date apps may suffer performance issues or not work properly.
How do I update Amazon Appstore?
The Amazon Appstore app itself automatically updates in the background when new versions are available. You don’t need to manually update the Appstore.
Why are some apps missing after updating Firestick?
If certain apps disappear after an update, it’s likely they are incompatible with the newer Firestick software version. You’ll have to wait for the app developer to release an updated compatible version.
Tips for Updating Apps on Firestick
Here are some useful tips for successfully updating apps on your Amazon Fire TV Stick:
– Update apps one at a time rather than all together, in case an update fails or causes issues.
– For an important app, update it before other pending updates so you can isolate any problems.
– If an update seems to get stuck, cancel it and try again – this often resolves the issue.
– If an app update is failing repeatedly, uninstall and reinstall the app.
– Check the app developer’s website for information on new versions before updating.
– For optimal performance, aim to keep all your regularly used apps updated.
– Don’t update an app that’s currently in use – close the app first before updating.
– Disable auto-updates for any apps that you’d prefer to manually update yourself.
Following these tips will help ensure updating apps on your Firestick is a smooth, problem-free process. Keeping apps updated is key for enjoying your Firestick.
Conclusion
Updating your apps on the Firestick is easy once you know the steps. Periodically check for updates, update apps individually or all at once, enable auto-update for convenience, and troubleshoot any issues. Keeping apps up-to-date provides the best experience and maximum potential from your Firestick. Follow this guide and you’ll be able to update your apps like a pro!
