The Amazon FireStick has quickly become a household name in the world of streaming and on-demand viewing. Many people globally now use FireStick to easily access and view their favorite content, from movies to box sets and TV series.
However, sometimes your device malfunctions, the storage space fills up, or you might decide to give your FireStick a new home. And when you do, you will likely need to perform a factory reset. To do this, you typically use the remote, so what do you do if you’ve lost it?
Luckily we have some alternative ways to perform a reset without the remote.
Performing a factory reset on FireStick without a remote control
Of course, you can easily reset the FireStick with your remote control. However, if you have lost the remote, there is a way that you can still perform the reset.
Download the Fire TV app on your Android, iOS, or Kindle device and do the reset from there. To do this, you will need to:
- Navigate to amazon.com/appstore using the web browser of your choice
- Scroll down the list until you find the Fire TV Model section located in the left-hand sidebar
- Select the checkbox to select the Fire TV app and install the app
- You can then go into the app to perform a factory reset for your device
- You can also use the app store to reinstall your apps after the reset
However, one word of warning, once the reset is done, you will need to reconfigure the FireStick, which can only be done using a remote control. If yours is missing or damaged, you will need to purchase a new one from Amazon to reboot the device. Alternatively, you can borrow a remote from a friend or neighbor to perform the process.
- Go to the FireStick home screen
- Go to the top of the main screen and locate the menu bar
- Select Settings in the menu bar and then scroll across to the right and find and select My Fire TV
- Once there, scroll down and tap the option that says – Reset to factory settings
- The FireStick will then ask you to confirm your selection – the reset will clear all personal data, applications and personal settings, which is why the stick will need to be reconfigured once the reset is done
- Then press reset to continue
The FireStick will then take a few minutes to restart. Do not unplug the power cord until the reset is finished.
How to reset FireStick using the remote control
If your device is frozen, it may not be possible to go to the settings to reboot it. This can be a problem if a reboot is the only way to unfreeze the device.
If the system is unresponsive, perform the following steps to try and reboot:
- Ensure that the device has fully charged or working batteries – you may like to change the batteries just in case and to rule out this as an issue
- Press the right button on the navigation ring and then press the back button – hold the buttons down for at least 10 seconds to get a response
- Once you have done this, you should get a restart message to appear on the screen
Why perform a factory reset on FireStick?
There may be several reasons why you might need to reset your FireStick and here are some of them.
Not enough memory
One of the unfortunate limitations of FireStick is the limited amount of storage space. Its use as a streaming tool remains exemplary. However, with around just 8GB of memory — 30% of this being used for the operating system — there is only around 5GB of memory left to use for storage, and this can fill up extremely quickly. Even if you do continue to remove apps as and when necessary, the leftover files will continue to use up valuable storage space.
There are ways in which you may be able to free up storage space, but sometimes the only available solution will be to perform a factory reset.
Slow power
If your FireStick becomes slow or sluggish to respond, then sometimes a simple reboot and update can solve the problem. As with many technological devices, a simple turn-off and on can solve a problem but unfortunately, not always!
If this is the case and you have unsuccessfully tried a reboot, then you may need to restore factory settings and this should significantly improve the performance.
The same may also apply if your FireStick freezes altogether, although this is quite rare according to customer feedback.
How do I reconfigure after a factory reset?
Log in
To reconfigure your FireStick, you will need to log back in with your Amazon account. If you unplug the stick, then plug it back into the power source and wait for it to reboot.
Configure the device
Press the play/pause button and then follow the instructions given to configure the device.
Reinstall any VPNs
If you are using third-party streaming apps on the FireStick, you are most likely using a VPN. This application will need to be reinstalled and reconnected to the VPN server after the factory reset. If you don’t already have a VPN then you will need to purchase one to keep your streaming anonymous. There are several options that you can try for a fixed period, such as 30 days, to see if they are compatible with your requirements.
- Go to the VPN that you subscribe to or have purchased.
- Select the Search option in the left-hand corner at the top of the FireStick home screen.
- Find your VPN and follow the on-screen instructions to install and begin using the app.
- You will need the username and password you received when you subscribed to the application.
Reinstall your favorite applications
As mentioned earlier, a factory reset on the FireStick will almost certainly solve any issues about storage or sluggish operational speeds. However, it will also remove all of your previously installed apps. Any apps purchased in the Amazon store will be saved in the cloud, but that is not the case for third-party apps.
Third-party apps enable you to enjoy unlimited streaming of your favorite series, movies, and much more. Remember, the FireStick does not provide its content, it just allows you to stream from other providers – it is merely the facilitator in this process.
On your FireStick home screen, look for the button that says Find and then Search. Then you simply search for the apps that you would like and follow the on-screen instructions to install and begin using them. You can search for apps in the Amazon store itself or from other providers.
The most popular apps include:
- HD Movie APK
- Bee TV
- CyberFlix TV.
There are many apps for live television and sporting broadcasts, such as Tee Sports Live.
Among the most recognized streaming apps for your FireStick device are:
- Netflix
- Prime
- Hulu
- CBS
It might be a good idea to make a note of all of your favorite and most used apps so that you know which ones are ‘must-haves’ for you if and when you need to reinstall them.
In summary
Despite the occasional issues about using a FireStick, these are generally fairly easy to solve using a simple step-by-step method, as outlined in this article. When operating at optimum efficiency, the FireStick will provide you with many viewing benefits, including access to numerous apps, streaming services, games, and more. There is even the facility to ‘jailbreak’ your FireStick, which will allow you to use streaming platforms, games, and apps not available on the Amazon store.
Fortunately, you do not need to be a technical wizard to operate or maintain your Amazon FireStick and its customer useability is one of its most desirable features and the main reason it has become so popular. You will be able to create up to six profiles on your FireStick, each with separate recommendations for the end-user, along with the ability to create a kid’s profile with appropriate parental restrictions and controls if required.
Restoring factory settings using your remote control is undoubtedly the easiest way to reboot your device, but thankfully it is still possible to do this without your remote if it gets lost or broken. Having said that, replacement remote controls are readily available through the Amazon store for a reasonable cost.
If you run into difficulties, there are lots of options to gain help and advice online, either directly through your Fire TV app or via online forums.
