How to Speed Up FireStick Device (2024)

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This detailed guide will tell you how to speed up FireStick, Fire TV, FireStick 4K, and Fire TV Cube.

I can understand how it feels when your FireStick device is buffering or running slow. It’s pretty frustrating and time-consuming too! Imagine watching your favorite TV show, and the device freezes in the middle of your streaming session. How annoying, right?

The good news is that you don’t have to spend a hefty amount and replace your FireStick just because it is not as fast as when you first brought it. You can fix these lagging issues on FireStick with a few simple tweaks.

I have listed these tips and tricks to speed up the FireStick after extensive research. Do check them out and let us know which one works best for you.

1. Restart Your FireStick

If your FireStick is plugged in the socket all the time, this is probably why your device is buffering or lagging. It is necessary to restart the FireStick every now and then to refresh it.

One simple way to restart your FireStick is to unplug it from the power socket and plug it back again after a while. This will stop all the apps running in the background and clear the unnecessary cache from the device.

Other than that, you can also restart your FireStick using the remote. Long press the Play/Pause button and Select button of your FireStick remote for a while. A pop-up message will appear on the screen stating that your device is restarting.

You can restart your FireStick from the settings menu also. For that, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Click the Settings icon from the menu and select the My Fire TV option

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Step 2: Click Restart

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Step 3: Click Restart again

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Step 4: Your device will start powering off

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Step 5: Wait for a while for the device to restart

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Your FireStick device has restarted successfully!

2. Clear Cache

Whatever app you are using on your FireStick creates cache while running that could affect the performance of your device and cause it to slow down.

To overcome this issue, experts recommend that experts clear the cache of your FireStick after a while to make sure your device runs properly without any lagging.

Follow the steps below to clear the cache on your FireStick:

Step 1: Click the Application option from the Settings menu of your FireStick

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Step 2: Select Manage Installed Applications

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Step 3: Now select the app you want to clear the cache of. For instance, I am using Kodi here

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Step 4: Click the option Clear cache

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Step 5: Repeat the same steps for all the other apps installed on your device

3. Force Stop Apps Running in the Background

Whenever you want to close an app on your FireStick, what do you do? You simply press the back button of your remote and then launch any other app you want to use.

Now the former app didn’t close on your device and is running in the background. This might contribute to slowing down your FireStick while using. So if you want to boost the performance of your device, close all the apps running in the background manually.

For that, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the Settings menu of your FireStick and click the Applications option

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Step 2: Select Manage Installed Applications

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Step 3: Now select any app you want to stop running in the background

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Step 4: Click Force stop to close the app

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Step 5: Repeat the same steps for all the other apps you want to prevent running in the background

4. Uninstall Apps You are Not Using

When I say the storage issues of FireStick, every FireStick user could relate with me. One of the most annoying drawbacks of Amazon FireStick is low storage.

So filling up your device with loads of apps when you already have low storage is not wise and could slow down your device often.

It is recommended to uninstall all the apps from your FireStick that you are not using. This gets the load off your device so it can run smoother and faster.

Follow the steps below to uninstall apps from FireStick:

Step 1: Open the Settings menu of your FireStick and click Applications

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Step 2: Click Manage Installed Applications

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Step 3: Select the app you want to uninstall. I am using FileLinked as an example here

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Step 4: Click Uninstall from the menu

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Step 5: Click Uninstall again

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Step 6: Wait while the app is uninstalling

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Step 7: The app you selected is now uninstalled from your FireStick device

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Repeat the same process for all the other apps you are not using frequently on your FireStick to speed up your device.

5. Turn Off Notifications

Other than being annoying, notifications constantly popping up while you are using your FireStick could slow down the performance of your device.

When all the apps generate their own notifications after every few minutes, the device would not be able to function fast. So it’s better to turn off these notifications from the menu and enjoy a fast user experience.

Follow these steps to turn off notifications on FireStick:

Step 1: Navigate to the Settings menu of your FireStick and click the Preferences option

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Step 2: Click the Notification Settings option from the menu

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Step 3: Click App Notifications

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Step 4: Select the app you want to disable notifications of. The Off label indicates the notifications are disabled successfully

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6. Turn Off Data Monitoring

Like every other device, FireStick also tracks and monitors your data for personalized ads and many other reasons. Now, this raises privacy concerns for most of the users and slows down the performance of your FireStick.

That’s why you should turn off data monitoring for a secure and fast connection. Follow these steps to turn off data monitoring on FireStick:

Step 1: Open the Settings menu of your FireStick and click Preferences

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Step 2: Scroll down and click Data Monitoring from the menu

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Step 3: Select the option and turn off data monitoring

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7. Factory Reset

If you have tried all the other tips, but your device is still lagging, factory resetting your FireStick might resolve the speed issues of your device.

Make sure you create a backup of all the necessary data on the device before resetting, as it will erase all the existing data on the device.

Follow these steps to factory reset your Amazon FireStick:

Step 1: From the Settings menu of your FireStick, click the My Fire TV option

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Step 2: Scroll down and select the option Reset to Factory Defaults

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Step 3: Click Reset

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Step 4: Your FireStick will start resetting

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Step 5: Your device will first power off

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Step 6: Next, it will start rebooting

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Step 7: Your FireStick device will reset successfully after a while

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8. Update Your FireStick

The reason behind your sluggish FireStick could be the old version of software you are using. FireStick software is being updated regularly, and this update is automatic most of the time.

However, if your device is not updating regularly, you should check for the updates yourself and update FireStick to the latest software version to enjoy fast speed.

Follow the steps below to update your FireStick:

Step 1: Click My Fire TV from the Settings menu of your FireStick

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Step 2: Select the About option

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Step 3: Click Check for Updates

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Step 4: Now select Install Updates if any updates are available

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Step 5: Your FireStick will finish the updates in a while

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9. Upgrade Your FireStick

If you are using an old version of FireStick, it will run slow compared to the latest versions. The new versions are much better and faster than the old ones in terms of speed and user experience.

Trust me; it’s all worth it to spend on upgrading your FireStick. Even if you don’t have a budget or want to spend a hefty amount on buying the latest version of FireStick, you can always avail discount deals such as Black Friday deals to save a few bucks.

Here’s a list of devices that you can get:

10. Use a Faster VPN

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If you use a VPN on your FireStick as it is constantly lagging, the issue might be with your VPN. Most of the VPNs tend to slow down the performance of your FireStick.

So if you feel the issue is with your VPN, switch to a faster VPN such as ExpressVPN to overcome these speed issues. ExpressVPN has 3,000 servers at 160 server locations in 94 countries of the world.

That means ExpressVPN ensures security with speed for the users, so they don’t have to compromise on the speed and connectivity if they want to stay protected and private while steaming.

11. Check Your Internet Speed

Last but not least, if you don’t have any of the above issues and your FireStick is still running slow, the problem might be in your internet connection. A slow internet connection will obviously result in slow connectivity and other speed issues while streaming.

That’s why it is recommended to perform a speed test if you think your internet connection is the real culprit behind your sluggish device.

You can check your internet speed in various ways. One of them is by using the speed test app. I am demonstrating the process below:

Step 1: Open your FireStick home screen and click Find from the menu

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Step 2: Select the option Search

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Step 3: Write Speed Test in the search bar and click the relevant search results

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Step 4: Click the Internet Speed Test icon among the other app icons

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Step 5: Click the Get or Download option

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Step 6: Click Open once the app is successfully installed

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Step 7: Click the Start Test option to check the speed of your internet connection

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FAQs – Speed Up FireStick

Why my FireStick is running slow?

There could be several reasons why your FireStick is running slow such as cache build-up, apps running in the background, notifications settings, heavy apps installed on the device, old version of FireStick, and many others.

How to improve FireStick performance?

You can improve the performance of your FireStick with some simple steps such as deleting the unnecessary apps, clearing cache, turning off notifications, force stop apps running in the background, and various other simple tricks.

How to check internet speed on FireStick?

You can check your internet speed with a speed test by using Speed Test App or an app called Analiti. You can also use a web browser on your device to check the speed of the internet.

Key Takeaways

Facing speed issues with your FireStick? the device is running slow than usual and buffering a lot while streaming? Well, there could be a number of reasons why your device is running slow.

I have discussed a few simple methods in this guide to speed up your FireStick without any additional effort. These simple tweaks in the system help boost up the speed to get the best user experience with Amazon FireStick.

About Rachel Barrett

Rachel Barrett, the creative force fueling FirestickHacks, is your tech compass in the digital universe. As the guiding hand behind Firestick solutions and an Android aficionado, Rachel redefines tech hurdles with finesse. Embark on a seamless journey through Firestick mastery and Android innovation with her expert insights. Follow me On Quora @Rachel-Barrett-103

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