Fetch better ideas, set up of abode up profiles, derive your watchlist, and heaps extra.

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As promised in February, Amazon has started rolling out a first-rate update to extra Fire TV gadgets.

The update tremendously changes the survey of the Fire TV home cloak, and while it already launched in December for Amazon’s latest Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite, it’s now arriving on the Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Cube, and pendant-formed Fire TV. (Beef up for the second-technology Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Model sexy TVs is coming later this 365 days, however it unquestionably sounds delight in Amazon’s leaving the distinctive Fire TV Stick and Fire TV containers in the aid of.)

Whereas the contemporary Fire TV trip is an development total, it will maybe snatch some getting historic to, and it has some contemporary capabilities that you just can now not look upright away. Whenever you’ve purchased the contemporary Fire TV trip up and running, these pointers would possibly also peaceable relief:

Fetch the update

In case your Fire TV machine is eligible for the upgrade and also you’re now not seeing any mammoth changes but, head to Settings > My Fire TV > About, then decide out “Test for Updates” or “Set up Substitute.” This will also set up of abode off the update to your machine, however it unquestionably’s also skill that Amazon hasn’t rolled it out to your machine but. In that case, you’ll simply wish to wait and see, as there’s no approach to force the update on gadgets that haven’t purchased it.

Rearrange your apps

firetvreorderapps Jared Newman / IDG

To commerce the record of apps to your Fire TV home cloak, click on the apps button on the home cloak, which looks delight in a set up of abode of three squares and a + rate. From there, decide out the app you are eager to switch, hit the menu button on the a ways-off, and decide out “Walk” or “Walk to front.”

Hang your top apps wisely

firetvapppeeks Jared Newman / IDG

Whereas rearranging apps, stamp that the six apps you positioned on top accomplish particular jam. They’ll appear at the tip of your dispute cloak, and a few of them will also counsel things to survey as you scroll over them. Here’s a mammoth approach to bag snappy ideas from some of your approved video sources. (No longer all apps toughen these “app peek” ideas, however I’ve realized that Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, and Paramount+, HBO Max all work effectively.)

Leer beforehand installed apps

firetvnotinstalled Jared Newman / IDG

Here’s a protracted-past due development in the contemporary Fire TV interface: Amazon now not lumps present and beforehand-installed apps into a single, ungainly menu. As an different, easiest your installed apps will appear when load the beefy apps checklist.

That doesn’t indicate your master apps checklist is gone, even though. Apt click on on “App Library” at the bottom of the all apps menu for a checklist of every thing you’ve installed sooner than.

Device up family profiles

firetvprofiles Jared Newman / IDG

Profile toughen is a key piece of the contemporary Fire TV interface, allowing each person to discover their have approved apps checklist and solutions. You would possibly be ready to also accomplish kid profiles with age appropriate squawk material and an non-obligatory PIN to retain them penned in. To swap profiles or add a brand contemporary one, simply click on the profile icon at the a ways left facet of the toolbar.

Fetch right of entry to snappy instructions

firetvquickcommands Jared Newman / IDG

As with the old Fire TV interface, you can be ready to peaceable long-press the home button to entry snappy instructions, collectively with your beefy apps checklist, sleep mode, cloak mirroring, and settings. This even works while you’re the say of one other app. The supreme incompatibility now would possibly be that you just can be ready to swap profiles from this menu as effectively.

Sift by solutions faster

firetvseesource Jared Newman / IDG

One of many supreme Fire TV annoyances is the components it recommends squawk material on the home cloak with out itemizing the provision. Too in overall, you’ll click on on a movie or present easiest to search out that it requires a hire price or further subscription.

Here’s a partial workaround: From the home cloak, simply click on the menu button as an alternative of the decide out button. For many who peer a “Gawk Now with…” likelihood in the bottom-upright nook, meaning you can be ready to open the squawk material in one of your installed apps. In every other case, you’ll doubtless wish to download a brand contemporary app or pay further. This isn’t a foolproof resolution—it doesn’t appear to work when there are multiple free viewing alternatives on hand—however it unquestionably’s faster than clicking by to a separate menu for each recommendation.

Utilize the “Free to Me” filter

firetvfreetome Jared Newman / IDG

For an even better approach to search out things that don’t stamp further, head to Acquire > Motion photos or Acquire > TV Reveals, then click on the “Free to Me” filter likelihood. This brings up a set up of abode of ideas that are both free with classified ads or piece of your present subscriptions. You would possibly be ready to also survey for the “From Your Subscriptions” heading while taking a look by genre.

Help the “Acquire” menu

firetvgenre Jared Newman / IDG

For many who’re in the mood for a particular extra or less movie or present, ascertain out the Fire TV’s contemporary Acquire menu, which you can be ready to entry straight from the home cloak. Scroll the entire contrivance down, and also you’ll peer a checklist of genres to envision out.

Fabricate essentially the most of your watchlist

firetvwatchlist Jared Newman / IDG

The Fire TV Watchlist would be a purposeful approach to bookmark movies and shows from all the contrivance in which by diversified streaming services, however it unquestionably’s moved to a brand contemporary set up of abode in the most modern update. Head to Acquire > Library, and also you’ll peer the Watchlist at the tip.

The handiest approach to add movies or shows to the watchlist is to search by title, actor, director, or genre. Click on any result, then decide out “Add to Watchlist.”

Survey extra free stuff

firetvfree2 Jared Newman / IDG

Speaking of relocated capabilities, the outdated Fire TV interface had a top-stage “Free” menu that counseled advert-supported movies, shows, channels, and apps. That menu is peaceable on hand, however you’ll wish to dig slightly of deeper for it, below Acquire > Free.

Organize your are living TV channels

firetvlivesources Jared Newman / IDG

The Fire TV Handbook is a mammoth approach to survey what’s streaming are living on services delight in YouTube TV, Sling TV, Philo, and Pluto TV. Accumulated, that you just can now not are eager to survey each are living channel that the Handbook hoovers up. To customize the e book, head to “Are living,” scroll to very bottom, decide out “Favorites,” then hit Hang to your a ways-off. From here, you can be ready to mask entire streaming services from the Handbook, and clicking on each carrier enables you to mask particular person channels as effectively.

Whenever you’re in the Handbook, you can be ready to also add channels to your favorites checklist. Apt hit the menu button on any channel, then hit “Add to Popular Channels.” To glance your favorites, hit the menu button again, then decide out “Filter Channels” and decide out “Popular Channels.”

Utilize Alexa’s contemporary shortcuts

To switch even faster by the Fire TV’s contemporary menu system, try the say of some Alexa dispute instructions. By keeping the dispute button on the a ways-off, you can be ready to navigate to any piece of the interface. Here are some instructions to envision out:

  • ”Walk to Are living”
  • ”Walk to Free”
  • ”Walk to comedy movies”
  • ”Walk to sci-fi shows”
  • ”Swap to [profile name].”

Be aware the you can be ready to also quiz Alexa to begin particular movies, shows, or are living TV channels if your streaming services toughen it. As an illustration, try asserting “Play Godzilla vs. Kong on HBO Max” or “Tune to ESPN on YouTube TV.”

Extra Fire TV pointers await

To bag even extra out of your Fire TV, ascertain out this checklist of further pointers, a lot of which work despite the incontrovertible truth that you just’re peaceable running the outdated Fire TV interface. And if that you just would be in a position to also discover every other questions, be at liberty to reach out.

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Jared Newman covers within most technology from his a ways-off Cincinnati outpost. He also publishes two newsletters, Advisorator for tech recommendation and Wire Cutter Weekly for relief with ditching cable or satellite TV.