If you’ve been having trouble sideloading apps on your Fire TV Stick, you’re not alone. A new bug in the latest versions of Fire OS 7 and Fire OS 8 is breaking the ability to sideload apps on many devices. Unfortunately, until Amazon fixes the bug, sideloading apps on Fire TV Sticks won’t be as easy as it used to be.
AFTV News was the first to discover and report on the bug. Essentially, it prevents your Fire TV device from properly generating a list of all the apps that can be granted permission to install unknown apps through Developer Options.
For example, if you use an app like Downloader to install APK files on your Fire TV Stick, you first have to grant it permission to install unknown apps. However, when you go to grant that permission on your device’s ‘Install unknown apps’ page in the Developer Options menu, the bug prevents the app list from fully updating and properly displaying all apps.
So, if the app you use, such as Downloader, doesn’t appear in the ‘Install unknown apps’ list, you can’t grant it the permission it needs to install any APKs you’ve downloaded to your device.
Not all Fire TV devices are affected
There is a potential workaround
According to AFTV News, the main reason this bug is occurring is because of a “race condition” in the Fire TV code. When you visit the ‘Install unknown apps’ page, which you can find by going to My Fire TV > Developer Options, your device is supposed to generate a list of all apps capable of installing unknown apps. It then displays that list, giving you the option to enable permission for whichever app you want to use to install APKs (as you can see in the image above). However, the bug causes the interface to jump ahead and display the list before your device has finished generating it, so some apps don’t appear even though they should (such as Downloader), or no apps appear at all, causing an error message to pop up saying no apps have been found.
Currently, this bug affects Fire OS 7 and Fire OS 8 devices, but depending on the device you have, you may not necessarily be impacted. If you have a faster Fire TV device, such as a Fire TV Stick 4K Max or Fire TV Cube, there’s a better chance your device will generate the full list before the interface jumps ahead to display it.
As a result, older and slower Fire TV devices, such as the Fire TV Stick 4K Lite or third-gen Fire TV Stick, appear to be more likely to run into the problem.
Quiz
Fire TV Stick history
Trivia challenge
From its 2014 debut to 4K streaming dominance — how well do you really know Amazon’s Fire TV Stick?
HistoryHardwareStreamingFeaturesAmazon
In what year did Amazon first release the original Fire TV Stick?
Correct! Amazon launched the original Fire TV Stick in November 2014, initially as an invitation-only product before making it widely available. It was designed as a budget-friendly alternative to the full Fire TV box released earlier that same year.
Not quite. Amazon launched the Fire TV Stick in November 2014, following the debut of the larger Fire TV set-top box earlier that year. It quickly became one of the best-selling streaming devices on the market.
Which port does the Fire TV Stick plug into on your television?
Correct! The Fire TV Stick connects directly into an HDMI port on your TV, making it incredibly simple to set up. A separate USB cable is also included to provide power to the device.
Not quite. The Fire TV Stick uses an HDMI connection to plug directly into your television. This design keeps the device compact and ensures compatibility with virtually any modern TV.
Which Fire TV Stick model was the first to support 4K Ultra HD streaming?
Correct! The Fire TV Stick 4K, released in October 2018, was the first stick-form-factor Fire TV device to support 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos. It was a significant upgrade over the standard stick lineup.
Not quite. The Fire TV Stick 4K, launched in 2018, was the first in the stick lineup to offer 4K Ultra HD support along with HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos audio. Earlier stick models were capped at 1080p Full HD.
What is the name of Amazon’s voice assistant built into the Fire TV Stick remote?
Correct! Amazon’s own voice assistant, Alexa, is integrated into the Fire TV Stick remote, allowing users to search for content, control smart home devices, check the weather, and more using just their voice.
Not quite. Amazon built its own voice assistant, Alexa, into the Fire TV Stick remote. Alexa lets you search for content hands-free, control compatible smart home devices, and access a wide range of skills beyond just streaming.
What is the name of Amazon’s own free streaming service that comes pre-installed on Fire TV Sticks?
Correct! Amazon Freevee (previously known as IMDb TV) is Amazon’s free, ad-supported streaming service that comes pre-loaded on Fire TV devices. It offers a wide library of movies and TV shows at no subscription cost.
Not quite. Amazon Freevee, formerly called IMDb TV, is Amazon’s free ad-supported streaming service that comes built into Fire TV Sticks. While Prime Video requires a subscription, Freevee is completely free to watch with ads.
Which budget-focused Fire TV Stick model was introduced in 2020, featuring a simplified remote without TV controls?
Correct! The Fire TV Stick Lite launched in 2020 as Amazon’s most affordable streaming stick. Its remote omits the dedicated TV power and volume buttons found on standard Fire TV remotes, keeping costs down for budget-conscious buyers.
Not quite. Amazon introduced the Fire TV Stick Lite in 2020 as its entry-level streaming stick. The Lite version’s remote drops the TV control buttons to reduce the price, making it an attractive option for first-time streamers.
Before being rebranded, what was the original name of the Fire TV Stick’s operating system?
Correct! The Fire TV Stick runs Fire OS, Amazon’s own operating system that is based on Android but heavily customised with Amazon’s own apps, services, and interface. It has been the backbone of all Fire TV devices since launch.
Not quite. Fire TV Sticks have always run Fire OS, Amazon’s forked version of Android that replaces Google’s services with Amazon’s own ecosystem. Despite its Android roots, Fire OS looks and behaves quite differently from standard Android TV.
Which connectivity standard did the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (1st Gen, 2021) introduce to the Fire TV Stick lineup for the first time?
Correct! The Fire TV Stick 4K Max launched in 2021 as the first Fire TV Stick to support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), offering faster and more reliable wireless connectivity compared to previous models. It also featured a more powerful processor than the standard 4K stick.
Not quite. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max, released in 2021, made history as the first Fire TV Stick to include Wi-Fi 6 support. This newer wireless standard delivers improved speeds and better performance in homes with many connected devices.
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Ultimately, because this issue is tied to the underlying code in Fire OS 7 and Fire OS 8, Amazon will need to release a fix. Unfortunately, it’s unclear how long that could take. Given that Amazon is moving away from sideloading on Fire TV devices and is now pushing Vega OS — its new Linux-based operating system that doesn’t support sideloading — onto newer Fire TV Sticks instead of Android-based Fire OS, this might not be something the company is in any rush to fix, or even wants to fix.
That said, if you’re currently experiencing this issue, it’s a good idea to check for updates on your device regularly, as Amazon could roll out a small patch to its system components that fixes the problem. To check for updates at any time, go to Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for Update. You can also try restarting your device to see if that fixes it.
Another potential workaround is to try a different APK installer app instead of Downloader and see if it appears properly in the ‘Install unknown apps’ permissions list. AFTV News, which is also the developer of Downloader, reports that Total Commander is one option worth trying.
However, if neither Downloader nor Total Commander appears in the ‘Install unknown apps’ list, unfortunately, you’ll have to wait for Amazon to hopefully fix the bug one day.
- Brand
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Amazon
- Resolution
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4K
- Audio codecs
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Dolby Atmos
- RAM/storage
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16 GB
