To restart an Amazon Fire TV Stick, go to Settings > My Fire TV > Restart and select Restart again to confirm. If the menu is frozen, hold the Select (center) button and the Play/Pause button on the remote together for about 5 seconds. If the remote doesn’t respond either, unplug the Fire TV Stick’s power cable, wait a few seconds, and plug it back in.
A restart doesn’t delete apps or change settings. These steps work on every Fire TV Stick and the Fire TV Cube; on a Fire TV Smart TV, the menu is Device & Software instead of My Fire TV. Choose Restart, not Reset to Factory Defaults.
Which Restart Method Should You Use?
| Situation | Best method |
|---|---|
| Menus work, but an app or the device is acting up | Restart from Settings |
| Screen is frozen, but the remote still works | Remote button shortcut |
| Nothing responds, or the remote is lost | Unplug the power cable, or use the Fire TV app on your phone |
Restart a Fire TV Stick From Settings
Use this method when the Fire TV menus still respond to the remote.
- Press the Home button on the Fire TV remote.
- Move right to the Settings gear icon at the end of the Home screen menu and press Select.
- Scroll to My Fire TV (or Device & Software on some models) and press Select.
- Scroll down and choose Restart. Make sure you don’t select Reset to Factory Defaults, which sits just below it.
- Choose Restart again on the confirmation screen. A message says your Fire TV is powering off.
The screen goes dark, the Fire TV logo appears, and the Home screen comes back after about a minute. Open the app that was giving you trouble to see if the problem is gone.
Restart a Fire TV Stick With the Remote
This shortcut works even when you can’t get to Settings, as long as the remote still communicates with the Fire TV Stick. Amazon recommends it as the first fix for a frozen Fire TV screen.
- Point the remote at the TV.
- Press and hold the Select button (the center of the round navigation ring) and the Play/Pause button at the same time.
- Keep holding for about 5 seconds, until a message says your Fire TV is powering off.
- Let go of both buttons.
The Fire TV Stick shuts down and starts back up on its own. This is the fastest fix when an app freezes on a black screen or stops responding. If no message appears, the stick may still restart, so give it a minute before trying again. A restart is also one of the fixes when an iPad can’t find the Stick, along with the other checks in how to connect an iPad to a Fire TV Stick.
Restart a Frozen Fire TV Stick by Unplugging It
If neither the menu nor the remote shortcut works, cut the power.
- Find the Fire TV Stick’s power cable. It runs from the micro-USB or USB-C port on the stick to a power adapter in the wall, or to a USB port on the TV.
- Unplug the cable from the wall outlet or from the stick.
- Wait. Three seconds is enough for a normal restart; if the screen stays frozen, wait 60 seconds.
- Plug the cable back in.
- Wait for the Fire TV logo and the Home screen before pressing buttons.
Unplugging only the HDMI connection doesn’t restart the stick, because it keeps running on its power cable. If your stick is powered by the TV’s USB port, turning the TV off may not remove its power, so unplug the cable itself.
Restart a Fire TV Stick Without the Remote
If the remote is lost or dead, install the free Amazon Fire TV app on your iPhone or Android phone. Connect the phone to the same Wi-Fi network as the Fire TV Stick, open the app, and choose your device. Enter the code shown on the TV to connect. Then use the app’s on-screen remote to go to Settings > My Fire TV > Restart. If the app can’t find the stick, unplug the power cable instead.
Restart vs. Factory Reset
These two options sit close together in Settings, so it’s easy to pick the wrong one.
- Restart turns the device off and back on. Apps, sign-ins, and settings stay the same. Try this first for freezing, buffering, slow menus, or an app that won’t load.
- Reset to Factory Defaults erases everything on the Fire TV Stick. A reset removes your account information and all downloaded content, including in-app purchases. You’ll have to set it up again with your Amazon account and Wi-Fi password.
Only use a factory reset if restarting and the steps below don’t fix the problem, or if you’re giving the device to someone else. In that case, also sign out of your Amazon account on the Fire TV Stick first.
Amazon’s factory reset instructions use Settings > My Fire TV > Reset to Factory Defaults, or holding the Back button and the right side of the navigation ring together for 10 seconds. That remote shortcut is close to the restart shortcut, so don’t mix them up. The reset starts on its own after a few seconds unless you choose Cancel.
What to Do if Restarting Doesn’t Fix the Problem
One app keeps freezing
Check that the app is up to date, or turn on automatic app updates on your Fire Stick. Next, clear the app’s cache, which removes temporary files without signing you out. Amazon’s clear app data and cache steps are:
- Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications.
- Select the app, then select Clear Cache.
- If that doesn’t help, select Clear Data. This signs you out of the app, so you’ll need to sign in again.
If the app still freezes, uninstall the app and download it again from the Appstore. Also check whether the streaming service itself is having an outage.
The Fire TV Stick is slow everywhere
Check for a software update: go to Settings > My Fire TV > About and select Check for Updates, or Install Updates if one is already downloaded. The stick restarts on its own after an update installs. Low storage can also slow things down, so remove apps you no longer use.
Every app is slow or won’t connect
The problem is more likely your network. Go to Settings > Network, select your Wi-Fi network, and press Play/Pause to check the connection status. Restarting your modem and router often helps.
The remote doesn’t work after the restart
Replace the remote’s batteries. AAA alkaline batteries are the recommended type. If the light on the remote blinks orange, or the TV says Cannot detect your remote, hold the Home button for 10 seconds to re-pair it, as described in Amazon’s remote troubleshooting page. You can also control the stick with the free Fire TV app on your phone while you sort out the remote.
The screen says “No Signal” after the restart
Make sure the TV is on the correct HDMI input. Reseat the Fire TV Stick in the HDMI port, and try the power adapter that came with it plugged into a wall outlet. Some TV USB ports don’t supply enough power, which can cause restart loops or a blank screen.
The Fire TV Stick keeps restarting by itself
This usually points to a power problem. Use the original Amazon power adapter and cable in a wall outlet instead of the TV’s USB port. If the stick is plugged straight into a crowded spot behind the TV, the HDMI extender that comes in the box can give it more room. If it still restarts on its own, contact Amazon support.
Fire TV Stick Restart Questions
Will restarting my Fire TV Stick delete anything?
No. A restart keeps your apps, accounts, and settings. Only Reset to Factory Defaults erases the device.
How long does a Fire TV Stick restart take?
Usually about a minute. It can take longer if a software update was waiting to install.
How often should I restart my Fire TV Stick?
There’s no set schedule. Restart it when it feels slow, an app freezes, or streaming starts buffering more than usual.
Does turning off the TV restart the Fire TV Stick?
Not usually. When the TV turns off, the stick goes to sleep instead of shutting down. Use one of the restart methods above for a real restart.
Can I restart a Fire TV Stick without the remote?
Yes. Unplug the power cable, wait a few seconds, and plug it back in. You can also install the Fire TV app on your phone and use it as a remote to reach Settings > My Fire TV > Restart.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
Read more about Matthew and how Solve Your Tech writes and updates its guides, or report a correction.