Hi Everyone, this is Nick, and in this post, I will show you how to set up FireStick, Fire TV Cube, FireStick 4K, or FireStick Lite. I will take you through the complete set of steps from the start to the end.
There are two scenarios in which you need to set up your FireStick:
- When you use it for the first time after the purchase
- When you reset your device to the factory defaults
In either case, the FireStick setup steps remain the same. It usually takes 4-5 minutes to complete the setup process.
The images used in this guide are not high-quality. This is because I had to click the photos with my camera. The photos of the TV screen do not come out too well. It is not possible to take the screenshot of FireStick during setup.
FireStick/Fire TV Cube/FireStick Lite setup prerequisites
When you unpack your FireStick, here is what you get:
- FireStick device
- A power adapter
- A USB Cable
- HDMI Extender (or an HDMI cable if you have a Fire TV Cube)
Here is what you should be ready with before starting the setup process:
- A working Wi-Fi connection
- A TV set with a free HDMI port
Before you set up your FireStick or Fire TV Cube or FireStick Lite, here is what you need to do:
- Insert the smaller end of the USB cable into your FireStick and the wider end into the power adapter
- Insert your FireStick into one end of the HDMI extender (you may plug your FireStick directly into the TV; however, HDMI extender is recommended to avoid overheating issues)
- Insert the free end of the HDMI extender cable into one of the HDMI ports on your TV (make sure you insert the cable properly). The HDMI ports are usually marked as HDMI 1, HDMI 2, etc. Most TVs have HDMI ports on the side or bottom panels too.
- Plug the power adapter into the power source
- With your TV remote, choose the HDMI port into which you plugged in your FireStick as the source (look for the source or input button on your TV remote).
- Wait for the FireStick to power up and jump to the next section
How to set up your Amazon FireStick, Fire TV Cube, FireStick Lite
You are all set to set up your FireStick or Fire TV Cube. Let’s get started:
1. Press the Home button on your remote to pair it with the FireStick device
2. Press the Play/Pause button on the remote to continue
3. Choose your preferred language
4. You should see the message, Configuring your Fire TV for a few seconds
5. Firestick will now search for the available Wi-Fi networks
6. It will now display the list of the Wi-Fi networks within range
Click your Wi-Fi network
7. Enter the Wi-Fi password and click Connect
8. During the FireStick setup, your device will check for any OS updates
Any new updates will be downloaded and installed automatically
9. You are now required to sign in with an Amazon account
As I said before, if you do not have an Amazon account, always create one in a web browser on your mobile or computer if you do not want to provide your credit card information
DO NOT click I am new to Amazon to create the account
Go to https://amazon.com and create the Amazon account on another device and click I already have an Amazon account
10. You should see this prompt briefly while your FireStick/Fire TV Cube is getting registered
11. Once you are signed in to your Amazon account, you should see the Successfully registered notification
12. Click Continue when you see this window
Click Change My Account if you want to sign in with another Amazon account
13. If you want to save your Wi-Fi password to the Amazon account, click Yes
I’d rather not share my password. Therefore, I am clicking No
14. If you want to set up Parental Controls, click Enable Parental Controls
You could always do that later from the FireStick Settings
I am proceeding with No Parental Controls
15. Wait until this window goes away
16. Your FireStick remote comes with IR control that lets you control the TV volume, mute, and power your TV on or off
Turn up the TV volume using the TV remote
Click Next on this screen with your FireStick remote
17. You now sync your FireStick remote with the IR profile of your TV
Press the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons on your FireStick Remote
18. If your FireStick remote successfully changed the TV volume and the sound came out as you expected, click Yes
If not, click No to reconfigure
19. Click OK when you see this notification
20. Click Continue
21. If you want to stream some of the popular streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Sling, etc, click Get Started
You may also click No Thanks and install these services at any other time you want
Your FireStick has been set up. Wait for a few seconds and the home screen will load up
Amazon FireStick setup complete! What NEXT?
We start streaming now!
To do that, you will need the streaming services. You have two options:
- Download third-party streaming services/apps: Unlimited content including your favorite movies, shows, live cable TV, sports videos, and everything you want
- Download official streaming services from Amazon Store (Netflix, Hulu, Sling, etc.): Mostly subscription-based with monthly charges; some are free but with limited content
Download third-party streaming apps for unlimited content
FireStick lets you download and use a huge range of third-party APKs for everything you want to watch unlimited, including Movies & TV Shows, Live TV Channels, Sports Channels, Documentaries, Videos for Kids, and a whole lot more.
You can easily download the third-party apps after the FireStick setup.
⚠️However, before you start using third-party apps for free streaming, I have something extremely important to share.
Using third-party apps and services could land you in trouble. That’s because your identity is exposed on the internet with your ISP-provided IP address 18.216.190.167.
Your government and ISP can monitor all your streaming activities with your IP address. Therefore, I strongly recommend using a FireStick VPN immediately after setting up your device. A VPN will instantly mask your IP address and make it impossible for anyone to trace your streaming activities back to you.
I use ExpressVPN on FireStick and all other devices because it is the fastest, highly secure, and the most reliable VPN in the industry.
The special ExpressVPN deal gives you 49% off on the yearly plan with 3 extra months of service. And, ExpressVPN also offers an unconditional 30-day full money-return guarantee.
Once you set up FireStick, here is how you can secure your device:
1. Click HERE and Sign up for ExpressVPN
Choose Search on your FireStick
2. Download ExpressVPN app for FireStick
3. Log in with your ExpressVPN account
4. Connect to a safe server and start streaming
Now that you have protected your device, you can start downloading the third-party apps.
Our Best Apps for FireStick in 2020 contains the list of the top third-party apps for FireStick. However, here is the quick list of the best apps we have handpicked for you:
FireStick Apps for Movies & Shows
1. Cinema HD:
It is easily one of the best apps to watch your favorite on-demand content. This app contains a big library of movies and shows. The media library is frequently updated too. Cinema HD also works great with Real Debrid.
How to install Cinema HD on FireStick
2. Typhoon TV:
Another popular app with a huge collection of movies and shows. The app fetches superior-quality streams and offers smooth performance on FireStick and Fire TV device. If you enjoy streaming on-demand content, I recommend Typhoon TV as one of the first apps after you set up FireStick.
How to install Typhoon TV on FireStick
3. CyberFlix TV:
It is a popular app among FireStick users; finds top-notch links and offers speedy performance. It has a slick, neat interface.
How to install CyberFlix TV on FireStick
Apps for Live TV & Sports
1. Mobdro:
It is a very popular live TV app. Mobdro offers a decent collection of satellite channels from around the world.
How to install Mobdro on FireStick
2. Ola TV:
One of the newer live TV apps but very promising. Ola TV has a big collection of cable TV channels from the USA. You will also find channels from various other countries and regions.
How to install Ola TV on FireStick
3. TV Tap:
This app lets you explore almost any cable TV channel you like. The app has been around for a while and offers smooth performance on your FireStick.
How to install TV Tap on FireStick
Install official FireStick apps after the setup
While the third-party apps need to be sideloaded on your FireStick, these official apps can be directly installed from Amazon Store.
Here are some of these apps you might be interested in:
- Netflix
- Hulu
- Disney+
- Apple TV
- Sling
- HBO
- YouTube
- YouTube TV
- Xumo
- Popcorn Flix
- BBC America
- Crackle
If you are looking for something specific, select Search on the FireStick home screen and find the app you want to download
To browse the apps by categories, select Apps on the home screen
Select Categories and click the desired category
Any more important apps I can install after I set up FireStick?
Yes! In fact, there are a few of them I recommend.
1. Downloader: You can download this app officially from the Amazon Store. It is one of the must-have apps. Downloader lets you sideload all your favorite third-party apps.
How to sideload apps on FireStick
2. Mouse Toggle: This app displays a mouse pointer on your FireStick screen. It is for those apps that are not compatible with your FireStick remote.
How to install Mouse Toggle on FireStick
3. FireStick Remote App: If you want to use your mobile phone as the FireStick remote, you can download the FireStick Remote app on your Android or iOS.
Important FireStick Settings to change after the FireStick setup
Here are some of the important FireStick settings you would want to change immediately after the setup.
Enable Unknown Sources and ADB Debugging
Enabling Unknown Sources will allow you to install third-party apps we talked about earlier. Enable ADB Debugging will let you download and use apps like Mouse Toggle.
1. Go to FireStick Settings
2. Choose My Fire TV
3. Access Developer Options
4. Enable Apps from Unknown Sources and ADB Debugging
Privacy Settings & Data Monitoring
By default, Amazon allows itself to monitor your activities and collect your data. However, you can turn that off in the Settings.
1. Choose Settings
2. Open Preferences
3. Click Privacy Settings
4. Turn off both Device Usage Data and Collect App Usage Data
5. Press the back button and click Data Monitoring
6. Disable or turn off Data Monitoring as well
FAQs – Amazon FireStick Setup
Follow the easy instructions in this post to set up your FireStick, Fire TV Cube, or FireStick 4K
You will need an Amazon account to set up your FireStick
To set up FireStick without debit card, create the Amazon account in a web browser and NOT during the setup process
Unfortunately, you cannot set up your FireStick without the physical remote
Wrapping Up
So, this is how you set up your FireStick or Fire TV Cube. There are some screens where you may choose differently from what I did. In that case, the steps may vary a bit (though not much). For instance, you may want to set up Parental Controls during the FireStick setup process. If you do that, there will be a series of additional steps. However, overall the process remains pretty much the same.