Why Is My Firestick So Slow?

Hello Everyone, I am Poppy! Are you wondering why is my FireStick so slow? If yes, in this guide, I will share with you all the tips and tricks that will help you fix problems that are making your FireStick painfully slow.

FireStick is an incredibly useful and portable device for streaming online. However, FireStick running slow is not an uncommon issue with FireStick users. And it can be frustrating. But luckily this problem is easily fixable and therefore you do not need to put up with a sluggish FireStick device.

There are quite a few tricks that will help you get the streaming device back on track. We have covered all of them in this article.

Why Is My Firestick So Slow?

Before we talk about the solutions, let’s understand why Firestick slows down all of a sudden. This will ensure that we find the right solution for the problem. Also, you will better understand how to optimize your FireStick for the best performance.

Typically, one of the three things cause a slow Fire Stick:

  • An overheated FireStick
  • Too many Apps installed on the device
  • Several Apps & processes running in Background

FireStick Running Slow? Tips and Tricks to Improve FireStick Performance

Now, let’s find out which troubleshooting techniques can help speed up your Amazon FireStick. Here are some common solutions that will ensure that your FireStick works fast and seamlessly.

1. Keep the FireStick from Being Overheated

Overheating is the most common reason why Firestick becomes insanely slow. When the device is hot, its processor becomes slow, which leads to app freezing and slow navigation. Use the HDMI extender to keep the FireStick out. It is also a good idea to give your FireStick a break by turning it off for some time until the device has cooled off.

2. Reboot FireStick

A lot of us keep our FireStick plugged in and running all the time. An occasional restart gives the FireStick a fresh start.

Read More: How to Restart or Reboot My FireStick

You can force restart by unplugging the device and plugging it back in again. Alternatively, you can restart within the Settings. Here are the steps:

1. From the top menu of the FireStick home screen, access Settings

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

2. Scroll to the right and choose My Fire TV

Firestick Slow

3. Choose Restart

Firestick running Slow

It may take a couple of seconds for your FireStick to turn off and turn back on.

3. Uninstall the Unused Apps if FireStick is slow

Too many apps installed on FireStick can weigh down the device and ultimately cause slow performance. FireStick has only 8GB of storage and a lot of the available space is taken up by the OS itself.

Furthermore, the apps installed on the device take up valuable space in the device. So, it is a good idea to uninstall any apps you do not use frequently. Here’s how you can uninstall any app on FireStick:

1. Access Settings from the top menu of the FireStick homes screen

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

2. Click Applications

Click Applications

3. Click Manage Installed Applications

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

4. Choose the app you would like to uninstall. For demonstration purposes, I am selecting BeeTV App.

Why Is My Firestick Slow

5. Click Uninstall

Click Uninstall

Repeat this process with other apps that you would like to uninstall.

4. Free Up FireStick RAM when your FireStick is slow

Most apps keep running in the background even when we are not using them and hog up resources. This is why we must regularly force stop apps and processes so they are no longer running in the background. Too many apps and processes running can overheat the FireStick too, leading to slow performance.

It can be extremely useful when it comes to the apps that are pre-installed and can’t be uninstalled.

Here’s how you free up RAM on FireStick:

1. From your FireStick home screen, go to the Search icon

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

2. Enter Background Apps and Process List and select it from the quick suggestions below

Why Is My Firestick running Slow

3. Click on the Background Apps and Process List App icon

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

4. Click Get.

fix Firestick running Slow

5. Click Open.

Click Open

6. Click Got It! You will see the list of apps that are currently running in the background.

fix slow firestick

7. Click Close All Apps

how to fix slow firestick

8. Select any app of your choice and click Force Stop.

slow firestick

Repeat this process with other apps too. Pressing the Back button on the remote will take you back to the list.

IMPORTANT: Avoid closing the VPN app on FireStick as VPN helps with the security and better streaming speed.

5. Clear App Data and Caches

Every app on FireStick accumulates cache and app data. Over time, this can take up sizeable storage space on your FireStick with limited space. Therefore, it’s important to clear cache and data to remove unnecessary files. Here’s how you clear cache and clear data:

1. From the FireStick home screen, click Settings

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

2. Click Applications

Click Applications

3. Click Manage Installed Applications

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

4. Select any app. I am taking BeeTV as an example

Why Is My Firestick Slow

5. You will see two options:

Clear Cache

Clear Data

Note:  Clearing cache will only clear the cached files, however, clearing data is a much more drastic step. It will completely reset the app to its factory settings and will also clear your login info, settings, etc.

clear cache

You may choose one of the two options or clear both one by one.

6. Modify FireStick Privacy Settings

Amazon’s data monitoring and collection policy need certain processes to constantly running in the background to monitor your data. This can slow down your FireStick speed.

Data Monitoring and Data Collection options are typically turned ON by default. This is how you disable them:

1. From the FireStick home screen, click Settings

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

2. Click Preferences

Click Preferences

3. Click Privacy Settings

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

4. Click Collect App Usage Data

Why Is My Firestick Slow

5. Click Turn Off to confirm

fix slow Firestick

6. Then, press the Back button on your remote and come back to the Preferences screen. Click Data Monitoring once to turn it off.

why is my Firestick running slow

7. Update Fire OS

Outdated FireOS can slow down your device. If you want your Amazon FireStick to function optimally, you must update it regularly.

Although Fire OS updates automatically, you may need to manually check for updates if it slows down drastically. Here are the steps:

1. From the FireStick home screen, click Settings

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

2. Click My Fire TV

click my fire TV

3. Click About

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

4. Click Check for Updates

click check for updates

5. If updates are available, click Install Update

You may need to restart your FireStick after installing updates.

8. Factory Reset

If none of the methods work for you, you can reset your FireStick to its factory defaults. This will erase all the settings, apps, and data, giving you a clean slate. Before you reset, make sure to have a backup of your FireStick if necessary.

1. From the FireStick home screen, click on Settings

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

2. Click My Fire TV

how to Fix Slow Firestick

3. Click Reset to Factory Defaults

Click Reset to Factory Defaults

4. Click Reset

Why Is My Firestick So Slow

FAQs ­– Why is My FireStick So Slow?

Why is my FireStick so slow?

An overheated device is the most common reason behind Firesticks being slow. Besides that, the overstuffed device can also cause slow navigation in FireStick.

How can I speed up my slow fire stick?

To speed up FireStick performance, make sure your device is not overheating. Also, remove unused applications, and app cache that take up unnecessary space on the device.

How do I clear the cache on my FireStick?

Clearing cache is incredibly easy. Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > Select desired App > Clear Cache. The detailed steps with screenshots are provided in this guide for your reference.

Why is my FireStick running out of storage?

Applications installed on your FireStick take up a sizeable portion of the device’s storage. As we know, FireStick is a low storage capacity device, it is fairly easy for the device to get full rather quickly. Low storage space can cause the FireStick to slow down. To fix it, you must uninstall apps that you barely use.

Conclusion

Slow FireStick issues can come up from time to time, as the device overheats, accumulate cache over time. These tips and tricks given above will help you keep your FireStick running smoothly without any hiccups.

If you have any other tips that can speed up FireStick’s performance, share them in the comments below!

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