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12 Essential Apps to Install on a New Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick

Just got your hands on one of Amazon's great streaming devices? Fire TV and Fire TV Stick are battling Roku devices and Google Chromecasts to control your living room.

Adding a few apps is a great idea. But with so many to choose from, where do you start?

Don't worry, we are here to help you. In this article, we will introduce you to some essential apps that you need to install on your Fire TV or Fire Stick right now. See our Fire Stick overview. What is the Amazon Fire TV Stick and how does it work? What is the Amazon Fire TV Stick and how does it work? In this article, we take a closer look at the Amazon Fire TV Stick to explain what it is and how it works. Read More

Preparing your Fire TV for apps

Once you've spent the time it takes to set up your device properly, it's time to install some Fire TV apps. But before we talk about apps, you need to get your Fire TV device ready.

Why? Because you will need to download some of the apps we discussed; They are not available on the Amazon Appstore.

To make sure you can install apps loaded on your device, you need to change two settings.

  1. ADB debugging: To enable ADB debugging, go to Settings> Device> Developer options> ADB debugging and select On .
  2. Unknown sources: To allow apps from unknown sources to be installed on your Fire Stick, go to Settings>Device>Developer options>Apps from unknown sources and select On .

Done? Great, let's look at the applications in more detail.

1. Downloader

12 Essential Apps to Install on a New Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick

Downloader is an essential tool if you plan to download Fire TV apps on your device.

The app allows you to download APK files directly from the internet and then install them on your Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. This means you won't need to use a computer or network connection to transfer the file.

In theory, Downloader does not require any configuration. However, it is worth making sure that JavaScript is enabled. Open the app, select Settings in the left panel, and check the box next to Enable JavaScript.

2. ES File Explorer

ES File Explorer is the other common method to get APK files on your device so you can download them.

Although the app (deservedly) has a reputation for being a big deal on Android, on Amazon Fire devices it works well and is easy to use (at least for the purpose of downloading APKs). Just enter a URL and the app will take care of the rest.

Naturally, since the app is a file explorer, you can also use it to explore your storage.

3. Toggle mouse

Although you can download almost any app on your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, many of them have not been adapted for the TV screen. They still require fingers and other gestures to navigate.

The solution is to install a mouse pointer. The best is Mouse Toggle. Just by double-tapping the play button on the remote, you can launch the on-screen mouse icon. You can control it using the D-pad on your remote.

To install the app, enter http://tinyurl.com/firetvmouse in the aforementioned Downloader or use the Google Play app linked above. And don't forget to check out other Amazon Fire remote apps. The best Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV apps and remotes. The best Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV apps and remotes. In this article, we introduce you to the best Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV Apps and Remotes. Read more.

4. plex

Plex surely needs no introduction. Along with Kodi, it's one of the best ways to stream your locally saved media to other screens and devices in your home. If you pay for a Plex Pass Plex Pass:What do you get for your money? Plex Pass:What do you get for your money? To find out whether or not you need a Plex Pass, you first need to know exactly what you're getting for your money. Read More

Unlike Kodi, which we'll discuss below, Plex is one of the Fire TV apps available through the Amazon Appstore, making it easy to install.

5. Kodi

Kodi is Plex's biggest competitor. Both applications have advantages and disadvantages, but generally speaking, Kodi is more customizable but requires more maintenance.

As we just mentioned, Kodi is not available on the Amazon Appstore. You will need to download it to your device.

Fortunately, we have explained how to download Kodi on your Fire TV Stick How to Install Kodi Media Center on an Amazon Fire Stick How to Install Kodi Media Center on an Amazon Fire Stick In this article we explain how to install Kodi on an Amazon Fire TV Stick. Which, when you're done, will leave you with the best media center for anyone on a budget. Read more in an article elsewhere on the site.

6. Firefox

If you want to watch YouTube on your Fire device, you need to install a browser app.

The issue dates back to a 2017 argument between Amazon and Google. The same argument is responsible for the lack of Google products (such as Chromecast) in the Amazon store.

Most long-term Fire users agree that there are only two browsers worth considering:Firefox and Silk.

If you already use Firefox on your other machines, or if you value open source software, this is the browser to install.

7. silk browser

12 Essential Apps to Install on a New Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick

Because you can download apps, you can install any browser you want, including Chrome. But silk is more popular..

In case you didn't know, Silk is Amazon's internal browser and has been specially designed to work on Amazon Fire devices.

It lets you control video and music on the web using the Play, Pause, and Skip buttons on your remote, and offers many standard browser features, such as a password manager and browsing history.

8. Netflix

We can't write a list of the best Fire TV apps without mentioning Netflix.

With over 100,000 hours of content and 50,000 TV shows and movies (at the time of writing), you really don't need to pay for anything else, especially once you realize that sports fans and game nerds news can still get its fix for free Free Streaming News Channels For Cord Cutters 5 Free Streaming News Channels For Cord Cutters One of the biggest drawbacks to cable television cancellation is the availability of news. Or the lack of it. Fortunately, things are changing, and there are plenty of free cord-cutter news channels here. Read More The services of the company are not free. But having looked at Netflix's price, we think it represents good value for money.

9. euronews

Remember how we just said that news nerds could get their fix for free? Euronews makes it possible.

Euronews is a collaboration between a group of 23 European and North African national broadcasters, including ITN, RAI, RTE and VGTRK.

It was founded in 1993 and has since grown to offer free news in 156 countries and in 12 European and Middle Eastern languages.

Channels for four languages ​​(English, Dutch, Hungarian, and Turkish) are available for Amazon Fire devices. Non-English channels are a fantastic resource if you're trying to learn another language.

10. HaystackTV

Let's continue with the topic of news. Haystack TV is another option for you to consider.

Unlike Euronews, it does not offer live television. Instead, it aggregates clips from hundreds of reputable online sources to bring you videos on the topics you care about.

The more you watch the app and rate the videos and topics it shows you, the more you'll learn about what sources you enjoy and what topics interest you.

11. TuneInRadio

12 Essential Apps to Install on a New Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick

Televisions are not just for watching things. They are also for listening to things..

One of the best ways to fill your ears with music is to install TuneIn Radio. Although Spotify also offers an Amazon Fire app, a premium membership is required. TuneIn Radio is completely free for all users..

As you probably already know, TuneIn provides access to 100,000 radio stations from around the world, along with four million on-demand shows.

12. VLC

We end the list of the best Fire TV apps with VLC Player. But why would you need VLC on a Fire TV or Fire TV Stick?

There are two main reasons:

  1. Applications that give access to illegal content often need a third-party video player to display their content.
  2. You can use VLC to view content saved on another local device using your home network.

Explaining the process for using VLC to stream locally saved media is beyond the scope of this article. You will have to trust that it is an essential application.!

Cut the cord with Fire TV Apps

Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick have helped turn cord cutting from a trend to a phenomenon.

As we hope this article will illustrate, Fire devices offer so many apps in such a wide range of categories that you'll never be stuck for something to watch or listen to, even after you cancel your cable TV plan.

Check out our Essential Amazon Fire Stick Channel List The Essential Amazon Fire Stick Channel List The Essential Amazon Fire Stick Channel List What are the best apps for watching videos and listening to music? Here's our full list of Amazon Fire Stick channels. Read more for more content.