Amazon Fire TV Sticks, Fire tablets, and Fire TV Edition smart TVs run ScreenCloud's Fire OS player. Fire OS is based on Android, so the player behaves similarly, but hardware and setup differ enough to warrant their own article. You do not need Amazon Prime to use ScreenCloud on these devices, just a free Amazon account.

Nothing in the current Fire TV Stick lineup is straightforwardly recommended, for the Fire OS 8 reason above. The following are recommended where they are still the best option in their category.

These run Fire OS 7 and work without the Fire OS 8 workaround, but are discontinued, so they can only be sourced secondhand.

The player displays a pairing code once it launches. Log in to your ScreenCloud account, add a new screen, enter the code and give the screen a name. You can then assign content to it.

Open the side menu with the Amazon remote, or by swiping right if the device has a touchscreen, while the player is running. Because Fire OS is based on Android, the sidebar options match the Android player: clear cache, reload, reset pairing, daily restart, and version and device information.

Sticky Mode locks the player to the screen so it cannot be exited accidentally, similar to kiosk mode on other platforms. With Sticky Mode on, the only way out of the player is pressing the back button three times in a row on the remote.

Toggle it from the same settings sidebar. If a device gets stuck in Sticky Mode and pressing back three times does not exit it, try clearing the player's cache, reinstalling the player, or power cycling the device.

Amazon's screensaver activates independently of the player and will interrupt content if left on.

If a physical remote is lost or its battery has died, the free Amazon Fire TV app, available for Android and iOS, can control the device over the same WiFi network. It supports navigation and selection, which is enough to check player settings or find the device's Fire OS version. It cannot power the device off, which the physical remote can.

Fire OS 8 blocks the Display over other apps permission (SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW) that Start at Boot and auto-boot depend on, and gives no way to grant it from the device's own settings. The player will show a "This app requires an additional permission" message that cannot be cleared through the UI.

The only way around this is granting the permission over ADB from a computer on the same network. This is an advanced, unsupported process. If you can use the Amazon Signage Stick or PIXI instead, that is the better route.

1. Enable developer mode on the Fire TV Stick

2. Find the device's IP address

Go to My Fire TV, then Network, and note the IP address shown.

3. Install ADB on your computer

Download the platform tools for your operating system from Android's developer tools page, and unzip them somewhere easy to find.

4. Connect and grant the permission

One Amazon account can sign in on any number of Fire TV Sticks at no extra cost, and an Amazon Prime subscription is not required. This applies to installing and running the ScreenCloud Player across all of them. Charges only apply if you use other paid Amazon services, such as Prime Video or Music, on those devices.

Work through these before contacting support. For anything not covered here, check the known errors and fixes below this table.

If the problem persists after all of the above, the device may be faulty or underpowered for the content you are running.

This message comes from Amazon's own app licensing system, not from ScreenCloud, and can affect any app on the device. Work through these in order.

Press Home on the remote, then go to Settings, then Network. Select your network name and the signal strength is shown in the right-hand column.

Do I need Amazon Prime to use ScreenCloud on a Fire TV device?

No. A free Amazon account is all that's required. Prime is not necessary, and one Amazon account can sign in on any number of Fire TV Sticks at no extra cost.

Should I buy a new Fire TV Stick for ScreenCloud?

Not straightforwardly. Every current-production Fire TV Stick runs Fire OS 8, which blocks the permission Start at Boot depends on and has no in-device fix. The Amazon Signage Stick or ScreenCloud PIXI are better choices for new purchases.

Can I still use a Fire TV Stick I already own that's running Fire OS 8?

Yes, with a caveat. It will run the player, but Start at Boot needs the ADB permission fix under Fire OS Player Management, which requires a computer and some technical comfort. Without it, the player won't relaunch automatically after a power cycle.

Why does my screen show the Fire TV home screen instead of my content?

Consumer Fire TV devices are built to return to the home screen more readily than dedicated signage hardware. Sticky Mode reduces this, and enabling Start at Boot means the player relaunches automatically if it does get exited. The Amazon Signage Stick avoids this behavior by design.

What is Sticky Mode and should I turn it on?

Sticky Mode locks the player to the screen so it cannot be exited by accident. For any unattended, permanent installation, turning it on is worthwhile.