You’ll find multiple solutions to keep your FireStick from overheating in this guide. These troubleshooting methods are simple enough for a layperson like me to understand. The solutions are compatible with the Amazon Fire TV line of devices, including the FireStick, FireStick 4K, Fire TV Cube, and any other Amazon Fire TV device.
Not every FireStick would overheat. However, if you’re here, it’s likely that yours did. You’re not on your own. On the internet, I’ve seen a lot of complaints. As a result, I decided that writing a guide would be a good idea.
If not addressed, overheating puts the FireStick at risk of permanent damage. It also has an effect on the device’s performance. It not only makes navigation slower, but it also causes more buffering, lags, and even connectivity problems.
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FireStick Overheating Solutions
I’ve compiled a list of best practices that are likely to resolve the FireStick overheating problem. Continue reading!
Use the HDMI Extender
.An HDMI extender is included in the box with your FireStick. It’s there for a reason. Using the HDMI extender to connect your firestick to your TV is a great idea.
Your Firestick sticks is too close to the TV without the extender, obstructing airflow. Your television generates heat as well. This prevents the FireStick from cooling down any further. In fact, it contributes to the overheating of the FireStick.
The HDMI extender will help to create some distance between the two, exposing the FireStick to the airflow. This, in turn, will greatly assist in preventing the FireStick from overheating.
Place FireStick in the side panel of the TV
Another important point to remember is this. The majority of televisions have multiple HDMI inputs (at least two). Inputs are located on the back and side of the television.
Your FireStick can be plugged into the back panel. It will, however, be overcrowded and less exposed to airflow. Side panels, on the other hand, are more exposed, allowing for more airflow.
Even if you use an HDMI extender, the cable is short enough to hide your FireStick behind the TV. The clean, uncluttered appearance will not be compromised.
Clear the cache for any apps that use a lot of data.
When you use a FireStick app, it creates a cache in the device’s storage. The cache size grows in proportion to the size of the app. Despite the fact that this cache is only stored temporarily, it takes up valuable storage space.
Streaming apps, such as Kodi, produce larger caches than other apps. It’s a good idea to keep clearing the cache on a regular basis.
Follow the steps below to clear your cache:
– From the FireStick home window, go to Settings.
– Go to the Applications tab.
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– Select Manage Installed Applications from the drop-down menu.
– Select the app you want to use (say Kodi)
– Select Clear Cache from the drop-down menu.
Note: If you don’t want to reset the app to its default settings, don’t click Clear Data.
4. To prevent apps from running in the background, force them to close.
Even after you’ve closed the app, it may continue to run in the background. When an app freezes or becomes stuck, for example, we usually use the Home key on the remote to return to the FireStick interface because the app does not respond to the back button. It’s very likely that the app is still running in the background in this case.
Apps that run in the background consume device resources, causing the device to overheat. Thankfully, you can force them shut. The steps are as follows:
– From the FireStick home screen, go to Settings.
– Go to the Applications tab.
– Select Manage installed applications from the drop-down menu.
– Select the app you want to uninstall.
– Next, select Force Stop.
5. To refresh everything, unplug your FireStick.
Clearing the cache and force-closing the app can help prevent overheating on the FireStick. However, you must do this for each app separately. There’s a chance you’re running multiple apps in the background, each with a large number of cache files.
One option is to clear each app’s cache and force stop it one at a time. However, it will take a long time. The other option is to turn off your FireStick entirely.
You must manually shut down your FireStick because there is no built-in option.
Disconnect the device from the power supply. Wait a few minutes until your FireStick cools down before plugging it in. Reconnect the device now.
All background apps will be terminated, and any cache will be cleared.
6. Remove any apps you don’t use or need.
One of the most significant shortcomings of FireStick devices is their extremely limited storage capacity. Both the FireStick and the FireStick 4K have 8GB of storage. Given the size of today’s apps and files, this kind of storage is likely to fill up quickly.
When a device runs out of space, it has to work harder, which causes it to overheat. As a result, it’s a good idea to delete any apps you don’t use or need.
Method 1: Uninstall FireStick apps
– On the FireStick home screen, go to Settings.
Open Applications
– Select Manage installed applications from the drop-down menu.
– Select the app you want to uninstall from the list.
– Select Uninstall from the menu.
– When prompted, click Uninstall once more.
Method 2: Uninstall FireStick apps
– Select the second row labeled Your Apps & Channels on the FireStick home window.
– Click on the far left side of the screen. View All
– Select the app you want to uninstall using the navigation buttons on your remote.
– To access the popup menu in the bottom right corner, press the menu key on the remote (3 lines).
– Select Uninstall from the menu.
– When prompted, select OK.
7. After installing third-party apps, delete the APK files
You must download the APK files for third-party apps (such as Cinema HD, Tea TV, Mobdro, and others) to your FireStick device storage in order to sideload them. The APK files are no longer required once the app has been installed. They are not, however, automatically deleted. To free up space and keep your FireStick from overheating, you must manually delete them.
When you use Downloader to sideload apps, you can choose to delete the APK file. Here’s what you can do to help:
– When the app is finished installing, click Done (DO NOT click Open)
– Select Delete.
– Select Delete once more to remove the APK file for the app you just installed.
If you use ES File Explorer or FileLinked to sideload apps onto your FireStick, you can also use ES File Explorer to delete the APK files. Here’s how to do it:
– Go to the Amazon Store and download ES File Explorer (select lens icon in the top-left corner to look up for the app)
– Launch the ES File Explorer application. In the left menu, select Local > Home (the second one without the home icon) or Internal Storage near the top.
– On the right, go to the folder where the APK files are saved and click it. The APK files are usually found in the Download folder.
– Select the APK you want to remove.
– Hold down the Select button on your FireStick remote for several seconds until the desired APK file appears.
When the file is selected, it will have a small circular checkmark on it.
– On the bottom menu bar, select Delete.
– Untick Click OK after moving to the recycle bin.
If nothing else works, reset the FireStick.
The only DIY troubleshooting option left is to reset your FireStick if nothing else seems to work. Your device will be reset to factory defaults after you reset it. It will uninstall all of your apps and erase all of your custom settings. To put it another way, you’ll have to configure your FireStick from scratch, as if it came out of the box.
Here’s how to reset your FireStick:
– From the home window, go to Settings.
– Navigate to My Fire TV.
– Go to the bottom of the page and click Reset to Factory Defaults.
– When prompted, click Reset once more.
Final Thoughts On How to Fix FireStick / Fire TV Overheating Problem
Heat tolerance is a feature of FireStick. Overheating has been rare in my experience with various versions of this device over the years. We cannot, however, deny that it occurs. When your FireStick gets too hot, its performance suffers. To keep my FireStick from overheating, I followed some best practices. I am confident that the FireStick overheating solutions listed above will also work for you. Please feel free to comment on your experience in the section below.
