Although Android TV has evolved a lot (and its permeability in the market has increased thanks to both the default installation on certain televisions and the latest Chromecast with Google TV), it is clear that one of the devices which continues to be very popular with turn any “dumb” TV into a Smart TV it’s Amazon’s Fire TV Stick.
The key is that there are many versions designed for different types of users, it has a very attractive price with constant offers and allows us to see almost all streaming applications (except HBO Max, although we have explained to you how to install it). In addition, it is based on Android, so it is customizable and we can download official applications and APKs… until now, because Amazon would be fed up.
What’s going on with Fire TV launchers?
We go there in parts because there are two sides of the coin. We’re going to talk about launchers first because that seems to be what bothers Amazon the most.
As we can see on AFTVNews, with the updates of Fire OS 7 (ver. 7.2.7.3) with version PS7273/2622 and Fire OS 6 (ver. 6.2.8.7) with version PS6287/3768, users cannot install a custom launcher.
This is quite a practical solution because Fire OS is not that it is the champion of fluidity and, in addition, it is full of ads, which is why some users have chosen to change the launcher (there are many options, some even simulating Android TV, and even going further by installing full Android 11).
This is precisely what can disturb Amazon because the Fire TV they are so cheap due to the fact that a lot of interfaces can be placed in the dashboard and, if we change the launcher, this advertisement completely loses its effect.
That’s not the only change with the latest update, because it seems that the buttons of the Alexa Voice Remote Pro are also prevented from being personalized, which, precisely, has two customizable buttons. It’s a bit of a str ange situation, really.
APK on Amazon Fire TV is something different
The dynamics are different depending on the applications. And it is that, in this case, apps can still be installed from unknown sourcesbut with a somewhat alarming warning.
These are the famous APKs that compensate for the absence of applications in the official stores for whatever reason (licenses, official compatibility with the device in question or because they are ‘ports’).
According to the new information, it will be possible to continue installing an application by APK on Fire TV, but now a message appears that says the following:
“Warning! When using apps from unknown sources, your TV and personal data are less secure and may experience unexpected behavior. You agree to be solely responsible for any damage to your device or loss of data resulting from the use of these applications. “.
As my colleague Jose Antonio Carmona explains, at the moment only the Fire TV Stick 4K Max have been affected and this can only happen in certain countries, at least at the time of writing this article.
He was able to install an alternative launcher on his Fire TV 4K Max. For my part, I took my “normal” Fire TV Stick and I’m still able to install APK without any warning.
We will see what happens in the future, because we know that when companies do this type of testing or set limits in other countries, it ends up reaching the rest. Tell Netflix with the end of shared accounts that were only in some Latin American countries and have now arrived in Europe…
