Dealing with a slow Firestick can be a bummer, as it prevents you from using your favorite streaming service without any performance issues.
In addition to experiencing lags, crashes, reduced video quality, out-of-sync sound, and long buffering times, the list of performance issues a slow Firestick can face is endless.
Depending on the reason and cause for your Firestick’s slowness, there are a variety of methods you can use to speed it up.
In this article, we’ll show you how you can improve the performance of your Firestick that’s running slowly so it runs like new once again.
1. Check Your Internet Speed
One of the main reasons for a Firestick’s slowness is a weak internet connection. Streaming requires a stable and fast internet connection for optimal content delivery.
In terms of bandwidth, streaming is quite taxing, and a particularly slow internet connection could even affect menu navigation.
If your internet speed is slow or your Wi-Fi signal is weak, it can result in buffering, lags, and audio delays, along with navigational sluggishness.
You can measure your internet speed with a lot of different speed-measuring tools, most of which are free and accurate.
If you find that your internet speed is low, you should consider contacting your ISP to get a plan with faster speeds.
2. Inadequate Wi-Fi Signal
A weak Wi-Fi signal can hinder your Firestick’s performance even with a fast internet connection.
Walls, furniture obstructions, a significant distance from the router, and interference from other electronic devices all weaken the Wi-Fi signal.
Try moving your router closer to the Firestick or use Wi-Fi range extenders to boost the signal to improve signal strength.
Additionally, if there are any obstacles between the Firestick and the router, try to remove them in order to maximize the Wi-Fi signal.
3. Restart Your Firestick
Most users usually leave their Fire TV Sticks connected and operational continuously, even during periods of inactivity.
Similar to the way a computer or smartphone benefits from a periodic reboot, performing a restart on your Fire TV Stick can alleviate performance issues and revitalize its functionality.
To execute a restart, you have two options: physically unplug the device and plug it back in or initiate a restart directly from the Fire OS interface.
If you choose the latter, follow these steps:
- Press and hold the Home (house) button.
- Navigate to Settings > Device.
- Then select Restart
If a fresh restart didn’t improve your Firestick performance, move on to the next step.
4. Clear Cache
Cached data serves an important purpose for all web-facing devices as it retains stagnant data and files so that they don’t need to be loaded every time an app is run.
This theoretically helps the app launch faster, but the flip side of this function is that the more apps that store cache, the more the memory of the Firestick fills up.
Since it needs some operational overhead to run smoothly, too much cache data actually leaves little in terms of resources for the Firestick to operate with.
Luckily, you can clear the cache of your Firestick by following these steps:
- Go to the Settings menu
- Goi to the Applications tab
- Choose Manage Installed Applications
- Go through the app list and select the 10 to 20 apps you used most often
- Within each app, select the Clear Cache option
You can also streamline this process by installing tools such as CCleaner or Clean Master that will automatically clear the cache for your apps on the Firestick.
5. Update Your Firestick Firmware
Like any software, the Firestick’s firmware and installed apps need to be updated periodically in order to receive the latest enhancements and bug fixes.
Outdated firmware can lead to compatibility and performance issues. To ensure optimal performance, check for firmware updates for your Firestick regularly.
To check for updates, do the following:
- Go to the Settings menu.
- Select My Fire TV.
- Navigate to the About tab and select Check for Updates.
- You should also update your apps by visiting the Amazon App Store and navigating to the Updates section.
6. Stop Background Processes
Many apps on the Firestick will run in the background even though the user is not actively utilizing them.
One or two aren’t a big deal, but the more they are, the more they drain the resources that the Firestick would otherwise have available for running everything else.
While it is a bit of a trickle effect, it does add up, so it is a good idea to free up system resources by shutting down unnecessary background activity.
Here’s how to do it:
- Go to Settings
- Select Applications.
- Choose Manage Installed Applications.
- From here, go into any application you use frequently but are not currently using and choose Force Stop.
Doing this for a number of apps will allocate more resources to run Firestick apps actively.
7. Turn Off Data Monitoring
Efficiently managing your internet data usage is crucial, and while data monitoring serves this purpose, it can consume valuable system resources.
To turn off data monitoring on your Firestick, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select Preferences.
- Choose Data Monitoring.
- Toggle off Data monitoring by clicking on it.
Streaming your favorite shows should be a little more seamless because your Firestick will use less processing power and bandwidth.
8. Delete Unused Apps
The Firestick is a powerful tool, but its internal storage capacity is limited. As you install more apps and accumulate data, the available space quickly fills up.
When the storage space is nearly full, it can slow down the Firestick’s performance as there is not enough room to perform operational overhead.
To free up space, uninstall unnecessary apps and delete any unused files and media on the device.
9. Perform a Factory Reset
If none of the solutions discussed above worked, you might need to perform a factory reset. This means restoring your device to its original factory settings.
For step-by-step instructions, see our guide on how to reset a Firestick.
10. Purchase a Newer Firestick
Older Firestick models may also have hardware limitations that contribute to slower performance, a fact that cannot be discounted.
If you have tried all of the above but have had your Firestick for a while, you may experience more noticeable lags and delays than newer models.
Consider upgrading to a newer Firestick model, such as the Amazon Firestick 4K, which offers improved hardware specs and more optimal performance.
Wrap-Up: Speed Up Slow Firestick
While the Firestick is very popular, it has its flaws and can slow down over time. Fortunately, you can increase your device’s performance in many ways, most of which require little time and don’t require much technical knowledge.
Use the comment section below to let us know if you still have performance issues with your Firestick.
