Are you fed up with constant ad interruptions on your Amazon Firestick or Fire TV device? If so, you‘re definitely not alone.
In fact, a 2021 study found 71% of Fire TV users want fewer ads while streaming. And another survey revealed 49% would switch to a different device if it meant avoiding ads.
Luckily, there are several effective methods for blocking video ads on Firestick and Fire TV models. In this comprehensive tutorial, you‘ll learn 3 proven solutions:
- Adjusting Firestick settings
- Using Fire TV alternatives
- Installing ad-free streaming apps
By the end, you‘ll know exactly how to stop annoying ads and enjoy interruption-free streaming on your Fire TV. Let‘s dive in!
Why You Should Block Ads on Firestick & Fire TV
Before we get into the how-to, let‘s go over a few key reasons for removing ads from Amazon‘s streaming devices:
Fewer Interruptions
Ad breaks disrupt the viewing experience and ruin immersion in movies or shows. Blocking ads enables uninterrupted streaming.
Increased Privacy
Seeing the same products follow you across sites is creepy. Ad tracking collects data on your habits. Stopping it increases privacy.
Lower Mobile Data Usage
Ads consume data whether on WiFi or mobile networks. Cutting them helps limit data usage while streaming.
Declutter the Interface
The Fire TV interface pushes a lot of Amazon content. Removing ads lets you streamline it.
More Control
Default settings give Amazon control. Blocking ads lets you take back control over your Firestick/Fire TV.
Improve Performance
Resources used for ads can slow things down. Blocking them may improve streaming performance.
So in summary, if you want less disruptions, more privacy, lower data usage, a decluttered interface and more control over your Fire TV, blocking ads is definitely the way to go.
Option 1: Adjust Firestick & Fire TV Settings
The first method for blocking ads on your Firestick or Fire TV box is directly through the device‘s settings menu.
Below we‘ll walk through step-by-step how to adjust key preferences in Fire OS to disable ad tracking and autoplay:
Step 1
From the Home screen, hover over the Settings icon. Then click to enter Settings.
Step 2
Select Preferences from the Settings list.
Step 3
Next choose Privacy Settings.
Step 4
Turn OFF the following 3 options:
- Device Usage Data
- Collect App Usage Data
- Interest-based ads
Disabling these prevents Amazon from tracking data on your viewing habits and interests to serve targeted ads.
Step 5
Press the back button and open Data Monitoring.
Step 6
Switch the Data Monitoring setting to OFF.
This stops additional tracking of your usage behavior and viewing history.
Step 7
Go back again and this time select Featured Content.
Step 8
Turn OFF both:
- Allow Video Autoplay
- Allow Audio Autoplay
This prevents ads from automatically playing video or audio content.
And that‘s it! With those settings disabled, you‘ve limited ad tracking and autoplay on your Firestick or Fire TV.
While not 100% foolproof, adjusting these Fire OS privacy and autoplay preferences can significantly reduce ads and clutter.
Option 2: Use a Firestick & Fire TV Alternative
Another simple approach to avoid ads on Firestick and Fire TV is to ditch Amazon‘s ecosystem entirely!
Here are some of the most popular alternatives for ad-free streaming:
Nvidia Shield TV
The Nvidia Shield TV is widely considered one of the most powerful streaming boxes available.
It runs the Android TV platform, which features a streamlined ad-free interface. You also get full customization over the home screen.
Nvidia Shield TV Pros:
- Ad-free Android TV interface
- Excellent performance for 4K streaming
- Fully customizable home screen
- Integrated Google Assistant
- Wide app support including Kodi & Plex
Nvidia Shield TV Cons:
- Higher price point around $150+
In terms of hardware, the Nvidia Shield TV packs 3 GB RAM and a potent Tegra X1+ processor. This gives it more than enough muscle for smooth, high-quality streaming.
If you want the best overall ad-free streaming experience money can buy, the Shield TV is a top choice.
Click here to view the Nvidia Shield TV on Amazon.
Mecool KM2
If spending $150+ isn‘t in your budget, the Mecool KM2 is a more affordable Android TV option.
It runs the same ad-free Android TV interface as the Shield TV. You‘ll also find good performance thanks to 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage.
Mecool KM2 Pros:
- Android TV platform provides ad-free experience
- Good performance for the price
- Voice remote control included
Mecool KM2 Cons:
- Not as powerful as Nvidia Shield TV
- More plastic feel in build quality
Considering its price under $100, the Mecool KM2 delivers excellent value. It makes a great Firestick alternative if you want to ditch ads without spending too much.
Click here to view the Mecool KM2 on Amazon.
Chromecast with Google TV
As the name suggests, this streaming stick runs Google‘s smart TV platform called Google TV.
Like Android TV, Google TV provides an ad-free interface. You also get features like profiles, watchlists and integration with Google Assistant.
Chromecast with Google TV Pros:
- Intuitive Google TV interface
- Easy ad-blocking via DNS settings
- 4K HDR streaming capabilities
- Budget-friendly price around $50
Chromecast with Google TV Cons:
- Doesn‘t include a remote – must control with phone app
- Lower powered than Shield TV or Fire TV 4K
Overall, the Chromecast with Google TV brings ad-free HD & 4K streaming in an inexpensive package. If you want to avoid ads on a tight budget, it‘s a great option.
Click here to view the Chromecast with Google TV on Amazon.
Fire TV Alternatives Comparison
Here‘s a quick look at how the specs of these Firestick and Fire TV alternatives stack up:
| Device | Price | RAM | Storage | Processor | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nvidia Shield TV | $149.99 | 3 GB | 16 GB | Tegra X1+ | 4K HDR |
| Mecool KM2 | $89.99 | 4 GB | 64 GB | ARM Cortex-A53 Quad-core | 4K |
| Chromecast Google TV | $49.99 | 2 GB | 8 GB | Quad-core ARM | 4K HDR |
Option 3: Install Ad-Free Streaming Apps
In addition to using a different device, you can also install specialized ad-free streaming apps on your existing Firestick or Fire TV.
Here are some top recommendations:
Kodi
Kodi is one of the most popular free and open source media centers. It provides a completely customizable ad-free streaming environment.
With Kodi, the interface itself is 100% free of ads. You also have full control to add the streaming sources you want through Kodi addons. Many excellent addons like The Crew deliver ad-free streaming.
Kodi Pros:
- Completely ad-free interface
- Support for a huge library of addons
- Active community constantly developing new addons and features
- Customizable with different skins and layouts
- Available for nearly any device – Windows, Mac, Android, Firestick and more
Kodi Cons:
- Can involve a learning curve, especially for adding new addons
- Addons often come and go, requiring some maintenance
Kodi brings an open ad-free streaming ecosystem to your Firestick through its flexible addon support. With some guidance, you can mold it into the perfect streaming hub on Fire TV.
To get started with Kodi on Firestick or Fire TV, just follow our step-by-step setup guide here.
Syncler
Syncler provides on-demand streaming from cloud indexers you connect via Real-Debrid or Premiumize. The setup is similar to Kodi, but the interface is more refined.
Once configured, Syncler gives you an ad-free streaming experience much like Netflix or Hulu. You also get helpful features like Trakt integration.
Syncler Pros:
- Premium version has completely ad-free playback
- Intuitive interface divided into Movies, TV Shows, My Content sections
- Link filtering with Real-Debrid improves quality
- Active development – regularly updated
Syncler Cons:
- Requires a subscription after 1 week free trial
- Setup process involves several steps
For many, Syncler delivers the best of Kodi wrapped up in a smoother package. Check out our Syncler setup guide to try it on your Firestick or Fire TV.
Stremio
Stremio provides ad-free video streaming through addons and torrents. It gathers sources and content from the addons you connect.
The Stremio interface is simple, dividing your media into Movies, Shows, Live TV and more categories. Navigation is smooth like Netflix or Prime Video.
Stremio Pros:
- Ad-free environment
- IntuitiveCATEGORIES design similar to Netflix
- Huge library of Stremio addons
- Active development and updates
Stremio Cons:
- Missing advanced features of Kodi and Syncler
- Limited catalog compared to some competitors
Overall, Stremio delivers ad-free streaming in a nice package. It‘s beginner-friendly and gives you many possibilities through addons.
Follow our Stremio installation guide to set it up on Firestick.
SmartTubeNext
If ads on YouTube drive you crazy, SmartTubeNext is the perfect solution. It‘s a modded ad-free YouTube APK ideal for Firestick and Fire TV.
With SmartTubeNext, you get all of YouTube‘s content completely ad-free:
SmartTubeNext Pros:
- Removes all ads from YouTube videos
- Enables background play and picture-in-picture
- Streams in 4K and HDR quality
- Casting support to send video to TVs
SmartTubeNext Cons:
- Only useful if you regularly watch YouTube
It essentially delivers the lean, mean YouTube experience everyone wants. Learn how to install it by following our SmartTubeNext setup guide.
Recommended Ad Blockers for Fire TV & Firestick
If you want to add another layer of protection beyond these methods, you could also install an ad blocking app on your Firestick or Fire TV.
Here are a couple top options:
- Blokada – Open source ad blocker and firewall. Can block ads system-wide.
- AdGuard – Powerful ad blocker for Android.
With Blokada or AdGuard running in the background of your Fire TV, they can filter out many additional ads and trackers.
Get Back to Ad-Free Streaming on Firestick & Fire TV
So there you have it – 3 proven methods to stop annoying ads on your Firestick or Fire TV Cube:
-
Adjust settings like usage tracking and autoplay in the Fire OS Preferences menu.
-
Use an alternative streaming device like the Nvidia Shield TV or Chromecast with Google TV.
-
Install ad-free streaming apps such as Kodi, Syncler and SmartTubeNext.
Trying out a combination of these solutions will help restore an interruption-free viewing experience on your Fire TV.
Cutting back on pesky ads provides huge benefits – less clutter, more privacy, lower mobile data usage and ultimately, better streaming immersion.
We hope this guide gives you exactly what you need to kick ads to the curb and enjoy Firestick or Fire TV streaming the way it was meant to be.
Let us know if you have any other questions!
