Amazon FireStick is one robust streaming device, but sometimes it can run into power issues that could put you at your wit’s end. One of the most common is FireStick not turning on, and if this is happening to you, keep your cool and read on.
Quickly fix a FireStick that’s not turning on through a hard reboot, which you can do by unplugging it for three minutes and then replugging it. You can also check if its batteries need replacing and if there are loose connections on the TV or a power failure.
To help you deal with the various reasons that cause this issue, we’ve detailed eight proven fixes that will get your Fire TV Stick working like new! Read on!
How to Fix a FireStick That Won’t Turn On
We recommend you apply the solutions below in the order they are presented for the best results. Please note that some steps may vary depending on the brand or model of TV your FireStick device connects to.
FIX 1. Power-cycle your TV
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 1 minute and 20 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any TV compatible with FireStick A working power cable A working wall outlet |
Most commonly, your FireStick not turning on will be caused by a minor software issue on the TV it connects to. In such cases, the optimal solution is to power cycle the TV to remove the residual electrical charges its capacitors store when in use.
These electrical charges often cause TV issues, such as slow startup, poor performance, lag, display issues, etc. It’s advisable to perform a power cycle on your TV whenever there’s an issue likely caused by these electrical charges.
Step 1: Shut down your TV and unplug its power cable from your wall outlet. Note: Alternatively, unplugging the power cable while your TV is active forces it to shut down from sudden power loss. |
Step 2: Hold your TV’s built-in power button for one minute to drain its residual electrical charges. Note: You can find a TV’s power button in various locations. Depending on its brand and model, it might be underneath its front bezel, on its side, or at the back panel. |
Step 3: Plug the TV’s power cable into your wall outlet. Note: Some TVs will automatically boot up when you plug them in. Press its built-in power button if your TV doesn’t do this. |
| Step 4: Wait for the TV to complete its reboot. |
FIX 2. Restart the Fire TV Stick
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 5 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 60 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any TV compatible with FireStick A Fire TV Stick remote A working power cable A working wall outlet |
Aside from your TV, we recommend restarting the FireStick device itself because it could be the culprit. If your FireStick won’t turn on, it’s reasonable to think that something in the streaming device has failed and caused it not to boot up like usual.
Therefore, you must troubleshoot your Fire TV Stick via a restart for possible device errors and malfunctions. Usually, you would do this by accessing the Fire TV settings menu and selecting the restart option under the device’s system menu.
Unfortunately, this method is impossible since you can’t turn on your Fire TV Stick in the first place. An alternative approach is to hold the Fire TV Stick remote’s select and play/pause buttons simultaneously to initiate an emergency restart sequence.
While this can work on an unresponsive or frozen Fire TV Stick, it must also be running for this method to work. Thus, your last resort is to unplug the USB cable that powers your Fire TV Stick to force the device to shut down.
Step 1: Unplug your Fire TV Stick’s USB cable from the back of your TV. Note: You can also unplug the other end of the USB cable that connects to the Fire TV Stick device. |
| Step 2: Wait 10 seconds to refresh the Fire TV Stick’s system memory. |
Step 3: Go to the My Fire TV tile. |
Step 4: Wait while your Fire TV Stick reboots on your TV screen. Note: If the Fire TV Stick doesn’t reboot automatically, check if you’re using the correct input source. We have instructions for this, so continue reading below to learn how. |
FIX 3. Ensure you’re using the correct input source
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 2 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 5 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any TV compatible with Firestick A TV remote control A working power cable A working wall outlet |
As promised, this section will discuss changing the selected input source on your TV if your FireStick streaming device isn’t booting up on the screen. An incorrect input source is problematic because it might make you think your FireStick isn’t turning on.
Your TV screen will appear black or display a “no signal” message if another unused input source is selected instead. While this is an elementary problem, anyone who isn’t very familiar with TV menus and features may get confused with these issues.
Thus, below are the quick and easy instructions for changing the selected input source on your TV. This process will only take a few ticks and clicks, so you don’t have to worry, as it’s simple and easy to follow.
Step 1: Press Source or Input on your TV remote control to open its input source selection menu. |
Step 2: Highlight the input source to which your Fire TV Stick is connected and click OK on the TV remote control. Note: Check the label on the HDMI port your Fire TV Stick connects to identify which input source to select. |
It’s important to note that the steps for switching input sources may be different for other TVs. Thus, we highly recommend checking your TV’s user manual for information regarding how its input source selection works.
FIX 4. Use a different HDMI port on your TV
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 2 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any TV compatible with Firestick A working HDMI cable |
Another reason your FireStick won’t power up is likely due to a faulty HDMI port on your TV. Unfortunately, selecting your TV’s input source is insufficient, as it can’t load the FireStick device connected to a faulty HDMI port.
After all, your TV’s HDMI port must connect with the FireStick device’s connector to communicate and exchange the necessary data. If both devices fail to communicate, your Fire TV Stick won’t turn on and boot into the display screen.
Fortunately, it’s standard for most TVs nowadays to have multiple HDMI ports at the back. This way, you can switch between them if one suffers from physical damage or isn’t working for some reason.
Otherwise, you have no choice but to bring your TV to a service center and have a technician repair its broken HDMI port. It’s the perfect recipe for disaster that will cost you your time and money.
Step 1: Remove your Fire TV Stick from the HDMI port. |
Step 2: Plug the Fire TV Stick into another HDMI port. Note: If your TV only has one HDMI port, reconnect the FireStick to that port to see if it fixes the issue. |
HDMI ports should be part of the package if you’re using a smart TV. Unless you’re dealing with an old model TV with limited inputs, especially if they are not high-definition models.
FIX 5. Change to a different power adapter/cable
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any TV compatible with Firestick A working HDMI cable |
The FireStick not turning on could also be due to insufficient power supply. After all, your Fire TV Stick, like other electronic devices, requires electricity to turn on and perform its functions.
It’s why your Fire TV Stick comes with a dedicated USB cable that plugs into compatible power sources. Any damage to this USB cable may prevent it from supplying electricity to your Fire TV Stick, preventing it from turning on.
The most common signs of damage on USB cables are broken connector pins and torn wires. As such, you must replace your broken USB cable or adapter immediately, as continued use of a faulty power accessory may also result in further damage.
Everything you need for your Fire TV Stick should be available in online retail stores. For example, you can choose from Amazon’s wide selection of compatible USB cables for FireStick devices if you can’t find one in your local electronics stores.
FIX 6. Try your FireStick on a different TV
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any TV compatible with Firestick |
Ports and cables aside, you can also plug your FireStick device into a different TV. This way, you can continue using your Fire TV Stick to access your favorite streaming platforms without being limited to one TV unit.
This action is also excellent for determining why your FireStick won’t turn on. You can use this opportunity to identify whether the previous TV or FireStick device was the root cause of the bootup issue.
If the FireStick device works on a different TV, you can keep using it there instead of the previous TV. You can also look up troubleshooting guides that you can use on the faulty TV to see if they can help fix its current issues.
However, if the FireStick device doesn’t turn on regardless of the TV it connects to, you might have to consider getting a new streaming stick. Amazon offers a one-year limited warranty for Fire TV devices, so it’s another option you can explore.
This is if you’ve bought the FireStick device new, but if it was handed down to you, you may have to trace its roots. Amazon’s one-year warranty is a treasure trove when you have faulty devices bought from them.
FIX 7. Use a high-speed HDMI cable
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any TV compatible with Firestick |
Sometimes, a high-speed cable makes the difference when using your Fire TV Stick. Therefore, we recommend switching to a cable with HDMI 2.1b specification (Ultra High Speed) that supports a bandwidth of up to 48 Gbps.
A high-speed cable like this is essential when connecting a Fire TV Stick that supports 4K streaming. After all, you can’t load 4K content properly without a compatible HDMI cable that can keep up with the required data transmission speed.
Sometimes, it may even be why your FireStick won’t turn on even when the connections are tight and secure. We recommend checking out the HDMI cables on Amazon if a compatible cable is unavailable in your local electronics stores.
FIX 8. Replace the Fire TV remote batteries
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Fire TV Stick remote A pair of AAA batteries |
Finally, we recommend replacing the batteries on the remote control if your FireStick won’t start. Although FireStick devices should load automatically on your TV once you connect them, a faulty remote control may make it seem off.
This is due to a lack of input. And it’s easy to lose your way this way so checking your remote should be routine before you go through more complex solutions.
After all, when your button clicks don’t register, the only culprits are the device and its remote control. Since we’ve already discussed ways to troubleshoot your FireStick device, let’s look into how we can address its faulty remote control.
In most cases, dead batteries cause remote controls to stop working. Therefore, changing your Fire TV Stick remote batteries should be your go-to solution for this issue.
Once you’ve replaced the batteries on the remote, it should work again when used on your Fire TV Stick.
Step 1: Press into the lower part of the Fire TV Stick remote’s back cover and slide it up to open its battery compartment. |
Step 2: Remove the old AAA batteries and install their replacement. |
Step 3: Return its back cover and slide it back down to lock it in. |
Other Common Problems Regarding FireStick Not Turning On
Below are common problems often associated with FireStick not turning on. Refer to this list to understand what’s preventing your Fire TV Stick from turning on and the appropriate troubleshooting solutions.
Connectivity Issues
Wireless connection is essential for streaming devices like the Amazon Fire TV Stick. For instance, you must have a reliable WiFi connection to stream content from streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
Believe it or not, connectivity issues can cause various problems on your Fire TV Stick, which may prevent it from turning on. Therefore, your Bluetooth connection is also vital since it’s how your Fire TV Stick remote connects to the streaming stick.
As mentioned before, a faulty remote may prevent a Fire TV Stick from turning on, and connectivity issues are only an extension of that. That’s because the electronic device won’t have the power to send infrared signals.
A worthy solution to make your remote work is to pair it again with your FireStick. It’s easy actually: Just press the Home button for about 5 seconds until such time the LED flashes.
Damaged FireStick Remote
Aside from dead batteries or a faulty Bluetooth connection, the FireStick remote isn’t immune to hardware damage. If it stops working due to physical or water damage to its internal components, it may also prevent you from using your Fire TV Stick.
Unfortunately, replacing your broken Fire TV Stick remote is the only way to address this problem. Like before, we recommend shopping at Amazon for replacement Fire TV Stick remotes if none are available in your local stores.
If you want to buy the best FireStick available today, we recommend you zero in on the FireStick 4K Max. By far, the 4K resolution this model gives you is ahead of its time; the downside is the device costs more than the other options.
Charging Port/Cable Damage
If damage to the USB cable can prevent your FireStick device from turning on, the same applies to its charging port. Unfortunately, while replacing a broken cable is easy, you can’t do the same to a broken USB port.
If your Fire TV Stick is under warranty, you can contact Amazon Customer Support to assist you with the appointment for a service repair. Otherwise, you might need to buy a new Fire TV Stick instead.
Faulty Power Adapter
Usually, the USB cable that powers your FireStick connects directly to the port at the back of your TV. However, you can also attach a power brick or adapter to plug it into a wall outlet.
Using a power adapter allows you to make the most of your Fire TV Stick but it can be another possible power-related problem. This can happen when the power adapter you attach to your Fire TV Stick’s USB cable is faulty.
To check, borrow another FireStick power adapter and give it a try. If the other adapter works, then you must replace your old one with another power adapter or connect the USB cable directly to your TV.
Compatibility Issues
Using third-party accessories on your Fire TV Stick should be okay for the most part. However, Amazon doesn’t officially support them, so they’re prone to compatibility issues.
As such, we recommend avoiding them to prevent issues that may lead to damage or cause the problem with FireStick not turning on.
FireStick Audio/Video Issues
The Amazon Fire TV Stick uses an HDMI connection since it allows for the transmission of audio and video signals, which are essential for any streaming device. Unfortunately, audio and video issues may also prevent them from working altogether.
More often than not, a loose cable or connector will cause this issue to occur. Therefore, you must always ensure the connection between your FireStick device and TV is tight and secure.
Faulty Motherboard
Overheating is a significant problem regarding electronic devices. Not only will this stop them from working correctly, but it may also cause unrepairable damage when the component burns up.
It’s why Amazon puts a liberal amount of thermal padding inside their Fire TV Sticks. However, this also applies to the TV your FireStick device connects to.
After all, TVs have motherboards, and maintaining their internal temperature is essential to keep them working in optimal condition. When your devices get too hot, it’s always advisable to stop using them so they can cool off first.
FAQs about FireStick Not Turning On
An insufficient power supply, faulty cables or TV ports, a dead remote, and various software errors can cause a FireStick not to turn on. We’ve also discussed the other common problems above.
Unplugging its power cable is the only way to reset a FireStick that isn’t turning on. Other methods are unusable since your FireStick must be running for them to work.
Holding the select and play/pause buttons on the Fire TV Stick remote will force an emergency restart sequence. It’s a quick and easy way to restart your FireStick if you can’t access its settings menu.
Dead batteries are the most common reason FireStick remotes stop working. Fortunately, you only need to replace them to fix this issue.
