Amazon is rolling out a significant upgrade for select Fire TV Stick models to enhance user experience. The update includes a refreshed interface with updated typography, redesigned color gradients, and improved layouts on the homescreen, promising a 30% performance boost for smoother navigation.
Aside from visual enhancements, users can now pin up to 20 apps on the home screen, an increase from the previous limit of six. Navigation to Games, Art & Photos, and the Ambient Experience has been simplified through the Menu button on the remote control.
Additionally, a new shortcut panel accessible by long-pressing the Home button offers quick access to essential Fire TV controls like audio and display settings. Amazon is also introducing Alexa+, an upgraded assistant aimed at improving content discovery speed and intuitiveness, set to launch in the UK later this year.
In conjunction with the Fire TV Stick update, the Fire TV mobile app is getting a makeover. Users will soon be able to browse content, manage watchlists, and play titles directly on their TV screens. The redesigned app’s appearance aligns with the updated Fire TV interface.
The app will transform smartphones into a secondary screen, facilitating content discovery and watchlist management while away from home. Amazon confirms that the app will remain free to download.
The update rollout will commence in the U.S. before expanding to other regions later this year. Initially, the new Fire TV features will be available on the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series in the U.S. Amazon plans to extend the update to more devices and countries in the coming months, including the latest Fire TV 4K streaming media players.