Resolve Fire TV Stick Issues

This page helps you resolve common issues specific to Fire TV Stick devices when developing with the Vega SDK. If you don't find a solution to your specific problem here, post an issue in the Developer Forum for additional support.

Fire TV Stick constantly reboots after an over-the-air (OTA) update

Cause: Unsupported developer mode value set while using the KPI Visualizer causes boot loops after OTA updates.

Solution: Disable developer mode using one of these commands:

   kepler exec vda wait-for-device && kepler exec vda shell vsm developer-mode disable

Or:

   kepler exec vda wait-for-device && kepler exec vda shell vdcm set com.amazon.devconf/system/security/developer_mode disable

After running the command, the device should stop rebooting and function normally.

Fire TV Stick restarts when powered through computer USB

Cause: Insufficient power supply from laptop USB ports. The device requires up to 1 Amp at 5V, which many laptop USB ports can't provide during high CPU usage like streaming or weak Wi-Fi.

Solution: Use one of these options:

Option 1: Use a USB Y-Cable

Connect the Fire TV Stick using a USB Y-Cable to draw power from both your laptop's USB port and the Amazon-provided USB power adapter.

Option 2: Use a powered USB hub

Connect the Fire TV Stick through an independently powered USB 3.0 hub capable of providing 1 Amp or more.

Fire TV Stick didn't receive OTA update

Cause: Device lacks Wi-Fi connection or requires manual update trigger.

Solution:

1. Open a VDA shell:

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   kepler exec vda shell
   

2. Check your device network connection:

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   ace mw wifi_cli get_net_state
   

   The command should return networkState: CONNECTED. If your device fails to connect, see Fire TV Stick.

3. Force a manual update:

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   kepler exec vda shell ace mw ota forceUpdate
   

OTA update verification fails

Cause: The system can't verify that the OTA update completed successfully or matches the expected SDK version.

Solution:

1. Check the device’s os-release version:

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   kepler exec vda shell cat /etc/os-release | grep VERSION_NUMBER
   

   Replace VERSION_NUMBER with your device's release version number.

2. Verify the returned version number matches the latest SDK version.

The device needs factory reset

Cause: System corruption or persistent configuration issues prevent the device from functioning properly.

Solution: Run the factory reset command:

   kepler exec vda shell vfr reset --type shallow

The app becomes unresponsive

Cause: The app enters an error state that prevents normal operation.

Solution:

1. Open a VDA shell:

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   kepler exec vda shell
   

2. List running apps:

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   vlcm list
   

   Sample output:

   application                           type      pid     id    state          lifespan       timeout container                               launch args
   com.amazondeveloper.keplersampleapp.main       S         2719    1     VISIBLE        PERMANENT      DEFAULT framework.slice/service                 <none>
   

3. Terminate the app using its package name:

   Example: vlcm terminate-app --pkg-id com.amazondeveloper.keplersampleapp

Uninstall the app from a device

Cause: App removal required for testing or cleanup purposes.

Solution: Run the uninstall command:

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   vpm uninstall <packageId>

Replace <packageId> with your app's package ID (for example: com.foo.keplersampleapp)

Move the app between background and foreground

Cause: Testing or debugging requires changing the app state between background and foreground.

Solution: To move the app to background:

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   vlcm trigger-app background --inst <instance-id>

Replace <instance-id> with the one for your app.

To move the app to foreground:

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   vlcm trigger-app foreground --inst <instance-id>

Replace <instance-id> with the one for your app.

Related topics

• Run Your App on Fire TV Stick

Last updated: Nov 14, 2025