The latest Firestick update has been released. If you already have it then you must have seen that it comes with a brand new user interface for Fire TV and Firestick 4K.
The new interface looks really cool although some people seem not to be really happy about it. This is probably due to the settings they have for it. Others claim that the new interface is rather laggy or slower compared to the old one.
In this post, I’ll show you the latest Firestick update best settings which will make it work better for you. With just a few changes in the settings, the new interface should work better and faster.
Stop the Huge Advert Autoplay
The first thing we’ll address is the advert that comes above the Firestick menu on the homepage. It’s a large ad that you can click on to learn more.
When the ad opens into video play it uses a lot of resources not to mention how annoying it is. It even autoplays a huge video that you don’t really need. You don’t need a massive video playing and taking much of your device’s resources and causing your device to lag if you can help it.
To disable the advert video, go to your Firestick Settings, navigate to Preferences.
Scroll down to Featured Content. Turn off the options that say Allow Video Autoplay and Allow Audio Autoplay. Make sure to turn off both options. You can also do the same on old Firestick versions.
You can then head back to the home screen and you’ll notice that there’s now no video to autoplay. That’s how you can stop the random video that you don’t need from autoplaying and taking up a lot of your device’s resources.
Get Rid of Navigation Sounds
The next Firestick update best settings tip I’ll show you has to do with other annoying things you find on Firestick that could be having a negative impact on the performance of your device.
Head over to Settings again and go to Display & Sound.
Scroll down a bit and select Audio. Under the audio option, you can click on the Navigation Sounds tab. These navigation sounds can be quite annoying.
In any case, why would you need the device to make a clicking noise every time you move around the screen? You can turn off the clicking sounds from the Navigation Sounds tab.
Text Banner
You may also notice that on the new interface, the new apps along the home screen menu at the top are extremely slow. When you highlight the app, it takes a longer time to react than it did before the update.
If you have an app that has no title, especially one that’s not from Amazon App Store, you won’t see a title for it and probably fail to know what it is. You can solve this problem in a very simple way.
Head to Accessibility.
Select Text Banner select Text Banner, and turn it on.
The banner can be customized to your preference by changing several things such as text size, color, background, opacity, and much more. You can make the text bigger or smaller, change its color and opacity, and even choose the best background for the banner that will be visible from a distance.
After you have customized the banner to your liking, head back to the home screen. You’ll now notice that when you scroll through each application, a banner will pop up showing you the name of the app. It will also give you a nice big description of the app.
So, if you want to identify any hidden app on your home screen just highlight it and the banner will give you a quick description. You can also turn the banner On and Off simply by holding down the Play button on your remote control. The banner is a very useful item to have after updating your Firestick.
Turn On the Do Not Interrupt Option
For the next Firestick update best settings tip, we’ll change a few Firestick settings. So, head over to Settings and click on Preferences.
Scroll down to Notifications then turn on the Do Not Interrupt option. When this is turned off, you won’t get any annoying notifications while enjoying your show or movie. You can also turn off individual notifications if you prefer to.
Turn Off Data Monitoring
Still under Preferences.
Click on Data Monitoring and turn it off too. You don’t need to have it on because this is where Amazon monitors the data consumption of your Firestick.
You don’t really want them to monitor how much data your device is using. Go to Privacy Settings and turn off all the options in this section including Device Usage Data and Interest-Based Ads.
You don’t need them. Leaving these options on also consumes extra power and device resources, which could easily slow down the performance of your Firestick.
Easier App Navigation
When you go to Your Apps & Channels, you have the option to move your apps any way you want within the provided screen area simply by pushing the 3-line button of your remote.
You can even click on the All option at the top to see tons of apps. Well, you don’t really need to see all those apps most of which you don’t even have on your device. To only see the apps you have or use click on the second option that says Installed on this TV.
The third option says Not installed, which can be used to look for new apps that you may be interested in. This new setting is quite useful when you are organizing your apps or simply looking for what new apps are available for download.
The next thing you need to do is go to Applications.
Scroll down and click on Appstore. Make sure to turn off all the notifications including the In-App Purchases option. You don’t really want anyone making purchases without your knowledge. You can also turn off automatic updates for apps from the App Store. This will not be your device updates by updates for individual apps.
Conclusion
Our list of Firestick update best settings would be incomplete without mentioning the importance of clearing apps that you don’t use or need to free up more space in your device so it can run more efficiently. I hope this post has been helpful as you explore the new Firestick update.
If you have a comment or more Firestick update best settings tips please share with us in the comments section below.
