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Get Started with Fire TV

When developing apps for Fire TV, you can choose from a variety of frameworks and options depending on your skillset (Java developer, web developer, or content developer), your platform preference (Android, HTML5 web app, or React Native), and the features you want (advertising, authentication).

Fire TV runs on Fire OS, which is the operating system based on a fork of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Fire OS maintains Android app compatibility, and therefore is designed to work on a wide range of devices that traditionally run Android. Of those devices, Fire TV devices are Amazon's flagship Fire OS product.

Fire TV supports Android apps, HTML5 web apps, and React Native apps. You can create a new app or port an existing app to Fire TV. The information on this page helps you get started with Fire TV.

Android app development for Fire TV

Android app development for Fire TV uses the same tools, IDEs, and APIs that you already use for Android development.

Create a new app for Fire TV

If you are building an app from scratch, see these topics:

You can see options for building Fire TV apps in the following sections.

Port an existing app to Fire TV

To port an existing Android app, see Port Existing Android App to Fire OS. Some helpful SDKs include the following:

  • Appstore Billing Compatibility SDK: These are APIs that mirror the Google Play Billing Library.
  • A3L SDKs: These are Appstore independent abstraction libraries for authentication, location, and cloud messaging services.

You also need to consider the APIs, services, and features that your app currently uses. You might need to make changes for your app to meet the requirements of the Amazon Appstore. You can find details in Determine if APIs, services, and features are unsupported.

Options for building Fire TV apps

In choosing the right option to build a Fire TV app, consider your skill set. Are you a Java-based Android developer, an HTML5/web developer, or a content creator? Choose an approach from the following options that aligns with your expertise and app requirements.

Android development for Fire TV

You can build a Fire TV app by using Android tools (like Android Studio and Android frameworks). Sample code, documentation, and guidelines are available to help you make the most of your apps in the Android documentation. Additionally, see the high-level tutorial Build an Android App for Fire TV.

Most apps that work on Android will also work on Fire TV because Fire TV is built on Android. The only difference is with services — for Fire TV, you must use Amazon services instead of Google services. For more details, see How Fire TV Development Differs from Android TV Development). Additionally, you'll need to accommodate different versions of Fire OS:

  • Android 14-based Fire TV: Based on Android 12 (API level 31), Android 12L (API level 32), Android 13 (API level 33), and Android 14 (API level 34)
  • Fire OS 8: Based on Android 10 (API level 29) and Android 11 (API level 30)
  • Fire OS 6: Based on Android 7.1 (Nougat, API level 25)
  • Fire OS 7: Based on Android 9 (Pie, API level 28)
  • Fire OS 5: Based on Android 5.1 (Lollipop, API level 22)

HTML5 web app development for Fire TV

For web developers, Amazon Fire TV supports HTML5 web apps. To get started, see the following topic:

React Native development for Fire TV

For React Native developers, Amazon Fire TV supports the open-sourced JavaScript framework. Although it was initially designed for mobile platforms, you can use React Native to develop for other platforms, like TV. To get started, see the following topics:

Amazon APIs for Your Amazon Fire TV App

When you build your Amazon Fire TV app, you can also implement other Amazon APIs to provide a more robust experience:

  • In-App Purchasing API: When customers buy Fire TV devices and register with their Amazon accounts, they are already set up with their Amazon payment profiles and are ready to purchase apps or in-app items with no further effort. Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick support the Amazon In-App Purchasing API, so you can offer consumable items, permanently entitled items, and even subscriptions for sale in your app.

To see more Fire TV APIs and SDKs, see SDKs and samples.

Game app development

If you're building a game app, there are many third-party development frameworks that work with Android. If you are proficient using Unity, Cocos2d-x, GameMaker, or one of the many other systems popular among mobile app developers, you will find it straightforward to package your game for Fire TV. If you can produce an .APK file, you can install it on Fire TV.

Device specifications

If you're looking for information about device specifications Amazon Fire TV supports, such as video formats, DRM, codecs, and resolution rates, see Fire TV Device Specifications. Detailed developer specifications are available for each device.

In general, Fire TV is flexible and provides high performance across a wide range of applications. It has a powerful quad-core CPU and a dedicated GPU. The hardware on the latest Amazon Fire TV offers 4GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, support for 4K Ultra HD video output, support for HDR, and Dolby Atmos audio. These features mean that Fire TV has the right specifications to run all sorts of apps and games, in addition to streaming media.

Fire TV forums

If you need help, have a question, or want to share other feedback, use the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick categories on the Amazon Developer Forum.

Last updated: Sep 16, 2025