Resolve Fire TV Stick Issues
This page helps you resolve common issues specific to Fire TV Stick devices when developing with Vega SDK. If you don't find a solution to your specific problem here, post an issue in 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 scenarios like streaming HD/4K video, audio content, or operating with 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 may not be connected to Wi-Fi network or requires manual update trigger.
Solution:
-
Open a VDA shell:
kepler exec vda shell
-
Check your device network connection:
ace mw wifi_cli get_net_state
The command should return
networkState: CONNECTED
. If your device isn’t connected, see Fire TV Stick. -
Force a manual update:
kepler exec vda shell ace mw ota forceUpdate
OTA update verification fails
Cause: Need to confirm the update completed successfully and matches the expected SDK version.
Solution:
-
Check the device’s
os-release
version:kepler exec vda shell cat /etc/os-release | grep VERSION_NUMBER
Replace
VERSION_NUMBER
with your device's release version number. -
Verify the returned version number matches the latest SDK version.
Device needs factory reset
Cause: Device requires complete restoration to original state, removing Wi-Fi, remote pairing, and registration information.
Solution: Run factory reset command:
kepler exec vda shell vfr reset --type shallow
Terminate a running app on device
Cause: App is unresponsive, consuming excessive resources, or interfering with testing.
-
Open a VDA shell:
kepler exec vda shell
-
List running apps:
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>
-
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 uninstall command:
vpm uninstall <packageId>
Replace <packageId>
with you app's package ID (for example: com.foo.keplersampleapp
)
Move the app between background and foreground
Cause: Testing or debugging requires changing app state between background and foreground.
Solution: To move app to background:
vlcm trigger-app background --inst <instance-id>
Replace <instance-id>
with the one for your app.
To move app to foreground:
vlcm trigger-app foreground --inst <instance-id>
Replace <instance-id>
with the one for your app.
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Last updated: Sep 30, 2025