Amazon is set to roll out a major update for select Fire TV Stick models, aiming to enhance user experience. The update brings a fresh design overhaul, featuring a more modern interface with updated typography, redesigned color gradients, and improved home screen layouts. Navigation is expected to be faster, with performance enhancements of up to 30 percent when browsing menus.
Apart from visual and speed improvements, users will now be able to pin up to 20 apps on the home screen, a significant increase from the previous limit of six. Access to Games, Art & Photos, and the Ambient Experience has been streamlined through the Menu button on the remote.
Amazon has introduced a new shortcut panel accessible by long-pressing the Home button, offering quick access to essential Fire TV controls like audio and display settings. Additionally, an upgraded assistant called Alexa+ is on the way, aiming to make content discovery more efficient and intuitive when it launches in the UK later this year.
In addition to the Fire TV Stick update, Amazon is revamping the Fire TV mobile app to allow users to browse content, manage watchlists, and play titles directly on their TVs. The app’s redesigned look mirrors the updated Fire TV interface, effectively turning smartphones into a second screen for easier content discovery and watchlist management on the go.
The update will first roll out in the U.S., with plans to expand to other regions later in the year. Initially, the new Fire TV update will be available for the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series in the U.S., with Amazon intending to extend availability to more devices and countries, including the latest Fire TV 4K streaming media players, later in the spring.