Amazon’s recent introduction of fullscreen autoplaying ads on Fire TV devices has irked many users. Although completely disabling these ads isn’t straightforward, here are ten methods to either evade or minimize the annoyance caused by these ads :
1. Disable Video and Audio Ads: In Fire TV Settings, navigate to Preferences > Featured Content and turn off both “Allow Video Autoplay” and “Allow Audio Autoplay” to transform the ads into silent images.
2. Double Tap “Home”: Develop the habit of double-tapping the Home button on your remote to wake or power on your TV. This action bypasses the ad and swiftly loads the regular home screen. Ensure HDMI-CEC support is enabled on both your TV and Fire TV under Settings > Display & Sounds.
3. Say “Alexa, go Home”: When using voice commands to wake or turn on your Fire TV, saying “Go Home” often brings up the home screen without displaying the ad, especially with a Fire TV Cube.
4. Use a Custom Launcher/Home Screen: Installing a custom launcher to replace the Fire TV home screen is a workaround, although this process is challenging due to Amazon’s attempts to block such changes.
5. Use App Shortcut Buttons: Utilize app shortcut buttons on your remote to access preferred services directly, avoiding the autoplaying ads on the home screen.
6. Use a Pro Remote: If you have an Alexa Voice Remote Pro, customize one of the buttons to launch the Apps Shortcut or set it for the voice command “Go Home” to bypass ads.
7. Disable Sleep: Prevent the Fire TV from going to sleep to reduce the frequency of fullscreen autoplaying ads by using a shell command via ADB.
8. Default to Last Input (Fire TV Smart TV Only): On Fire TV Smart TVs, change settings to power on the TV to the last used input instead of the home screen to evade ads.
9. Disable WiFi (Fire TV Smart TV Only): Transform your Fire TV Smart TV into a non-smart TV by disabling WiFi or logging out of your Amazon account, suitable for users utilizing external input devices.
10. Consider Alternatives: If ads become unbearable, explore alternative devices such as Chromecast HD, Onn Streaming Stick, Chromecast 4K, Onn 4K Streaming Box, Shield TV, Shield TV Pro, Apple TV, or Roku models.”
