My FireStick Keeps Restarting, How Do I Fix It?

The Amazon FireStick is a great streaming device, but it can sometimes do weird things that ruin your streaming experience. We’re talking about FireStick devices that keep restarting for no apparent reason.

If this is happening to you, then this is the guide for you. To start, keep in mind that if your FireStick has recently started the restarting problem out of nowhere then there’s probably something wrong with the HDMI cable or the USB cable that are connected to your FireStick device.

In this guide, we’ll talk about all the solutions you can use to get rid of the “FireStick keeps restarting” problem. Let’s solve that restarting issue.

An image featuring a person using his TV remote to shut down his TV

First Steps

Contents

1. Disconnect your FireStick from your TV or monitor.

2. Restart the TV or monitor and then restart your internet router.

3. Connect the FireStick to your monitor or TV again.

4. Restart the FireStick.

If your FireStick keeps rebooting after completing these four steps, then it’s time for some more involved solutions. If there’s something keeping the user from using the device, the issue likely requires a more complicated fix.

Always Use Official FireStick Accessories

An image featuring multiple cables representing tech accessories

We know they’re not always available or cheap but they work and will keep your FireStick running smoothly. We’ve already mentioned that the “FireStick keeps restarting” problem can be the result of bad cables.

But it can also be caused by bugs in the software you’re using. Of course, there can be a problem with the FireStick itself but that’s rare. Most of the time, you’ll see that your accessories are troubling your FireStick device, causing it to keep restarting on its own without warning.

If you remember when you first bought your Fire TV Stick you know that it came with a USB cable and an HDMI extension. These are the extensions that you should use if you don’t want streaming trouble.

This is important:

Keep in mind that the power brick that came with your Amazon Fire TV Stick is equally important. Plenty of streamers make the mistake of using cheap third-party spare cables to power their Fire TV Stick. Some use cables that came with their smartphone sets.

Sadly, your Fire TV Stick is likely to give you restart problems if you do go that route. Using a random USB adapter with your Fire TV Stick device is also a recipe for trouble.

Third-party cheap micro USB cables don’t have the required quality to sufficiently power a Fire TV Stick. If your Fire TV Stick isn’t getting the power it needs to stream 4K content, it will restart randomly. Therefore, you have to stay away from third-party accessories and keep using the accessories that came with your Fire TV Stick.

Damaged USB Cable

An image featuring an USB cable that is cut in half representing a damaged USB cable

You can get the “FireStick keeps restarting” problem even if you have the official accessories connected to your Fire TV Stick. This could be the case if your Fire TV Stick is old. Or maybe you used it too much without giving it the care it needs.

The Fire TV Stick comes with its own micro USB cable and power adapter. As with all electronics, these can wear out over time. What you need to do is to check your USB cable after unplugging it. Look for signs of tear or sharp bends in the cable.

Pro Tip:

If you’re still unable to determine if its condition is good enough then try charging your phone with that USB cable or power another device with the same cable. That should give you a good idea of whether or not your micro USB cable is causing all the “Fire Stick keeps restarting” problems.

Needless to say, if you find that your micro USB cable doesn’t work with other devices either then it’s time to replace it. Go on Amazon to order a replacement and it won’t be long before you’re able to stream content from your Fire TV Stick just like before.

Even though we’ve discouraged the use of third-party micro USB cables for your Fire TV Stick, there’s nothing wrong with using them if you don’t have the real thing. So while you wait for your new micro USB cable, you can try to use any spare cable with your FireStick and see if it’s able to power your FireStick sufficiently. If your Fire TV Stick keeps restarting, then the problem wasn’t the cable.

Try To Power Your FireStick From a Power Outlet

An image featuring a drawn power outlet that is flashing and being connected

You don’t need to power it straight from a wall socket. Even if it’s a power extension, it can work with your Fire TV Stick.

We’ve noticed that people who power their Fire TV Stick devices by connecting them to a USB slot on their smart TV or laptop tend to get restart problems. Make sure you’re not supplying power to your Fire TV Stick from a USB port on your PC or smart TV.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick is a streaming device that can play 4K content. That means it requires a decent amount of power to work properly. Connecting it to a USB port on your laptop will probably result in streaming problems.

Instead, take the power brick that came with your Fire TV Stick device and then plug it into a power socket. The socket can be on a wall or on your power extension and then use the micro USB cable to power your FireStick from the power brick.

Note:

USB hubs are also prone to not giving your FireStick the power it needs to perform well all the time so stay away from those as well. These can cause the restart issue as well as they don’t work well as a power supply.

Try an Adapter With a Higher Power Output

We don’t recommend you go this route unless you absolutely have to. But sometimes, if you use a high-powered USB adapter then that can fix the “Fire Stick keeps restarting” problem. You may already know that the power adapter that comes with your FireStick is marked 1 Amp.

If powering your FireStick device with that power adapter is gives you the restart issue then you can try using a 2 Amp power adapter with your FireStick.

Again, this isn’t a recommended solution but it could potentially solve the problem if power supply is the issue.

Turn off the HDMI CEC Device Control Option

What is the HDMI CEC device control feature? In short, this Amazon Fire Stick feature is responsible for making sure that FireStick users are able to control their smart TV set with just their FireStick remote. There’s little doubt that this can be a useful feature. However, the chances that you would use your FireStick remote with your smart TV are low, meaning that there’s no point in keeping this feature turned on as it can cause the “Fire Stick keeps restarting” problem.

The best way to move forward from here is to disable the option and see if your FireStick is giving you restarting problems. Here’s how you go about disabling the option on your FireStick:

1. Go to your FireStick home screen and click on Settings.An image featuring how to Turn off the HDMI CEC Device Control Option step1

2. Then click on Display and Sound.An image featuring how to Turn off the HDMI CEC Device Control Option step2

3. Hit HDMI CEC Device Control.An image featuring how to Turn off the HDMI CEC Device Control Option step3

4. Hit Turn Off.An image featuring how to Turn off the HDMI CEC Device Control Option step4

To ensure that the new settings go into effect, it’s a good idea to restart your FireStick one more time.

Disconnect HDMI Devices

This solution is more relevant to FireStick users who’ve connected their FireStick to their smart TV. Generally speaking, smart TVs have more than one HDMI port. If you’ve connected multiple devices to your smart TV via the HDMI ports, that can interfere with the proper functioning of your FireStick.

Remove them all and check to see if your “FireStick keeps restarting” problem has gone away. You’re free to connect your other devices to other HDMI ports one-by-one with your FireStick already connected to your TV to see if the problem is caused by other devices or your FireStick.

Update the Software

Sometimes your FireStick gives you restart problems not because there’s something wrong with your cable or power supply but because the software is out of date. To fix it, do the following:

1. Go to the home screen. Click on Settings.An image featuring how to update the FireStick software step1

2. Click on My Fire TV.An image featuring how to update the FireStick software step2

3. Hit About and then Check For System Update.An image featuring how to update the FireStick software step3a An image featuring how to update the FireStick software step3b

4. Allow the FireStick to download and install the new updates.

Once you’ve done that, it’s a good idea to restart your FireStick so it can implement all the new changes. Then check if your restarting error has gone away.

Factory Reset Your FireStick

Sometimes, it’s just time to reset your FireStick to get rid of the “Fire Stick keeps rebooting” error. This is how you do it:

1. From your FireStick home screen, click Settings.An image featuring how to factory reset your FireStick device step1

2. Click My Fire TV.An image featuring how to factory reset your FireStick device step2

3. Click Reset to Factory Defaults.An image featuring how to factory reset your FireStick device step3

4. Click OK.An image featuring how to factory reset your FireStick device step4

Your FireStick should reset itself in a couple of minutes.

Change TVs

If you have another TV or monitor that has HDMI slots (or maybe your friend has one) connect your FireStick to it to check if the new display is giving you problems. Sometimes instead of the Amazon Fire Stick, the main culprit for the “Fire Stick keeps restarting” problem is your TV or monitor.

Remove Excess Apps

Unused apps are a burden on any machine let alone a specialized one like an Amazon Fire TV Stick. Getting rid of these apps can fix the “Amazon FireStick keeps restarting” problem on its own. To do so, all you have to do is:

1. From your home screen, go to Settings.An image featuring how to remove excess apps on your FireStick device step1

2. Click on Applications.An image featuring how to remove excess apps on your FireStick device step2

3. Hit Manage Installed Applications.An image featuring how to remove excess apps on your FireStick device step3

4. Select the application that you no longer need and then hit Uninstall.An image featuring how to remove excess apps on your FireStick device step4a An image featuring how to remove excess apps on your FireStick device step4b

By removing certain Amazon Fire Stick apps, you give your Amazon Fire Stick every chance of getting rid of the now infamous “Amazon Fire Stick keeps restarting” issue.

Keep Your FireStick Away From Heat Sources

You may have something close to your FireStick device that’s heating it up and causing restart problems. If you’ve plugged your FireStick directly into your TV and your TV is warming it up for some reason then use the HDMI extension that comes with newer models of FireSticks.

Conclusion: FireStick Keeps Rebooting

Getting rid of the “FireStick keeps restarting” issue isn’t hard provided you go about it in an organized manner. If there’s a solution that you feel we missed then use the comments section to let us know.

Apart from that, if your Fire TV stick keeps rebooting you can always check if it’s still in warranty and maybe you can get your Fire TV device replaced or exchanged with another one.

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