Amazon says Fire TV sideloading will return in an upcoming update

Amazon says Fire TV sideloading will return on affected existing devices through an automatic Settings update rolling out over the coming week. The fix addresses a bug that made the “Install unknown apps” list incomplete or empty, stopping some users from installing Android apps through Downloader and similar tools.

What happened to Fire TV sideloading?

The problem appeared after Amazon pushed a series of Fire TV software updates. As 9to5Google reports, the update prevented some devices from correctly listing apps that could install software from unknown sources. That included Downloader, a common route for installing apps outside the Amazon Appstore.

AFTVnews first reported that the issue was widespread but did not affect every Fire TV device. Amazon has now confirmed that it was a bug rather than a deliberate ban.

There was a bug in a recent Fire TV Settings update that caused the “Install unknown apps” list to appear incomplete or empty on some Fire TV devices. We have identified the cause and a fix will roll out in an upcoming Fire TV Settings update, installed automatically on affected devices over the coming week.

Amazon, quoted by 9to5Google and AFTVnews

AFTVnews says users can check for the component update under Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for updates. The separate settings screenshot below shows the permission screen that was affected.

When will Fire TV sideloading work again?

Amazon says the fix will arrive automatically on affected devices over the coming week. Because the fault sits in Fire TV Settings, AFTVnews expects it to arrive as a system component update rather than a full Fire OS release. The OS version may therefore stay the same.

Once the update is available, users can check for it under Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for updates. Amazon’s developer documentation confirms that sideloaded apps are installed outside the Appstore, including through Android Debug Bridge, although this particular problem concerned the Settings permission list.

There is a separate catch for future hardware. Amazon’s newest Fire TV Stick runs Vega OS rather than Android, and the company says future Fire TV Stick devices will use the Linux-based platform. This fix is for affected existing devices, not a promise that Android app sideloading will continue on every future model.

For UAE owners, the rollout timing is the same broad global window Amazon gave to 9to5Google: over the coming week. No separate UAE date has been announced. Existing Fire TV hardware should update automatically, so there is no need to replace a working device while waiting for the Settings fix.