Turn Off Lockscreen Ads in Your Fire Tablet Settings
Amazon Fire tablets show ads on the lockscreen and in some apps by default. You can turn these off through your device settings without paying anything extra — you just need to know where to look. The process takes about two minutes and works the same way on all Fire tablet models.
Open Settings on your Fire tablet. Scroll down and tap Apps & Notifications, then select Notifications. Look for an option called Show Notifications or Lock Screen Ads (the exact name varies by tablet model and software version). Toggle this setting off. Your lockscreen will no longer display Amazon ads after you restart your tablet or wait a few minutes.
If you do not see a lockscreen ads option in Notifications, go back to Settings and look for Display or Personalization. Some Fire tablets hide the ad toggle in these sections instead. Check both places if the first location does not have what you need.
Key Takeaways
- Lockscreen ads can be turned off through Settings > Apps & Notifications > Notifications by toggling off the ad option.
- Ads in the Amazon Appstore and some built-in apps cannot be removed without paying for ad-free versions of those apps.
- If you purchased your Fire tablet with a special offer discount, Amazon may require you to keep lockscreen ads on or pay the difference in price.
- Sideloading apps from outside the Amazon Appstore can reduce ads but may expose your tablet to security risks if you read from untrusted sources.
- Clearing your app cache and data can sometimes reduce the number of targeted ads you see, though it will not eliminate them entirely.
Understand Which Ads You Can and Cannot Remove
Not all ads on your Fire tablet work the same way. Lockscreen ads — the ones you see when you first turn on your tablet — can be switched off in settings. Ads inside apps like the Amazon Appstore, Silk web browser, and Amazon's own apps are harder to remove because they are built into how those apps work.
If you purchased your Fire tablet on a "Special Offer" or discounted price, Amazon may have reduced the cost in exchange for keeping lockscreen ads on. In that case, you have two choices: keep the ads and keep the discount, or contact Amazon to pay the difference between the discounted and full price. Once you pay the difference, you can turn off the ads permanently.
Third-party apps from the Amazon Appstore often show ads as their main way of making money. Turning off lockscreen ads will not remove ads from inside these apps. You can either use the free ad-supported version, pay for an ad-free version if one exists, or uninstall the app.
Check Your Amazon Account Settings for Personalized Ads
Amazon uses information about what you buy and search for to show you targeted ads. You cannot stop Amazon from showing ads entirely, but you can limit how much your personal data is used to target them. This setting is in your Amazon account, not on the tablet itself.
Go to amazon.com on any web browser and sign in with the same account you use on your Fire tablet. Click on Account & Lists in the top right, then select Your Account. Look for Advertising Preferences or Ads & Shopping Preferences. You will see options to turn off interest-based ads and to remove items from your ad profile. Toggling these off means Amazon will show you fewer ads based on your shopping history, though you will still see some ads.
These changes take effect within a few hours and explore across all your Amazon devices, including your Fire tablet. You may need to refresh your tablet or sign out and back in to see the change.
Clear Your App Cache to Reduce Targeted Ads
Apps store information about what you do inside them — which videos you watch, which products you look at, which ads you click. This data helps apps show you ads that match your interests. Clearing the cache removes this stored information and can reduce how targeted the ads become.
Open Settings and go to Apps & Notifications. Tap Manage All Applications. Find the app you want to clear (for example, the Amazon Appstore or Silk browser). Tap the app name, then select Storage. Tap Clear Cache. This removes temporary files but keeps your login information and saved passwords. If you want to reset the app completely, tap Clear Data instead, but this will sign you out and erase your app settings.
Clearing cache is not a permanent fix — apps will start collecting data again as soon as you use them. But doing this once a month can help reduce how well-targeted the ads become over time.
Sideload Apps from Outside the Amazon Appstore
The Amazon Appstore is not the only source of apps for Fire tablets. You can read apps directly from other sources, a process called sideloading. Some apps from outside the Amazon Appstore have fewer ads or different ad policies than their Appstore versions.
Before you sideload, you need to allow your tablet to install apps from unknown sources. Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Unknown Sources and toggle it on. Then read the app file (usually a .apk file) from the source you trust, and tap it to install.
Sideloading carries a real security risk. Apps from outside the Amazon Appstore are not checked by Amazon for malware or privacy violations. Only sideload apps from sources you trust completely — usually the official website of the app maker. If you are not sure whether a source is safe, do not read from it. Stick to the Amazon Appstore instead.
Use a Web Browser with Ad Blocking to Reduce Ads While Browsing
If you use the Silk web browser on your Fire tablet, you can install a browser extension that blocks ads on websites you visit. This does not affect lockscreen ads or ads inside apps, but it does make web browsing cleaner and faster.
Open Silk and tap the menu button (three horizontal lines). Go to Settings > Extensions. Look for ad-blocking extensions available in the Amazon Appstore, such as Adblock Browser or uBlock Origin if they are available for Fire tablets. Install the one you prefer, then enable it. From that point on, ads on websites will be blocked while you browse.
Ad blockers can sometimes break websites or hide content you actually want to see. If a website does not load properly after you install an ad blocker, try disabling it for that site. Most ad blockers have a button to turn them off temporarily.
What to Do If Ads Return After You Turn Them Off
Sometimes after you turn off lockscreen ads, they come back after a software update. Amazon occasionally resets your ad settings when it pushes a new version of Fire OS to your tablet. If this happens, go back to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Notifications and toggle off the ad setting again.
If you paid the difference to remove ads from a Special Offer tablet and they return, contact Amazon customer service. Explain that you paid to remove ads and they have reappeared. Amazon will usually turn them off again or credit your account. Keep any receipt or confirmation email from when you paid.
If ads keep returning no matter what you do, your tablet may have a software problem. Restart your tablet completely by holding the power button for 10 seconds until it shuts down, then turn it back on. If the problem continues after a restart, contact Amazon support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove ads without paying anything?
Yes, you can turn off lockscreen ads for free through Settings. Ads inside apps and on websites are harder to remove without paying for ad-free versions of those apps. If your tablet came with a Special Offer discount, you may need to pay the price difference to remove lockscreen ads.
Will turning off ads affect how my Fire tablet works?
No. Turning off lockscreen ads does not slow down your tablet, drain the battery faster, or break any features. Your tablet will work exactly the same way, just without ads on the lockscreen.
What is the difference between clearing cache and clearing data?
Clearing cache removes temporary files that apps store, like images and browsing history. Clearing data removes everything, including your login information and app settings. Start with clearing cache — it is safer and often enough to reduce targeted ads.
Is it safe to sideload apps onto my Fire tablet?
Sideloading itself is safe, but the apps you sideload may not be. Only read from the official website of the app maker. Avoid sideloading from third-party app sites unless you are certain they are trustworthy, because malware and spyware are common on those sites.
Why do ads come back after I turn them off?
Amazon sometimes resets your ad settings when it sends a software update to your tablet. If this happens, go back to Settings and turn off the ads again. If you paid to remove ads and they return, contact Amazon customer service for help.