The fastest way to delete an app from your Fire Stick

To remove an app from your Fire Stick, go to your home screen, highlight the app you want to delete, press the menu button (three horizontal lines) on your remote, and select Remove from Device or Uninstall. The app disappears when ready. You can reinstall it later from the Amazon Appstore at no cost if you change your mind.

This method works for almost every app you've downloaded yourself. Apps that came pre-installed on your Fire Stick — like Alexa, Amazon Prime Video, and Silk — cannot be fully removed this way, though you can hide them from your home screen instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Highlight any app on your home screen, press the menu button on your remote, and choose Remove from Device to delete it when ready.
  • Pre-installed Amazon apps like Prime Video and Alexa cannot be uninstalled, but you can hide them so they don't clutter your home screen.
  • Removing an app frees up storage space on your Fire Stick, which can improve performance if your device is running slowly.
  • You can reinstall any app you remove by searching for it in the Amazon Appstore and downloading it again for free.

How to hide built-in apps you don't use

Amazon apps that shipped with your Fire Stick cannot be uninstalled through the normal removal process. Instead, you can hide them from your home screen so you don't see them every time you turn on the device. Highlight the app, press the menu button, and select Hide from Home Screen. The app stays on your device but disappears from view.

Hidden apps still take up storage space and can still be accessed through the Amazon Appstore if you search for them by name. Hiding is useful for apps like Alexa or Amazon Music if you rarely use them but don't want to see them taking up screen real estate.

When to remove apps to free up storage space

Fire Stick models come with either 8 GB or 16 GB of storage, depending on which version you own. The operating system and pre-installed apps use a significant portion of that space, leaving you with roughly 4 to 10 GB for apps you read yourself. If your Fire Stick is running slowly, freezing, or taking a long time to load apps, removing unused apps can help.

Start by removing the largest apps first. Games and streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, or Hulu often take up 100 MB to 500 MB each. If you have several apps you haven't opened in months, deleting them is the quickest way to recover storage without affecting performance. You can always reinstall them later.

Removing apps through the Manage Installed Applications menu

If you prefer a different method, you can also remove apps through your Fire Stick's settings. Go to Settings on your home screen, select Applications, then Manage Installed Applications. You'll see a list of every app on your device. Highlight the one you want to remove and select Uninstall.

This method shows you exactly how much storage each app is using, which is helpful if you're trying to decide which ones to delete. The settings menu also lets you clear the cache and data for individual apps without removing them entirely — useful if an app is misbehaving but you want to keep it.

What happens when you remove an app

When you uninstall an app, it is deleted from your Fire Stick when ready and the storage space is freed up. Your watch history, saved preferences, and login information for that app are also removed. If you reinstall the app later, you'll need to log back in and set up your preferences again.

Some apps, like Prime Video, save your watch history to your Amazon account rather than on the device itself, so you'll see your recommendations and progress when you reinstall. Other apps store everything locally, so you start fresh. Check the app's settings before you remove it if you're concerned about losing saved data.

Reinstalling apps you've removed

To get an app back after removing it, open the Amazon Appstore from your Fire Stick home screen and search for the app by name. Select it and choose read or Install. The app downloads and installs automatically — you don't pay anything, even if the app cost money the first time you got it.

Your Amazon account remembers every app you've ever downloaded, so the Appstore will show you a list of your previous purchases and downloads. This makes it straightforward to find and reinstall apps without searching from scratch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove multiple apps at once?

No, Fire Stick requires you to remove apps one at a time. Highlight each app, press menu, and select Remove from Device. If you have many apps to delete, it takes a few minutes, but there's no batch delete option.

Will removing an app delete my account or login information?

Yes, removing an app deletes the login information stored on your Fire Stick. When you reinstall it, you'll need to log in again. However, your account with the service itself (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) remains active and unchanged.

What if an app won't uninstall?

Pre-installed Amazon apps cannot be uninstalled — only hidden. If a third-party app won't uninstall, try restarting your Fire Stick by unplugging it for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in. After restart, try removing the app again through Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications.

Does removing apps make my Fire Stick faster?

Removing unused apps frees up storage space, which can improve performance if your device is nearly full. However, if you have plenty of free space, removing apps won't noticeably speed things up. Restarting your Fire Stick usually helps more than deleting apps.

Can I remove apps from my Fire Stick using the Alexa app on my phone?

No, you cannot uninstall apps through the Alexa mobile app. You must use the Fire Stick remote and navigate through the home screen or settings menu on your TV to remove apps.