Have you ever lost your remote or bumped the wrong button while reaching for it, messing up your viewing experience? Using a remote to manage your TV is becoming a thing of the past thanks to Amazon Alexa’s ability to control your Amazon Fire TV with verbal commands. You just have to sync the two together to get it working.
How to Sync Your Fire TV to Your Device Using the Alexa App
Ensure that your Fire TV and Echo device are connected to the same Amazon account, and your same home Wi-Fi network. Otherwise, the connection won’t be possible.
- Open the Amazon Alexa app for iOS or Android.
- Select the More icon.
- Select Settings.
- Scroll down and select TV & Video.
- Select Fire TV.
- Select Link Or Manage Devices.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Once the two are connected, use the wake phrase and ask Alexa to perform one of the TV commands. If everything was done correctly, your TV will follow the command you gave Alexa.
For example, try saying, “Alexa, open Prime Video on Fire TV.” Or, “Alexa, play The Midnight Club.”
Why Sync Your Alexa Device With Your Fire TV?
You have the ability to use voice commands on your Fire TV remote, but then you still rely on the remote. By syncing your Alexa device with your Fire TV, you can control every aspect of your viewing through verbal commands and eliminate your reliance on your remote. Constantly keeping track of it or accidentally clicking the wrong buttons will no longer ruin your viewing experience.
Pausing, playing, fast-forwarding, opening new apps—it can all be done by waking up Alexa and telling it what to do. Even if you don’t plan on replacing your remote with verbal control, it’s still nice to have a backup option in case you can’t locate your remote.
Troubleshooting Your Connection
If you asked Alexa to play your favorite show but didn’t get a response, there are a few things you might check. Start by checking to ensure you have the latest version of the Amazon Alexa app. Older versions of the app might not have the functionality to sync an Alexa device with a Fire TV.
Also, check to ensure you have the latest version of FIre TV software. Here is how:
- Open your Amazon Fire TV.
- Select Settings.
- Select My Fire TV.
- Select About.
- Choose either Check for Updates or Install update.
- Confirm updates.
Having a good connection to your Wi-Fi and the internet and good bandwidth will also avoid any potential issues when trying to sync the two devices.
If you’re still having trouble connecting the two, you should try restarting your Alexa device and Fire TV. Unplugging both for 15-20 seconds and plugging the devices back in will force a restarting process.
The last option is resetting your device and TV. This should be a last resort because you will lose all of your customized settings you’ve added to your Amazon products.
You’ll have a different process for resetting each one. You should be able to find instructions under Your Account on the Amazon website (go to Content & Devices and click the Devices tab at the top.) Once the process is completed, the Alexa device and streaming box will need to be set up like new.
Bringing Together an Alexa Device and Amazon Fire TV
Gone are the days when you can’t watch TV because your remote is lost. By syncing your Fire TV and Alexa device, you can view your favorite shows or movies and control your apps without lifting a finger. You can use your fingers to grab a handful of popcorn, instead.
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