The change doesn’t come with a bang, but is very subtle and quiet. First, some apps no longer launch, followed by error messages or applications that disappear completely all of a sudden. Gradually you realize that these are not random quirks, but part of a larger plan. The bottom line for you is this: The Fire TV Stick feels less and less like your own device, and more and more like Amazon’s playground.
Amazon is Taking a Tough Stance
Amazon is now turning the screw noticeably: certain apps are directly blocked by the system as soon as they are deemed “problematic”. It doesn’t matter whether they are official apps from the store or have been installed manually. The app may still be on the Fire TV Stick, but it can no longer launch. The lock is deeply embedded in the operating system and is practically impossible for users to override.
This is a particularly bitter pill to swallow for anyone who has deliberately used their Fire TV Stick outside of the official app store. Installing your own apps has long been one of the platform’s major advantages. It is precisely this advantage that is now being thwarted deliberately, fundamentally changing the character of the device.
Sideloading still works, but it hardly offers any real advantages. Even apps that have been properly installed can be deactivated afterwards. Control no longer lies with the user, but clearly with the manufacturer. Step by step, the Fire TV Stick is becoming a fairly isolated system.
This is not just about a few streaming apps, but about the fundamental question of how open such a device should be. Amazon is clearly showing where the journey is heading: the Fire TV Stick should no longer be a playground for experiments, but a strictly controlled streaming system with fixed rules.
This is No Longer Possible For Users
Third-party apps from unofficial sources are now anything but stable. Common tricks for circumventing the blocks hardly work anymore, and even solutions via VPN are becoming less and less effective. Amazon says that it is only concerned with apps with illegal content.
In reality, however, the lines drawn are blurred. Time and again, users report that completely legitimate apps are also being restricted. This is causing uncertainty and clearly shows how much the scope for customization has shrunk in the meantime.
