By Klaus Jakobsen, developer of A Decent Remote A Fire Stick is one of the easiest things to control from an Android phone, and Amazon’s own app does it for free. So start there. A different app only makes sense for particular reasons, and the best trick on this page uses both.
Is Amazon’s free app enough?
For many people, yes. The Fire TV app is free, and it does navigation, playback and typing. Pairing needs no remote: the TV shows a code, and you type it on your phone.
The things to weigh up:
- It needs an Amazon sign-in.
- It only controls Fire TV devices.
If a Fire Stick is your only TV device, you may never need anything else.
When is a universal app better?
The usual reason is a mixed house, such as a Fire Stick upstairs, a Samsung downstairs and a Google TV in the bedroom. Three official apps mean three layouts and three sign-ins, and A Decent Remote puts them all in one place, with no account and no ads. It is free for your first 50 button presses, and after that it is paid. The Android version is being built now. Leave your email and you get one message the day it is on Google Play.
How do I connect it to my Fire Stick?
- Join the same Wi-Fi as the Fire Stick.
- Open the app and tap the Fire Stick when it appears.
- Look at the TV. A prompt called “Allow USB debugging?” appears.
- Tick the option to always allow this device, and select OK.
The name sounds alarming, but it is the way Fire TV authorises a new controller, and you only do it once. Your phone gets a permanent key.
How do I approve the prompt if I lost the remote?
The approval needs a button press on the TV side, which is a problem if the remote is missing. You have two ways round it.
Try your TV’s own remote. Through HDMI-CEC, its arrow keys often drive the Fire Stick directly.
Use Amazon’s app as a stand-in. This is the trick. Install the Fire TV app and pair it with the code on screen, which needs no button press. Then start the connection from A Decent Remote, switch back to Amazon’s app, and use it to tick the box and select OK. After that you can delete Amazon’s app if you like.
The lost remote guide covers what to do if the stick is not on Wi-Fi at all.
What if the prompt never appears?
Work through these in order:
- Check the input. The prompt appears on the Fire Stick’s HDMI input, so make sure the TV is showing it.
- Wake the Fire Stick. A sleeping stick may not show the prompt.
- Check ADB debugging. This is in the Fire TV’s Settings, under My Fire TV and then Developer Options. On newer Fire TV software, that menu can be hidden until you open About and press select on the device name several times.
- Restart the stick and try again.
Can my phone restart the Fire Stick?
Yes, if it is still responding. Open Settings from the phone, go to My Fire TV and choose Restart.
If the stick has frozen, it will not respond to any app, because the phone has nothing to talk to. Unplug it from the power for 30 seconds. The restart guide covers that, and how to stop it freezing again.
