How do I restart my Fire TV Stick with the remote?

Press and hold Select and Play/Pause together for about 5 seconds. Let go when the screen goes dark, and the stick will start again by itself.

How do I restart my Fire TV Stick without the remote?

Unplug the power adapter from the wall, wait about 30 seconds, and plug it back in. You can also use the Amazon Fire TV phone app as a remote and go to "Settings > My Fire TV > Restart".

Does restarting a Fire TV Stick delete my apps?

No. A restart keeps all your apps, logins and settings. Only a factory reset erases them.

Is restarting the same as a factory reset?

No. A restart just turns the stick off and on again. A factory reset wipes everything and sends the stick back to how it was out of the box.

How often should I restart my Fire TV Stick?

Restart it whenever menus feel slow or apps freeze. Many people also restart once a week as a simple habit to keep things running smoothly.

Why does my Fire TV Stick keep restarting on its own?

The most common cause is weak power. Use the adapter that came with the stick and plug it into a wall outlet, not the TV's USB port.

Should I restart my Fire TV Stick after changing the DNS?

Yes. A quick restart helps the new network settings take effect. Use the Select and Play/Pause shortcut once you have saved the change.

How to Restart Fire TV Stick Using Your Remote Shortcuts (2026)

To restart a Fire TV Stick with your remote, press and hold Select (the center button) and Play/Pause at the same time for about 5 seconds. Let go when the screen goes dark. The stick turns off and then starts again on its own.

What You Need Before You Start

You only need a few things, and you probably have them already:

A Fire TV Stick that is plugged in and turned on
Your Fire TV remote, paired and working
Fresh batteries in the remote
About two minutes

A "paired" remote is one that is already linked to your stick. If your remote moves through the menus, it is paired.

Restart Fire TV Stick With the Remote Shortcut

This is the fastest method. It works from almost any screen, even when an app has frozen. You don't need to open any menu.

Pick up your Fire TV remote and make sure your TV is showing the Fire TV picture.
Find the Select button. It is the round button in the middle of the navigation ring.
Find the Play/Pause button. It sits below the navigation ring.
Press and hold Select and Play/Pause together.
Keep holding both buttons for about 5 seconds.
Let go when a power-off message appears or the screen turns black.
Wait for the Fire TV logo and then the Home screen to come back.

That's it. Your stick has now had a clean restart. Any frozen app is closed, and short-term memory is cleared.

If the shortcut feels awkward, use the menu instead. It takes a few more clicks, but it is just as safe.

Press the Home button on your remote.
Move right to the gear icon and open "Settings".
Go to "Settings > My Fire TV". On older software, this may be called "Device" or "Device & Software".
Scroll down and select "Restart".
Select "Restart" again to confirm.

A Faster Way Into Settings

Press and hold the Home button for a few seconds. A quick menu pops up on the side of the screen. Pick "Settings", then follow "My Fire TV > Restart". This skips scrolling through the Home screen.

Restart by Unplugging (Power Cycle)

A "power cycle" means cutting the power fully and turning it back on. Use it when the stick does not respond to the remote at all.

Unplug the power adapter from the wall outlet.
Wait about 30 seconds.
Plug the adapter back into the wall.
Wait for the Fire TV logo and the Home screen.

This method is a little harsher than the other two. It's fine to use, but try the remote shortcut first when you can.

Which Restart Method Should You Use?

All three methods restart the stick. They just suit different problems. Use this table to choose.

Method	How You Do It	Best For	Needs a Working Remote?	Keeps Your Apps and Logins?
Remote shortcut	Hold Select + Play/Pause for about 5 seconds	Frozen apps, slow menus, quick fixes	Yes	Yes
Settings menu	"Settings > My Fire TV > Restart"	A calm, step-by-step restart	Yes	Yes
Power cycle	Unplug for 30 seconds, then plug back in	A stick that ignores the remote	No	Yes
Factory reset (not a restart)	"Settings > My Fire TV > Reset to Factory Defaults"	Last resort only	Yes	No, it erases everything

If a Step Fails

Most restart problems come from the remote, not the stick. Work through these fixes in order.

The Shortcut Does Nothing

Make sure you press both buttons at the same time, not one after the other.
Hold them a little longer, up to about 10 seconds.
Check that the remote still moves through menus. If it doesn't, see the next fix.

The Remote Is Not Responding

Swap in fresh batteries first. Weak batteries are the most common cause.
Move closer to the stick. Fire TV remotes use Bluetooth, which works best within a few meters.
To pair the remote again, press and hold Home for about 10 seconds.
Still stuck? Use the Amazon Fire TV app on your phone as a backup remote. Then follow "Settings > My Fire TV > Restart".

The Remote Needs a Full Reset

If pairing fails, reset the remote itself. Unplug your Fire TV Stick first. Then press and hold Left, Menu and Back together for 12 seconds.

Let go, wait 5 seconds, and take out the batteries. Plug the stick back in, put the batteries back, and press Home to pair again.

The Stick Is Stuck on the Logo

Do a power cycle and wait a full minute before plugging in again.
Plug the stick into a wall outlet with the adapter that came with it.
Avoid powering it from the TV's USB port. Those ports often give too little power.

Watch Out for the Factory Reset Shortcut

Holding Back and the right side of the navigation ring for about 10 seconds starts a factory reset. A factory reset wipes your apps, logins and settings. If you see a reset warning by mistake, just let it time out or choose cancel.

When a Restart Helps Most

A restart is the simplest fix for many everyday Fire TV problems. It clears temporary memory and closes apps running in the background. Try it when you notice:

Menus that feel slow or laggy
Apps that freeze or close by themselves
Video that stutters or keeps loading
Wi-Fi that drops or won't connect
A new update that hasn't finished installing

Want more Fire TV tips? Tom's Guide has plenty of streaming device how-tos. You can also browse Reddit r/4kTV to see how other TV owners deal with lag and picture issues.

Keep Streams Smooth After a Restart

A restart gives your stick a clean start. A few settings help keep it running well, especially on a Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

Set a Faster DNS

DNS is like your internet's phone book. It turns website names into addresses. Some internet providers slow down video traffic, which is called "throttling." Switching to Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) can help.

Open "Settings > Network".
Highlight your Wi-Fi network and press the Menu button to forget it.
Select the network again and enter your password.
Choose "Advanced" and type 1.1.1.1 in the DNS field.
Restart your stick with the remote shortcut so the change takes hold.

Raise the Buffer in Your Player

A "buffer" is a small amount of video your player loads ahead of time. A bigger buffer helps stop freezing. In your player's settings, set the buffer or cache to 5,000 ms (5 seconds).

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