Amazon finally gives Fire TV a much-needed redesign: All the details

Amazon Fire TV OS

• Amazon unveils a redesigned Fire TV interface with improved navigation and speed
• Pin 20 apps, customize order, and access expanded quick controls
• New Fire TV UI launches in February, wider release in spring.

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Amazon’s Fire TV platform has long lagged behind rivals like Google TV, Roku and Apple TV when it comes to usability. That may finally be about to change. Amazon appears ready to address many of the platform’s most persistent frustrations.

As per Amazon, the new Fire TV interface is cleaner, more structured and far easier to navigate. Visually, it borrows heavily from the modern streaming playbook, with rounded tiles replacing the rigid rectangular blocks of the current design. The overall layout is more organised, with navigation tabs now placed across the top of the screen for Home, Search, Movies, TV Shows, Sports, News and Live content.

According to Amazon those tabs pull together recommendations from across a user’s active subscriptions rather than forcing people to browse app by app. Installed apps now live on their own dedicated row, and users can pin up to 20 apps to the home screen, a significant jump from the previous limit of six. App order can also be customised, making it easier to reach frequently used services.

Sponsored recommendations are still present and continue to take up a sizeable portion of the screen, but that is increasingly standard across streaming platforms. What matters more is that Fire TV finally feels less chaotic and more intentional in how content is surfaced, claims Amazon.

Under the hood, Amazon says it has rewritten key parts of the OS to improve responsiveness, claiming speed gains of up to 30 percent. Quick-access controls have also been expanded. Pressing the menu button now jumps directly to games, art, photos and Amazon’s Ambient Experience, while a long press on the home button brings up a shortcut panel for audio and display settings, connected smart home devices like Ring cameras, and other commonly used controls.

According to a blog post by Amazon, Alexa+ is deeply integrated into the redesigned OS. Users can search across content libraries, ask for sports updates, control smart lights or thermostats, and even jump to specific scenes using voice commands. Amazon is clearly positioning Fire TV as both an entertainment hub and a smart home control centre.

The Fire TV mobile app has also been overhauled. Beyond acting as a remote, it now lets users browse content, manage watchlists and start playback on their TV directly from their phone. Notably, the app works even when users are away from home, making it easier to save recommendations on the go.

New Fire TV UI: Availability

The new Fire TV UI will roll out in February, starting with the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen) and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TVs. Later in the spring, it will arrive on newer Fire TV streaming devices and TVs, including the Fire TV 2-Series, 4-Series, Omni QLED models and partner TVs from Panasonic, Hisense, TCL and Insignia. It will also ship out of the box on Amazon’s upcoming Ember Artline TV.