How to install a VPN on Fire TV Stick
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Amazon Fire TV devices feature many entertainment options with native support for many of the best video streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. The Fire TV Stick also offers access to a good selection of apps to enhance your media streaming experience, including Amazon Silk Browser and Spotify.
However, as with any other internet-connected device, the traffic you generate from your Fire Stick is visible to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This is not ideal. Everyone should consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to keep their private data out of the reach of their ISPs. VPNs can also help you access region-locked content in some cases, but note that many video streaming services are actively working to prevent this solution.
Individuals who plan to stream illegal content using Fire Sticks may also need a VPN. To be perfectly clear, we do not support or condone the use of a VPN to cover up illegal activity. Yes, in theory, a VPN should make such activities undetectable. However, like any other technology, VPNs are prone to failure and exploitation, so you should not consider yourself exempt from copyright law if you use one of these technologies. If you are caught doing illegal activities online, you are legally responsible for your actions.
Installing a VPN on Fire Stick can be tricky in some cases, but don’t worry; We take you through every step of the process. Just be sure to read our entire guide. If you have any issues or want to discuss your own experiences, be sure to leave a comment. Check out our roundup of other Fire TV Stick tricks and tips to get the most out of your device.
Setting up the Fire TV Stick
Configuring the Fire TV Stick is the easiest step in this process. There are three basic parts to setting up a Fire TV: the Fire Stick itself, the charging cable, and the remote control.
To get started, connect the Fire TV Stick to the HDMI port on your TV or computer monitor. Next, connect the power adapter to the device. Depending on your system, you will likely need to switch to the correct HDMI input on the screen. If your remote won’t automatically pair with your Fire Stick, see Amazon’s instructions on how to reset the controller.
Amazon requires you to register your Fire TV Stick with your existing Amazon account before you can bypass the landing page, but you can unregister an account and use a new one at any time. As with any device connected to the Internet, logging into a Wi-Fi network is an important part of setting up.
You navigate the Fire TV interface mostly via the top menu categories: Search, Home, Your Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Apps, and Settings. Before you explore any of these sections in detail, I recommend that you check for and install any updates for your Fire TV device. Head to Settings > Device > Check System Update. If you plan to do a lot of research or writing, you should install the Fire TV app on your phone or tablet. This app, which allows you to control and type from your device, does a much better job of selecting individual characters on the screen using the console, although the console is generally more reliable and faster to navigate.
For reference, I have checked these installation methods with a second generation Fire TV Stick running the latest version of Fire OS, 5.2.6.3, on your computer screen. During testing, I connected my Fire TV Stick to PCMag’s Wi-Fi (100Mbps download). I installed the Fire TV app on my Nexus 5X running Android 8.1 (unfortunately the upgrade to Android 9.0 Pie was not getting).
How to install a VPN from the Applications section
The easiest way to install a VPN on Fire Stick is via the Fire TV Stick’s built-in apps section. Just go to the Categories > Utilities section in the apps menu or type âVPNâ via the search bar. At the time of publication, the main VPN services available here are CyberGhost VPN, ExpressVPN, IPVanish, PureVPN, Ivacy, NordVPN, SurfShark, and TorGuard VPN. The list of native VPN apps has expanded significantly since this guide was last updated.
Editors’ note: IPVanish is owned by j2 Global, the parent company of PCMag’s publisher, Ziff Davis.
To install any of these apps, go to the app details page and then click the download button. Installation should not take more than two minutes. Whichever app you choose, it should work the same way it does on any other platform.
How to install VPN from Android APK
While installing from the apps section is definitely the easiest way, not everyone subscribes to one of the VPN services listed. This is where APK files for Android come in handy. Like Amazon Fire Tablets, Fire Stick runs a version of Android, so some Android APK files should work fine on Fire Stick. However, that doesn’t mean that all Android APK files work fine on Fire TV Stick. You need to do a little testing yourself to make sure that the VPN is installed correctly and your traffic is actually masked. Read our guide on how to check if your VPN is leaking.
Finding and downloading the right APK files can be a bit annoying as well. Some VPN services, such as Private Internet Access, put the Android APK directly on their download pages, which is the best case scenario. You need to dig into some settings before downloading the app itself, but we explain these steps below – specifically to install Private Internet Access. If you plan to use a different VPN, replace the URL in step five below with the web address that hosts your VPN’s Android APK download link.
- Go to Settings > Device > Developer options and enable the Allow apps from unknown sources option.
- Go to the search interface and type Downloader.
- Install Downloader.
- Run Downloader.
- On the main page of the application, select the URL bar and type https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/installer/download_installer_android.
- Click on the apk download button
- Run the installer and follow all the prompts.
- Go to Settings > Device > Developer options and disable the Allow apps from unknown sources option.
Other VPNs, such as Tunnel Bear, do not list APK files on their website, so you have to get them elsewhere, from sites like APK Mirror or APKPure. A quick note about APK sites; The site undoubtedly hosts some malware masquerading as official app downloads, so proceed at your own risk. Again, even if you can find the APK file of your VPN, that doesn’t guarantee that it will work on your Fire Stick.
Both Kodi and Plex are popular media streaming apps that help you access content on your Fire Stick, especially since the device only comes with around 4.5GB of usable storage. Using any of these services, users can add media library sources, such as Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices and personal servers. However, a plethora of unofficial add-ons and plugins for both Kodi and Plex provide access to illegal content streams. We won’t make any accusations about your usage habits, but some users of these add-ons may turn to a VPN to hide their activity.
Installing Kodi on Fire TV Stick requires downloading the Kodi Android APK from their site. The process is similar to installing an Android APK for your VPN.
- Go to Settings > Device > Developer options and enable the Allow apps from unknown sources option.
- Run Downloader.
- On the main page of the application, select the URL bar and type https://kodi.tv/download.
- Select Android > ARMV7A (32-bit).
- Follow all subsequent download and installation prompts.
- Go to Settings > Device > Developer options and disable the Allow apps from unknown sources option.
To install Plex, simply search for it and download it directly from the Applications section. Alternatively, you can install Plex Add-On for Kodi, if you prefer to deal primarily with the latter’s interface.
Fire TV Sticks aren’t the only devices that may require some workarounds for a VPN to work. Check out our guide on how to install a VPN on your Chromebook as well.
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