How to Update Apps on FireStick: This guide breaks down exactly how to update every app on an Amazon FireStick—the regular Appstore ones and those slightly rebellious third-party apps you sideloaded at 2 AM thinking, “yeah, I’ll totally keep this organized” (spoiler: nobody does).

It’s a simple, step-by-step walkthrough that works across all Fire TV devices, including the Fire TV Cube, FireStick Lite, the newer FireStick 4K and 4K Max, and even the older 4K models that refuse to quit—because honestly, keeping apps updated is one of those boring but necessary chores that saves you from random crashes, glitchy streaming, and that lovely moment when an app decides to stop working right when the good part starts.

Update Apps on FireStick

Apps are basically the real reason mobile phones and streaming gadgets even feel smart—because without them, a FireStick or smartphone is just an expensive piece of plastic that can… what, stare back at you? And yeah, as much as everyone wants apps to be flawless, they’re not (shocking, I know). Bugs, random glitches, lag at the worst possible moment—it’s all part of the deal. That’s why updates matter: they quietly fix the annoying stuff, keep the app playing nice with your device, make things run smoother, and every now and then they even throw in a useful new feature that makes the whole experience feel a little more polished instead of painfully “almost working.”

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How to Update FireStick

Before messing around with updating individual apps, it’s honestly smarter to make sure the FireStick itself is up to date—because nothing’s more annoying than chasing app issues that are really just an outdated system throwing a tantrum. Fire OS is basically Android in a different outfit, so the layout won’t feel totally foreign, and checking for updates is pretty painless: just head into Settings, jump to My Fire TV (or Device), hit About, and select Check for Updates—then let it do its thing while pretending you’re in control of technology (we’ve all been there).

From the FireStick home screen, select the Settings gear icon.
Scroll and choose My Fire TV from the available options.
Click on About.
Select Check for Updates to see if a new version is available.
If an update is found, download and install it.

Once the update finishes installing, the FireStick usually restarts on its own like a well-behaved little gadget—usually. If it just sits there acting clueless, don’t panic: force a restart the easy way by pressing and holding Select + Play/Pause on the remote at the same time for a few seconds, and it should reboot like nothing happened.

How to Update Apps via the Amazon Appstore

The easiest way to keep your apps up to date is by enabling automatic updates. Follow these steps to activate this feature:

Go to the Settings menu on your FireStick home screen.
Scroll to and select Applications.
Choose Appstore from the list.
Select Automatic Updates and switch it ON.

Once enabled, all official apps downloaded from the Amazon Appstore will update automatically in the background whenever a new version becomes available.

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How to Update Third-Party Apps on FireStick

Official apps from the Amazon Appstore update like normal, but third-party apps on a FireStick? Yeah, those don’t get the VIP treatment—you’ve gotta put in a tiny bit of extra work. The easiest way is using APKUpdater, a handy open-source tool that basically does the “hunt for updates” part without making life miserable. To keep things simple (and avoid the usual tech headache), the whole process is split into three easy chunks: download it, install it, then use it to update your apps.

Part 1: Prepare Your FireStick

Before APKUpdater can even step onto the stage, the FireStick needs to be prepped for sideloading—aka letting it install stuff that isn’t from the Amazon Appstore (because of course Amazon makes it a little extra). First, grab the Downloader app straight from the Appstore, then go into settings and give Downloader permission to install apps from unknown sources. Once Downloader is set up properly and ready to roll, the next step becomes way smoother—so don’t skip this part, even if it feels like boring “grown-up” setup stuff.

Part 2: Install APKUpdater

Once Downloader’s all set up and the permissions are flipped on, it’s finally time to sideload APKUpdater onto the FireStick—aka the little lifesaver for third-party apps. This tool basically does what the Amazon Appstore won’t do: it scans for updates and helps install newer versions of apps that never made it into Amazon’s “approved” club.

Press and hold the Home button on your Fire TV remote. When the menu appears, choose Apps.
Launch the Downloader app.
Note: If you don’t see it under Your Apps & Channels, check inside the App Library.
Click on the input field labeled Enter a URL or Search Term.
Note: The first time you open Downloader, you’ll be prompted to grant access to your files and folders—make sure to allow it.
Type in the URL https://bit.ly/3OC2kdr and press the Go button.
Note: This shortened link directs to the site hosting APKUpdater. is not affiliated with the app’s hosting or distribution.
Wait as Downloader connects to the website and downloads the app. When the download finishes, Downloader will automatically prepare the app for installation. Click INSTALL.
Once installed, select DONE.
You’ll be taken back to Downloader. Since the APK file is no longer needed after installation, it’s best to delete it. Click the Delete button.
Confirm by selecting Delete again.

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Part 3: How to Update Third-Party Apps Using APKUpdater

Here’s how to update your sideloaded apps with the APKUpdater app:

Press and hold the Home button on your Fire TV remote. When the menu appears, select Apps.
Open the APKUpdater app. If you don’t see its icon, look for the last app in the grid just before the App Library tile.
If APKUpdater prompts you to update itself, click Install.
Your FireStick will request permission to let APKUpdater install unknown apps. Click Settings.
Choose Install unknown apps.
Enable the toggle for APKUpdater to allow installation of unknown apps.
To apply this change, you need to reset the app: go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Apps > APKUpdater and select Force Stop.
Select Clear Data.
Confirm by clicking Clear Data again.
Next, choose Clear Cache.
Reopen APKUpdater and click INSTALL if an update prompt appears.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Inside APKUpdater, navigate to the Settings tab.
Turn off the Google Play option, as installing updates from official sources can interfere with keeping your third-party apps fully updated.
Restart the app once more: go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Apps > APKUpdater, then select Force Stop. Open the app again and go to the Updates tab. You’ll see a list of available updates for both official and third-party apps.
Choose the app you want to update and click INSTALL.
After the webpage loads, scroll down.
Click Download APK and follow the on-screen prompts to finish updating the app.

How to Update Apps on FireStick

And that’s basically the whole trick—APKUpdater makes keeping third-party FireStick apps updated way less of a pain, since it grabs the newest versions from places like APKMirror, Aptoide, and F-Droid (so yeah, the update screens might look a little different depending on where it finds the file). One quick real-talk note though: streaming from sketchy third-party apps can get legally messy depending on where you live and what you’re watching, so it’s worth being careful. No piracy cheerleading here—but if those apps are still being used anyway, using a VPN is a smart move to keep online activity and identity from being wide open.

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Here’s a simple walkthrough to help you get ExpressVPN on your Fire TV Stick:

Step 1: Subscribe to ExpressVPN here. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free. If it doesn’t meet your expectations (which is unlikely), you can request a full refund.
Step 2: Power on your FireStick and go to Find > Search.
Step 3: Type ExpressVPN in the search bar and select the app from the suggestions.
Step 4: Click Download to install the ExpressVPN app on your device.
Step 5: Launch the app and sign in using the credentials you set up during registration.
Step 6: Hit the Power icon to connect to a secure VPN server. That’s it—your streaming activity is now encrypted and anonymous.
For more information, you can check out our full guide on using ExpressVPN with FireStick.

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Final Thoughts

Keeping your FireStick apps updated is one of those boring-but-necessary habits (like cleaning out junk files) that saves a ton of headaches later—because updates don’t just bring shiny new features, they also fix annoying bugs, improve speed, and patch security holes before your device starts acting possessed. Leave apps untouched for too long and, yeah… expect random crashes, weird glitches, or that lovely moment when an app simply refuses to open like it’s on strike. The good news? Whether the apps came straight from the Amazon Appstore or were sideloaded like a rebellious little side project, the steps above make it easy to keep everything current and running smoothly. If anything breaks, looks confusing, or feels like Amazon designed it specifically to test patience, drop a comment—someone here will help you untangle it.

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