How to Delete Apps on a Firestick (and Free Up Storage)
To delete an app on a Firestick, go to Settings, then Applications, then Manage Installed Applications. Select the app, choose Uninstall, and confirm. There is also a quicker way: highlight the app on the home screen or in your apps list, press the Menu button (the one with three lines), and choose Uninstall.
Both methods do the same thing. If Uninstall is missing, or you mainly want storage back, the sections below cover that too, along with apps you sideloaded yourself.
Method 1: Delete an app from Settings
This is the method Amazon documents. It works on every Fire TV model, and it lists every installed app in one place, including ones that never show up on the home screen.
- Press Home on the remote and open Settings (the gear icon).
- Select Applications.
- Select Manage Installed Applications.
- Scroll to the app you want to remove and select it.
- Select Uninstall, then confirm on the next screen.
The app goes away right after you confirm. The same screen also offers Force Stop, Clear Cache and Clear Data. If you only want an app to start behaving again, try those before deleting it. Our guide to clearing the cache explains how they differ.
Method 2: Delete an app with the Menu button
This is faster when the app is already on your screen.
- On the home screen, move to the app in your apps row. If it is not there, open your full list of apps from the home screen (called Your Apps & Channels or the app library, depending on your software).
- Highlight the app, but do not open it.
- Press the Menu button on the remote. It has three horizontal lines.
- Choose Uninstall from the panel that opens, then confirm.
The options in that panel depend on your Fire TV software version. If you see Offload but not Uninstall, or nothing changes when you press Menu, use Method 1 instead.
Uninstall, offload or clear: which one do you need?
Newer Fire TV software has a few ways to free up an app, and they are easy to mix up.
| Option | What it removes | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Cache | Temporary files the app can rebuild | The app is slow or glitchy, or you need a little space back |
| Clear Data | All of the app's saved data, including your sign-in | The app still fails after clearing the cache |
| Offload | The app itself, but it keeps your sign-in and settings | You want the space back but plan to use the app again |
| Uninstall | The app and all its data | You are done with the app, or a clean reinstall is the fix |
Amazon says an offloaded app shows a small cloud icon, and you can download it again from that icon with your sign-in still in place. Offload needs an internet connection, and it is not available on older models, such as the first and second generation Fire TV Stick and the Fire TV Stick Basic Edition, or on devices with a Kids profile set up.
Why there is no Uninstall option
If you select an app and Uninstall is missing or greyed out, it is usually one of these:
- It is a built-in app. Some apps come with the Fire TV and are part of the system. You cannot remove them the normal way, and you do not need to. Most take up little space and stay off the home screen if you do not pin them.
- You are in the wrong menu. The Menu button panel can look different from one software version to the next. Go to Settings, Applications, Manage Installed Applications, where Amazon's own instructions point.
- The app is still running. Select Force Stop first, then try Uninstall again.
- The stick has hung. Restart it and try again. A restart deletes nothing.
A factory reset is not the way to get rid of a built-in app. It removes everything you installed, and the built-in apps come straight back.
Deleting apps you installed with Downloader
Apps you sideloaded from outside the Appstore, such as many IPTV players, are deleted the same way. They show up in Manage Installed Applications like any other app.
Sideloading can leave a second thing behind: the installer file. If you used the Downloader app, the APK file you downloaded may still be sitting in Downloader's files after the app was installed. Open Downloader, go to its Files section, and delete installer files you no longer need. Once the app is installed, you do not need the file.
Low storage? Free up space in this order
Most people search for this because the Firestick says it is running low on storage, or because apps refuse to install or update. Work through this list from the top. The early steps keep your sign-ins.
- Clear all app caches at once. In Manage Installed Applications, select Clear all Application Caches and confirm. Amazon points to this as the fix for low storage messages.
- Delete apps you do not use. Old trial apps, games you finished and duplicate players are the usual suspects.
- Offload rather than uninstall any app you might use again, if your model supports it.
- Delete leftover installer files in Downloader, as above.
- Clear data for one large app as a last step. This signs you out of that app.
Amazon's Auto Offload setting can also do some of this for you. It is on by default, and you can find it under Settings, Applications, Auto Offload. When storage gets low, it offloads apps you have not used for a while. Separately, Amazon says the stick clears the cache of apps that have not been used for more than 30 days once storage is low, and that one cannot be turned off.
Running out of space also stops software updates. If an update is stuck, free some space first and then follow our Firestick update guide.
Reinstalling an app you deleted
Apps from the Amazon Appstore stay linked to your Amazon account, so you can find them in the Appstore again and download them without buying them twice. Sideloaded apps have to be installed the same way you did it the first time. For an IPTV player, our Firestick install guide and the Fire TV setup tutorial walk through it.
Deleting a player app does not cancel anything with your TV provider. The subscription lives with the provider, not on the stick. When you reinstall, you will need to enter your login or playlist details again, so keep them somewhere you can find them.
Frequently asked questions
Does deleting an app on a Firestick cancel the subscription?
No. Uninstalling removes the app from the stick, nothing more. Subscriptions you pay for through Amazon or directly to a service carry on until you cancel them where you signed up.
Can I delete pre-installed apps on a Firestick?
Some, but not all. If an app came with the Fire TV and Uninstall does not appear, it is a system app and cannot be removed the normal way. You can still move it off your home screen.
How do I find apps I uninstalled?
Appstore apps can be found again by searching for them, and they reinstall from your Amazon account. Offloaded apps still show on the stick with a cloud icon, and selecting one downloads it again.
Why does my Firestick say storage is full when I have few apps?
Cached files, leftover installer files and app data all count, not just the apps themselves. Clear all application caches first, then check Downloader for old installer files.
Will deleting apps make my Firestick faster?
It can help if the stick was nearly out of space, because a full stick struggles with updates and app data. If storage is fine and the stick is still slow, a restart is the better first step.
For Amazon's own instructions, see their help page on uninstalling games and apps on Fire TV. If you are a HoxyTV customer and need help setting your player up again after a reinstall, start at our support page.
