New updates are being added to the bottom of the story…

Original story (from April 12, 2021) follows:

There is no shortage of smart TV operating systems in the market today as almost every OEM has something unique going on for them.

However, there are a few operating systems that seem to come up on top, Apple TV for users in the proverbial Apple ecosystem, Google’s Android TV (now Google TV), and Amazon’s Fire TV for the rest.

Amazon Fire TV stick
Amazon Fire TV stick

Of course, there are other formidable players like Roku TV but for anyone in unsupported regions, the experience can be a little too limited.

Amazon’s Fire TV recently got an update that brought with it a bunch of UI changes. According to Amazon’s Fire team, they were going for an experience that is more personal, faster, and easier than ever to use.

For many, that is all they ever want from a smart TV experience and Amazon really went above and beyond to deliver exactly that…or at least that is what they were aiming at.

A quick scroll through the community forums and opinions are split sharply. A section of users is borderline enraged over this new update while others think it’s not so bad.

fire tv new ui
Source

Hi. My FireTV just updated and i have new launcher and i really hate it. Everything is messed and there is ad everywhere. Also my device is laggy. So how to install custom launcher, what’s currently working method? I heard about Wolf Launcher but I don’t really like it.

I installed LeanbackOnFore from a yt tutorial and it didn’t work, but i like this launcher. So is it any working method to set this launcher as default when clicking home button? Or any different?
Source

Really unimpressed with the banner ads on the fireTV cube that have been added with the new UI. Especially nice that they take up more of the screen than anything useful. Has Amazon made any comment about them and if they are here to stay or if there will be an option to remove them?

Are there any non-official ways to remove them or to root the device and put on entirely different software?
Source

How do I replace the new interface? As the title says, I don’t like the new interface at all.. I just want to show apps I have installed like a android. Anyone know how I can change it?
Source

While these opinions all seem to fall on polar opposites of each other, there are some users (1,2,3) who fall on the fence on this new update.

Now onto you. How do you feel about the recent Amazon Fire TV new UI update? Do you agree with the user reports above-mentioned?

Below is a poll that we’re running for the next 6 days. Make your selection and we shall reveal the poll results come Monday April 19.

Update (April 21)

And our readers have spoken. Among those who voted, 20% like the new user interface while 60% absolutely hate it. Interestingly 15% of you wouldn’t be bothered as you don’t really care.

NOTE: We have these and many more Fire TV stories in our dedicated Amazon section so stay tuned.

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Clinton Madegwa
1118 Posts

A cybernaut grasping at all things tech. Lover of Android, Linux, and custom ROMS. A nerd, a writer, an avid reader.

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