Amazon Fire tablet problems and how to fix them

The Kindle Fire range, now known as Amazon Fire, has been quite the success story in the world of Android tablets. Since the original Kindle Fire made its debut, Amazon’s devices have seen numerous upgrades, with the HD coming in various sizes and offering content for different audiences. Of course, even the most popular products out there have some problems, gathered some of the most common problems with the Amazon Fire HD, and offer potential solutions to fix them!

Freezing or not starting up

Some users have reported that they encounter brief freezes or issues when starting up their Fire tablets, or cannot turn on the device at all.

Possible solutions:

• Hold down the power button for forty seconds to force reset the device (the tablet will turn off), and then press the power button to turn it back on. This may clear out any glitches that are causing the problem.
• If you think that your battery may be empty, leave it charging for about half an hour or until the charge light turns green before you try to turn it back on.

Tablet not charging

Some Amazon Fire HD owners have commented on numerous problems with the battery and charging. Some simply refuse to charge, whereas others charge only a fraction and slowly charge.

Potential Solutions:

• Turn off your Fire HD, then charge for a couple of hours. Wait for the charging light to turn green before you attempt to turn it back on again.
• Try the charger with an alternate device to ensure that the cable or charger is not broken. If it isn’t, try using another outlet you know is working.
• If the light to indicate charging does not appear, try pushing the cable further or moving it gently. Some Fire HD’s have been found to have loose ports. If your port does turn out to be loose, the best option is to pick up a replacement. Here are our lists of the best chargers and best charging cables.

Audio problems

A few users have reported problems with getting audio to come through their headphones or speakers on their Fire tablets.

Potential Solutions:

• Make sure that your volume is turned up by tapping the volume up button at the side of the tablet, or go to Settings > Sound and manually control the volume.
• If your speakers aren’t working, try plugging in a set of headphones, then unplugging them again, or soft reboot your tablet by turning it off and on again.
• If you have a case on your device and your headphones aren’t working correctly, try removing the case and trying the headphones again.
• Try jiggling the headphone jack gently and see whether there’s a sound. If it does, you may need to contact Amazon about getting a replacement, as the port or speakers are likely faulty.

Prime Video problems

Some users have run into problems when trying to play videos on Amazon Prime Video. They see different error codes like 1007, 1022, 7003, 7005, 7031, 7135, 7202, 7203, 7204, 7206, 7207, 7230, 7250, 7251, 7301, 7303, 7305, 7306, 8020, 9003, 9074.

Potential solutions:

• Close the Prime Video app on your device and restart the tablet.
• Make sure that the tablet is running the latest software version. To check, go to Settings > Device Options > System Updates > Updates.
• You might see errors if the same account is on multiple devices. You can only stream the same title on three devices simultaneously.
• Of course, make sure that you have a stable Internet connection. You may need to restart your Wi-Fi router.
• Ensure you aren’t connected to a VPN or a proxy server. Amazon Prime Video doesn’t work with these services.

E-books disappearing

Some Fire HD tablet owners cannot find their downloaded e-books, or the e-book isn’t opening when the device is offline.

Potential solutions:

• There is a way to download the Google Play Store on a Fire tablet, which could cause this problem. First, find the Kindle app in the Play Store and uninstall it (it’s already on the device via the Amazon Store and could cause a conflict). In the Play Store, tap on your profile icon, then go into Settings. Expand Network preferences. Tap on Auto-update apps, and select Don’t auto-update apps. Then hit OK.
• If you don’t have the Play Store installed, it could be a sync issue. Force reset the tablet by holding the power button for 40 seconds or until it restarts, and then sync the e-books again.
• You might also need to clear the app cache. Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps > Kindle > Storage, then tap on Clear Cache. You can also try to Clear Storage. This will delete all app data, including your log-in credentials and files. You’ll need to set it up again.

Wi-Fi issues

There are various reasons why you may have Amazon Fire tablet problems connecting to a Wi-Fi network.

Potential Solutions:

• Start by ensuring that you do not accidentally have Airplane mode activated and that Wi-Fi is on by going to Settings > Internet and making sure Wi-Fi is On. Also, make sure the device is connected to your Wi-Fi network.
• Restart the tablet and check if the connection is back.
• Download a Wi-Fi analyzer app to make sure that channels in your area are not too busy.
• Of course, make sure that your internet connection is actually working by testing it with another device.
• Try restarting the router, if there is no internet connection. Some routers have a reset button, and some can be turned off using an app. If yours has neither capability, simply unplugging it, waiting for 30-60 seconds, and plugging it back in will do the trick.

Stuck on the logo screen

Some users find that their Fire tablet is stuck on the logo screen before turning off. This is likely caused because of a low charge on the tablet.

Potential solutions:

• Charge your tablet for at least half an hour or until the charge light is green. Then, hold the power button for 40 seconds or more until the device restarts.
• Some users have found that plugging the tablet into a computer makes it load past the logo screen.
• You might have to reboot the system by going into Recovery Mode. To do so, first power off the device. Turn it on and press and hold the power and volume down buttons simultaneously. Navigate to the Reboot System Now option using the volume up and down keys. Press the power button to select this option.

What Amazon Fire tablet problems have you encountered? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. We’ll do our best to help.