Amazon Fire TV

Amazon Fire TV is now blocking the installation of some sideloaded apps

Ben Schoon | Jan 31 2026 - 8:55 am PT

Amazon has been on a crusade to stop rampant piracy on Fire TV, with the company now blocking even the installation of certain sideloaded apps.

In late 2025, Amazon started cracking down on sideloaded piracy apps by blocking the use of apps. On opening the app, a fullscreen pop-up would appear, with no easy way to get around the screen and actually access the app. Now, Amazon is taking this a step further.

As reported by AFTVNews, Amazon Fire TV is now showing a similar screen on the installation of these sideloaded apps, with a prominent message saying “app installation blocked,” with a reason listed below:

This app has been blocked because it provides access to unlicensed content.

Amazon then links to a support page which, on the US version, explains why Amazon is blocking apps and explicitly says that Amazon will not offer workarounds or exceptions.

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…To protect both customers and content creators, Fire TV disables apps that are identified as using or providing access to unlicensed content. We encourage you to explore the wide range of content options available through the Amazon Appstore…

…We have a thorough review process that identifies apps that use or provide access to unlicensed content. When an app is identified as using or providing access to unlicensed content, we inform you and provide the option to uninstall. For app-related refunds, please contact the app developer directly…

…We can’t make exceptions as these measures protect all customers and content creators. Our device protections help safeguard you from risks associated with unlicensed content…

This also comes as Amazon’s new “VegaOS” blocks sideloading entirely, as the platform is no longer based on Android and, thus, not compatible with Android apps.