Deleting apps on Fire Stick takes three taps and happens when ready

Open the Fire Stick home screen, find the app you want to remove, press and hold the select button on your remote, then choose "Remove from Device" or "Uninstall" from the menu that appears. The app disappears right away. You can reinstall it later from the Amazon Appstore at no cost if you change your mind.

Fire Stick does not let you delete Amazon's own apps — things like Prime Video, Alexa, and the Appstore itself stay locked in place. But anything you downloaded yourself or that came pre-installed by a third party can go. Removing apps also frees up storage space on your device, which matters because Fire Sticks have limited built-in memory.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold the select button on any app from the home screen, then tap "Remove from Device" to delete it when ready.
  • You cannot delete Amazon's own apps, but you can hide them from your home screen so they do not clutter your view.
  • Uninstalling apps frees up storage space, which can help your Fire Stick run faster if it is running low on memory.
  • Deleted apps can be reinstalled free from the Amazon Appstore whenever you want, so removing them is reversible.

How to delete an app step by step

Start from your Fire Stick home screen. Use the remote to highlight the app you want to remove — it will have a colored border around it when selected. Press and hold the select button (the circular button in the middle of the remote's directional pad) for about two seconds.

A menu will pop up with several options. Look for "Remove from Device" or "Uninstall" — the exact wording depends on your Fire Stick model and software version, but both mean the same thing. Tap it, and the app is gone. No confirmation screen appears; it happens when ready.

If you change your mind later, go to the Amazon Appstore, search for the app by name, and select it. You will see an "Install" button instead of the usual "Open" button. Tap it, and the app downloads and installs again with no cost.

Apps you cannot delete and how to hide them instead

Amazon locks down its own apps so you cannot remove them: Prime Video, Alexa, Amazon Music, the Appstore, Silk Browser, and a few others depending on your model. These stay on your device whether you use them or not. If you do not want to see them cluttering your home screen, you can hide them instead.

To hide an Amazon app, press and hold the select button on it just as you would to delete it. Instead of "Remove from Device," you will see "Remove from Home" or "Hide." Tap that option. The app disappears from your home screen but stays installed on the device. You can bring it back anytime by going to Settings, then Apps, finding the app in your library, and selecting "Add to Home."

When to delete apps to free up storage space

Fire Sticks come with a small amount of built-in storage — usually between 8 and 16 gigabytes depending on the model. Apps, games, and cached data eat into that space. If your Fire Stick is running slowly, freezing, or taking a long time to load shows, deleting unused apps can help.

You can check how much space you have left by going to Settings, then Device and Sounds, then Storage. If you are using more than 80 percent of your storage, start removing apps you do not use regularly. Streaming apps like Netflix and Prime Video do not take up much room, but games and some third-party apps can be surprisingly large.

Deleting an app also removes its cached data — temporary files it stores to load faster next time. This is usually a good thing because cached data can pile up over time. If you reinstall the app later, it will rebuild its cache as you use it.

Removing apps you sideloaded or installed from outside the Appstore

If you installed an app by sideloading it (loading it from a computer or USB drive) or from a source outside the Amazon Appstore, the removal process is the same: press and hold select, then choose "Remove from Device." These apps do not have the same protections as Amazon's apps, so you can delete them without restriction.

Sideloaded apps sometimes appear in a separate section of your apps library or under "Unknown Sources" in your settings. If you cannot find one on your home screen, go to Settings, then Apps, then Manage Installed Applications. Scroll through the list, find the app, select it, and choose "Uninstall."

What happens to your data when you delete an app

When you uninstall an app, the app itself and its cached data are removed from your Fire Stick. But your account data — login information, watch history, preferences — usually stays with your account, not on the device. When you reinstall the app, you often log back in and your history and settings are there waiting.

Some apps store personal data locally on your device instead of in the cloud. If you delete the app without backing up that data first, you may lose it. Before uninstalling an app that holds important information — like a notes app, a password manager, or a banking app — check whether it syncs to the cloud or stores everything locally. If it is local-only, export or back up your data first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete multiple apps at once?

No, Fire Stick does not have a bulk delete feature. You have to remove apps one at a time by pressing and holding select on each one. If you have many apps to remove, it takes a few minutes, but the process is straightforward.

Will deleting an app affect my account or subscriptions?

No. Deleting an app does not cancel any subscriptions or accounts tied to it. If you pay for a service through that app, you will still be charged until you cancel the subscription through your Amazon account or the service's website. Uninstalling the app just removes it from your device.

What if an app will not delete?

If you cannot find a "Remove from Device" option, it is likely an Amazon app that is locked. Try hiding it instead by selecting "Remove from Home." If a third-party app will not delete, restart your Fire Stick and try again. Go to Settings, then Device and Sounds, then Restart.

Do I lose my place in a show or game if I delete the app?

Usually no. Most streaming apps save your watch progress to your account in the cloud, so when you reinstall and log back in, you pick up where you left off. Games vary — some save progress to the cloud, others only save locally on the device. Check the app's settings before deleting if you are worried about losing progress.

How much space will I free up by deleting apps?

It depends on the app. Streaming apps like Netflix take up 50 to 200 megabytes. Games can be much larger, sometimes 500 megabytes to over a gigabyte. Deleting a few unused games or apps can free up several gigabytes, which is meaningful on a device with limited storage.