Many folks consider their Amazon Fire tablet to be a stand-up device, so many of these problems might not be issues for you. However, with everything going on in the latest Fire, it's entirely possible that you're experiencing some issue or another.
Here are a few common Amazon Fire problems and how to fix them.
- My Amazon Fire won't connect to Wi-Fi
- My Amazon Fire won't connect to my PC
- "An internal error occurred"
- My Amazon Fire tablet won't charge
- The keyboard on my Amazon Fire tablet is misbehaving
- No audio through my Amazon Fire's speakers or headphones
- The screen is frozen or my Amazon Fire tablet is unresponsive
My Amazon Fire won't connect to Wi-Fi
What good is a tablet with no internet?
Is your Wi-Fi up to snuff?
Before completely blaming your Amazon Fire, double-check that other devices in your home can connect to Wi-Fi. If your phone and your laptop aren't connecting either, then you may want to contact your internet service provider. It's likely not your tablet.
Is Airplane mode on?
Next, make sure that airplane mode is turned off. It might seem like a no-brainer, but just have a look. You may have accidentally tapped and activated it without realizing. To check:
- Swipe down from the top of your home screen.
- Tap Wireless.
- Tap Off next to Airplane mode to disable it if it's on.
Is your software up-to-date?
Next, you'll want to double-check that your Amazon Fire has the latest software installed. Visit Amazon's Device Software Updates to make sure.
Restart your Wi-Fi connection
- Swipe down from the top of your home screen.
- Tap Wireless.
- Tap Wi-Fi.
- Tap Off.
- Wait a few seconds for your tablet to fully disconnect.
- Tap On to turn Wi-Fi back on.
Restart your Amazon Fire tablet
Press and hold the power button until your tablet restarts automatically. If it restarts before the 40 seconds are up, release the power button. If it doesn't restart automatically after 40 seconds, release the button and press it again to turn on your Fire.
Can your Amazon Fire find your network?
You'll want to make sure that the Wi-Fi network you're trying to connect to is accessible by your Amazon Fire.
- Swipe down from the top of your home screen.
- Tap Wireless.
- Tap Wi-Fi.
- Tap Scan.
If your network doesn't show up, you can always add it manually.
Change the channel?
Make sure you router uses a Wi-Fi channel from 1 to 11. Double-check with your internet service provider if they provided your router, or double-check with the manufacturer of your router.
Restart your router and modem
- Unplug your modem and router.
- Wait at least 30 seconds.
- Plug in your modem and wait for it to turn on.
- Plug in your router.
Still having trouble?
If you've tried all of these fixes, then contact your internet service provider to troubleshoot your network. If it's not your network, then you'll want to contact Amazon directly.
My Amazon Fire won't connect to my PC
It can be a real pain in the butt when you're just trying to transfer files from your PC onto your Amazon Fire, but neither device wants to cooperate.
First, try resetting both devices. Turn your computer and Amazon Fire tablet off for a few seconds. This will halt any faulty connections that the two are trying to make with one another. Then turn them both back on and try to reconnect.
Try a cloud storage app, like Dropbox to transfer your files. This will essentially let you upload them to a secure folder on the internet and wirelessly retrieve them on either device. You could even try to email files to yourself, so long as they're not too large.
Try using a different USB cable. It may seem like a "DUH" fix, but it might just be the solution. If you have another open USB port, try that as well. It might sound like an "IT Crowd"-style solution, but just humor us and try it!
"An internal error occurred"
Internal errors can be caused by myriad issues, but some Amazon Fire tablet owners might see messages like, "This can be caused by a lack of network connectivity. Please make sure you have a good network connection."
Check your connection
Turn your modem and router off and then turn them on again after 30 seconds. This might give your connection the kick in the pants that it needs.
Reset your tablet
Hold down the power button down for 40 seconds until your Amazon Fire tablet automatically restarts. If it restarts before the 40 seconds is up, release the power button. If it hasn't restarted after 40 seconds, release the power button and press it again to turn on your tablet.
Clear app data
Sometimes these internal errors can happen when trying to open certain apps.
- Swipe down from the top of your home screen.
- Tap More.
- Tap Applications.
- Tap Installed Applications.
- Tap the app that won't load.
- Tap Force Stop.
- Tap OK.
- Tap Clear Data.
- Tap OK.
Make sure the data and time are correct on your Amazon Fire
- Swipe down from the top of your home screen.
- Tap More.
- Tap Date and Time.
Try unregistering and registering your Amazon Fire again
- Swipe down from the top of your home screen.
- Tap More.
- Tap My Account.
- Tap Deregister.
Once "deregistered," just register again.
My Amazon Fire tablet won't charge
Your device not charging is kind of a HUGE problem. After all, you didn't buy a disposable tablet, did you? Give these fixes a try.
Shut it down
Press and hold the power button for 20 seconds to turn off your tablet and then plug it in. If you hold it for any longer, your tablet will restart.
Is it your cable?
First, make sure you're using the charging cable that came with your Amazon Fire. Then try using another device with your charging cable to make sure your cable is still in good working condition. If it isn't, you'll need a new one!
Are you fully connected?
If the orange charging light doesn't come on when your tablet is plugged in, it could be your physical connection. Some Amazon Fire tablets have been known to have loose charging ports.
Start by trying to gently push the cable in a bit further. If that doesn't work, try gently moving it from side to side. If you have a loose port and nothing works, you'll want to contact Amazon for a replacement tablet.
The keyboard on my Amazon Fire tablet is misbehaving
Trying to type "I love you," but it ends up saying "fqekrhgreiohg?" Sometimes touch keyboards can have little conniptions and decide to revolt. Here's how to fix that.
Clean your screen!
If you're wolfing down KFC and using your Fire at the same time, the screen's gonna get filthy. Even without fried chicken fingers, your screen will still collect dirt and fingerprints, which can mess with touch sensitivity and accuracy. Use a clean microfiber cloth and clean that screen.
Is there a screen protector on your screen?
Most screen protectors are made so as not to interfere with the touch sensitivity of your tablet, but now and again things just don't jive. You may even have air bubbles under the protector, which can make typing a bit of a crapshoot.
Either take off the screen protector or smooth out the bubbles with the application card that came with the protector (you can also use a credit card). Start in the center of your Amazon Fire and gently push out towards the edges with the edge of the card.
Reset your Amazon Fire
Hold the power button down for 20 seconds. Wait a few seconds and then turn on your tablet again.
Factory reset (last-ditch effort)
You'll lose all of your content, so make sure you back up your Amazon Fire before trying a factory reset. If even a factory reset doesn't work, then you'll want to contact Amazon directly for a replacement.
No audio through my Amazon Fire's speakers or headphones
Some folks aren't getting any sound through their Amazon Fire tablet's speakers. Some folks aren't getting any sound through their headphones. Some folks aren't getting any sound at all.
There are probably a few issues in play, so try these potential fixes:
Double-check the volume
It may seem obvious, but press the volume rocker on the side of your Amazon Fire tablet to make sure that you haven't mistakenly turned it down or it hasn't randomly lowered its volume.
After that, try this:
- Swipe down from the top of your home screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Display and Sounds.
Make sure the volume slider is all the way up or at least where you'd like it to be.
Have you tried turning it off and on again?
If your speakers aren't working, try plugging in a pair of headphones and then unplugging them while audio is playing. This might jog the speakers into action, since you may have unplugged your headphones while your tablet was sleeping, so when it woke up, it thought that headphones were still plugged in.
If that doesn't work, hold the power button for 20 seconds until your Amazon Fire powers down completely. Wait a few seconds and turn it back on.
Is a case the case?
If you're not getting any sound out of your headphones and you have a case on your Amazon Fire tablet, try taking it off. The case may be too bulky, preventing your headphone pin from being fully inserted.
The thing's jacked up
You might have a faulty headphone jack. If you hear any audio distortion or static, then switch headphones. If you're still getting distortion or audio doesn't play in one position but does when you wiggle the headphone pin, then you'll want to contact Amazon directly for a replacement.
The screen is frozen or my Amazon Fire tablet is unresponsive
If you're in the middle of downloading apps or other content, your Fire might be slow to respond. Before restarting or trying anything else, wait for your downloads to complete and even a minute or two after that. Your Fire might speed right back up.
The Amazon Fire tablet doesn't quite have the CPU that other, more powerful tablets have, so if you have a ton of apps open at once and you notice slow performance, close the apps you're not using.
If that fails, try a good ol' restart. Hold the power button down for 40 seconds or until your tablet restarts. If it does not automatically restart after 40 seconds, release the power button and press it again to turn on your tablet.
If it's still slow after you restart, then try a reset:
- Swipe down from the top of your home screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Reset Device.
Your fiery experience
Have you run into any of these problems? Were you able to fix them? Let us know in the comments section below!
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