Amazon Fire TV devices, at least those based on Android, support the sideloading of apps. While that requires a bit of tinkering, it allows users to install apps on the device that are not listed in the Amazon App Store. One of my favorite apps for the Fire TV is SmartTube, a YouTube frontend that does away with ads and tracking on the streaming site.
Starting today, Amazon plans to introduce a blocklist for apps on its platform, according to Heise Online. The blocklist is reportedly maintained by the anti-piracy organization ACE (Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment). The organization's members include Amazon, BBC Studios, The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, Paramount Global and others.
The details:
- Amazon plans to notify users of apps that are on the blocklist initially to inform them that these apps should not be used.
- The blocking will take place in a second stage, but it is not clear yet when it will begin.
Amazon Fire TV users who run an app starting today will receive notifications when they do. The apps continue to work for now, but this will only be temporary. Neither Amazon nor ACE have published a list of applications that are on the list. It is unclear, therefore, which and how many apps are on the blocklist.
Fire TV users may continue to install applications via sideloading, including on Amazon's new operating system Vega OS, which is based on Linux and not on Android.
Amazon disabled certain apps remotely on Fire TV devices in the past
While the blocklist approach to blocking certain apps from running on Fire TV devices appears to be an expansion of previous efforts, Amazon did reportedly disable certain sideloaded apps remotely on Fire TV devices in the past already.
A Torrentfreak report from June 2025 suggests that Amazon did block two piracy apps on Fire TV devices in that month. Users of the apps got an "app disabled" prompt when they attempted to launch the apps on their devices. The only two options provided at the time were to keep the app or uninstall it. The option to "run anyway" was not provided, and selecting keep meant that the app remained installed but could not be run on the device.
It is likely that the new blocklist approach will show similar options to users, once an app that is on the list is launched on a Fire TV device.
Now You: Do you use a Fire TV device for entertainment or have another favorite? What is your take on the upcoming change? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
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