Are you experiencing the “Home is currently unavailable error? on your Fire TV? There are various factors that can cause this problem such as an internet connection issue, a glitch in the Amazon Fire TV app, or even too many apps running on the Fire Stick. To fix this you will need to perform several troubleshooting steps.
The Amazon Fire TV is a line of devices that is able to stream content from the internet to your HDMI equipped TV. This allows your regular TV to become a Smart TV allowing you to access apps such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime just to name a few. There are five version of the Fire TV ranging from the Fire TV Stick Lite to the premium Fire TV Cube.
Why Does My Fire TV say home is currently unavailable?
One of the issues that you might experience with your Amazon Fire TV Stick is when you get the home is currently available error message. This usually means that a network error has occurred or a software bug is causing the problem. This can be a frustrating experience especially if you just want to relax and watch your favorite show.
Here’s what you need to do to fix this home is currently unavailable error message.
Solution 1: Check your internet connection
Since the home is currently unavailable error message usually means that there is a problem with the network connection then it’s always a good idea to first determine if the internet connection is working.
You need to make sure that Fire TV Stick has a good internet connection by performing a speed test.
Checking your internet speed
Open a browser on your Fire TV Stick.
Go to speedtest.net. This is an online speed test tool that is free to use.
Click on Go. This will start the speed test.
In order to prevent any Amazon Fire TV stick issues you should have a good download and upload speed result. The results should match your subscription plan from your internet service provider.
The recommended speeds are as follows:
- SD (480p): 3 Mbps
- HD (720p): 5 Mbps
- Ultra HD/4K (2160p): 25 Mbps
If you have a slow internet connection then you can check if the WiFi network problem is caused by your equipment.
- Turn off your Amazon Fire TV Stick.
- Unplug your Modem and Router from the power source.
- Wait for a minute then plug your modem and router back into the power source.
- Wait until the lights turn back on.
- Turn on the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
- Reconnect your Amazon Fire TV Stick to the internet.
Here’s what you can do to get a stable internet connection.
- Try to disconnect other devices connected to the Wi-Fi router while you use the Fire TV Stick . This will allow the Fire Stick to use the maximum internet bandwidth.
- Move the Fire Stick closer to the router . This will allow the device to get a much stronger Wi-Fi signal.
- If you have a dual band router try to connect to the 5Ghz band instead of the 2.4.
Solution 2: Restart the Amazon Fire Stick device
Another possible cause of the Fire TV Stick home is currently unavailable error message is a software glitch . This action will refresh the device and fix most problems caused by a software glitch which is one of the most common reasons you will experience this issue.
There are a number of ways to perform a restart your Fire TV device.
You simply unplug the power adapter of the Amazon Fire Stick from the wall socket and leave it unplugged for a minute. Plug back the power adapter then turn it on.
You can also restart your Amazon Fire Stick from the settings menu. Scroll up on the Amazon Fire Stick home screen on your TV and highlight the “Home” tab. Scroll to the right and click on “Settings”. Scroll to the right and click on “My Fire TV”. Scroll down and click on “Restart” and your Fire Stick will automatically restart.
You can also use the Firestick device remote to do a restart. Hold the Select button and Play/Pause button together for at least five seconds until you see the “Your Amazon Fire TV is Powering Off” message on your TV display.
Once the Fire TV Stick has restarted try to check if the black screen appears.
Solution 3: HDMI port problem
Sometimes the problem can be caused by a faulty HDMI port. To check if this is the case you should try connecting the Fire Stick to a different HDMI port. Make sure that it is properly connected to the HDMI port and that it is not loose.
You should also try using the included HDMI cable extender when connecting the Fire TV Stick to your TV as this will allow you to properly position the streaming stick.
Solution 4: Check the Fire TV Stick software
Sometimes the problem can be caused by a bug present in the current Fire TV Stick software that you are using. Try getting the latest version of the Amazon Firestick Fire OS software as this will come with several enhancements and bug fixes that could address this issue.
Getting the latest OS Updates
Open Fire TV Stick Settings.
Select My Fire TV.
Open About and select Check for Updates.
If any new updates are available for your Fire TG device then then they will be automatically installed.
After the software has been updated try to check if the home is currently unavailable error.
Solution 5: Try closing apps
If you have too many apps running on your Fire Stick then there’s a chance that you will get the home is currently unavailable error. This is because of the limited amount of RAM available in the device which is usually only 8GB. Try closing all running apps then check if the problem still occurs.
Solution 6: Perform a factory reset on your Fire Stick
If after performing the troubleshooting methods listed above the home is currently unavailable error still persists then you should consider doing a factory reset on your Fire TV Stick. This brings back the device to its factory default.
Factory reset Fire Stick
- Go to the Settings menu.
- Select Reset to Factory settings.
- Click OK.
- Wait for the process to finish.
After the reset has completed on your Fire TV device then check if this fix home is currently unavailable error.
Solution 7: Contact Amazon customer service
In case the home is currently unavailable error still occurs after performing a factory reset then you should contact customer support regarding this matter. If the Fire Stick is still under warranty then it will usually be fixed or replaced with a new one.
Frequently Asked Questions
<strong>How do I deregister my Fire Stick account?</strong>
Deregistering your Fire Stick account is one way to fix home is currently unavailable error.Open Settings from the Fire TV menu.Select My Account.Select Amazon Account.Select Deregister, when you select the Deregister option, another window will appear asking you to confirm your decision, just click on Deregister again to complete the process.
<strong>What Channels Can You Get With Amazon Fire Stick?</strong>
There are a lot of channels that you can choose from. Some of them are as follows:Netflix, Crackle, Watch HGTV, Watch ESPN, HBO Now, BBC News, Showtime, YouTube, iHeart Radio, History Channel, NBA Game Time, Disney Junior, Huff Post Live.
<strong>Do You Need WiFi for the Amazon Fire Stick?</strong>
Since the Amazon Fire Stick does not have an ethernet port for a wired connection it uses a WiFi connection to connect to the internet.
<strong>What are the Amazon Fire TV Internet speed requirements?</strong>
If you want to stream in SD then you need a minimum Internet speed of 3 Megabits per second.If you want to stream in HD then you need a minimum Internet speed of 5 Megabits per second.If you want to stream in 4k UHD then you need a minimum of 25 Megabits per second.
<strong>Does the Amazon Fire Stick work on any TV?</strong>
It will work on any TV with a working HDMI port.