How to Factory Reset an Amazon Fire Device

To factory reset an Amazon Fire device, open its settings and choose the factory-reset option, or use the device’s recovery controls if you are locked out. A factory reset erases personal data, downloaded apps, account information, and device settings, so save anything important before continuing.

When should you factory reset an Amazon Fire device?

A factory reset returns an Amazon Fire tablet or Fire TV Stick to its original setup state. It is appropriate when you need to erase the entire device, not when you only want to close an app or restart the device.

Common reasons to factory reset an Amazon Fire device include:

• You forgot the lock-screen password or parental-controls password and cannot reach the settings.
• The device remains frozen, repeatedly restarts, or does not work normally after a regular restart.
• You are preparing the device for resale or giving it to someone else and need to remove your account and personal information.

Try a normal restart first if the device is merely slow or an app is frozen. Resetting should usually be the last troubleshooting step because locally stored data is removed.

What should you do before resetting an Amazon Fire device?

Back up personal files that exist only on the device. Check photos, videos, documents, app data, and downloaded media. Content already stored in your Amazon account may become available again after you sign in, but files saved only on the device can be permanently lost.

• Write down the email address used for the Amazon account registered to the device.
• Make sure you know the Amazon account password or can recover it from another device.
• Charge a Fire tablet sufficiently and leave it connected to power if the battery is low.
• Keep a Fire TV Stick connected to its normal power adapter throughout the reset.
• Safely eject expandable storage from a Fire TV device before resetting it.
• Record Wi-Fi details and sign-in information for other apps you plan to restore.

Do not interrupt the reset by disconnecting power or repeatedly pressing buttons once erasing has begun.

How do you factory reset an Amazon Fire device from Settings?

Use the Settings method when the touchscreen or Fire TV remote works and you can unlock the device. Menu wording can vary slightly with the installed Fire OS version.

On a Fire tablet:

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen and open Settings.
2. Select Device Options.
3. Select Reset to Factory Defaults.
4. Select Reset to confirm that you want to erase the tablet.
5. Leave the tablet powered on while it completes the reset and restarts.

On a Fire TV Stick or another Fire TV device:

1. Open Settings from the Fire TV home screen.
2. Select My Fire TV.
3. Select Reset to Factory Defaults.
4. Choose the on-screen option to continue.
5. Wait for the reset and the remote-pairing instructions to appear.

How do you reset an Amazon Fire device when locked out?

Recovery mode is a separate startup screen used to erase a Fire tablet when its normal settings cannot be reached. On a powered-off Fire tablet, Amazon’s current instructions use the Power and Volume Down buttons together to enter recovery mode.

1. Turn the Fire tablet completely off.
2. Press and hold Power and Volume Down together until the recovery screen appears, then release the buttons.
3. Use the volume buttons to highlight Wipe data/factory reset.
4. Press the Power button to select it.
5. Confirm the erase command, then select the option to restart when the reset finishes.

If that button combination does not open recovery mode, stop rather than repeatedly selecting unfamiliar options. Check the instructions for the exact tablet in Amazon support through {site}, because recovery controls can differ on older hardware.

For a Fire TV Stick whose menus are unreachable, press and hold the Back button and the right side of the remote’s navigation circle together. Release them when the factory-reset prompt appears, then follow the on-screen confirmation. A missing or unpaired remote may need to be reconnected before this method works.

What happens after an Amazon Fire factory reset?

A factory reset removes account information, downloaded apps, downloaded content, saved Wi-Fi networks, preferences, and files stored in the device’s internal storage. It also deregisters the device from the Amazon account that was previously using it.

The Amazon Fire device restarts at its initial setup screen. A Fire TV device may first ask you to pair its remote. The reset does not give the next user access to the former owner’s Amazon account, but the device will need an Amazon account and an internet connection for normal setup.

Do not hand over the device until the setup screen appears. Reaching that screen confirms that the erase process has finished.

What can you do if an Amazon Fire reset will not finish?

If an Amazon Fire device remains on its logo, enters a reset loop, or will not power on, first give it time to finish. Restarting during an active erase can make recovery take longer.

1. Keep the device connected to reliable power and check that its power cable and adapter are firmly attached.
2. If there has been no progress for an extended period, disconnect power from a Fire TV device briefly and reconnect it. For a tablet, use the Power button to force a restart.
3. Try recovery mode again on a Fire tablet, or repeat the supported remote reset on a Fire TV device.
4. If the recovery screen reports an error, the device keeps looping, or it still shows no sign of power, contact Amazon support and provide the device type, the screen message, and the troubleshooting already attempted.

A factory reset cannot solve a failed power source, damaged display, or unresponsive physical button. Check those basic controls before repeating the erase process.

How do you set up an Amazon Fire device again?

After the factory reset, follow the on-screen setup in order:

1. Select the language and reconnect the Amazon Fire device to Wi-Fi.
2. Install any required system update and allow the device to restart if prompted.
3. Sign in with the Amazon account email and password you noted before the reset.
4. Choose the available restore option if the setup process offers one.
5. Reinstall needed apps and sign in to each separate app account.
6. Check cloud libraries for eligible Amazon content and restore personal files from your backup.
7. Set a new lock-screen password or parental-controls password and store it securely.

If the device is being given to someone else, leave it at the initial setup screen. The new owner can connect to Wi-Fi and register the Amazon Fire device with their own account.