Clear the Cache on a Fire TV Stick
When an app stops working correctly, one of the most common causes is a corrupted cache. Apps can slow down and underperform due to a too large cache. In both of these cases, the solution is to clear the cache.
Here’s how to clear the cache on Fire TV Stick and other Fire TV devices:
What Is a Fire TV Cache?
One of the most valuable things about Fire TV devices is that you can download apps that let you watch videos, listen to music, and do many other things. Each app that you download has a cache, which is data that the app temporarily stores on your Fire TV device while it’s operating.
Fire TV Stick and other Fire TV devices have enough processing power to stream video, and the Fire TV Cube and Fire TV 4K can even stream in 4K, but problems like slow speeds, lag, and app crashes still happen. If you’re experiencing any of these problems, then you should clear the cache on your Fire TV Stick or Fire TV.
In most cases, clearing the cache on your Fire TV Stick will fix problems like slow speeds and app crashes. However, you may need to remove app data, clear cookies, or even reset your Fire TV Stick to its factory settings if that doesn’t do the trick.
How to Free Up Space on a Fire TV Stick
Clearing the cache of an app that tends to create a giant cache can help free up space on your Fire TV Stick, but that’s only one option.
If your aim in clearing the cache on your Fire TV Stick is to free up space, you also need to look at the size of individual apps and how much data they store on your device.
Press Home on your remote, and navigate to Settings > My Fire TV > About > Storage. This screen allows you to see how much storage space your device has left. If it’s running low on storage, then you will need to clear the cache or data on some apps or even remove apps that you don’t use regularly. You need to select Device or System instead of My Fire TV with some Fire TV devices and older software versions. Press Home on your remote, and navigate to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications. Press up and down on your remote to scroll through installed apps and look at the information on the right side of the screen. Then you can identify which apps are taking up the most space. Here’s what each section means: Size — The total space taken up by the app, local data, and temporary cache. Application — The amount of space the application takes up by itself. Data — The amount of space taken up by locally stored data, like photos and videos that you’ve downloaded to your Fire TV device. Cache — The amount of space taken up by temporary cache files. To free up space, select an app you don’t use a lot or one that has a large cache or locally stored data. Uninstall the app, clear the cache, or clear local data. Use Clear cache to remove temporary cache files, Clear data to remove locally stored data, or Uninstall to remove the app along with its local data and cache. Repeat this process until you have enough free space.
How to Reset a Fire TV Stick to Factory Settings
Clearing an app’s cache on your Fire TV Stick will typically allow the app to start working correctly again. In some cases, you may need to choose the clear data option or even delete the app and re-download it.
This screen allows you to see how much storage space your device has left. If it’s running low on storage, then you will need to clear the cache or data on some apps or even remove apps that you don’t use regularly.
Press up and down on your remote to scroll through installed apps and look at the information on the right side of the screen. Then you can identify which apps are taking up the most space.
Here’s what each section means:
Size — The total space taken up by the app, local data, and temporary cache. Application — The amount of space the application takes up by itself. Data — The amount of space taken up by locally stored data, like photos and videos that you’ve downloaded to your Fire TV device. Cache — The amount of space taken up by temporary cache files.
If your Fire TV Stick or Fire TV device still doesn’t work correctly after clearing the cache of individual apps, you can perform a factory reset to clear all of the data stored on your device. It affects your entire Fire TV Stick instead of only dealing with one app at a time.
Here’s how to clear all of the data on your Fire TV device and return it to its original factory state:
Press the home button on your remote. Navigate to Settings > My Fire TV. Depending on your device, and the version of your software, you may see Device or System instead of My Fire TV. Select Reset to Factory Defaults. Select Reset. Wait for your Fire TV device to reset.
