Skip to main content

Apple TV app hits Amazon Fire TV devices in preparation for Apple TV+ launch

Image used with permission by copyright holder

There’s nothing quite like a deadline to get things moving. With one week to go before the official launch of Apple TV+, Apple added its TV app to Amazon’s Fire TV platform. Available starting October 24 for both the Fire TV Stick (second generation) and Fire TV Stick 4K, the Apple TV app will also be making its way to other Fire TV devices in the coming weeks.

Apple’s TV app gives users access to a single environment in which they can stream video content from a wide variety of sources, including any previous iTunes purchases stored in iCloud. But the biggest reason Apple has to put its TV app on as many devices as possible is that it’s the exclusive home of Apple TV+, the company’s soon-to-launch $5 per month video streaming service.

Apple TV+ needs all of the potential eyeballs it can get. It launches into a video streaming market that is already fiercely competitive and getting hotter each month. With Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Sling TV, and dozens of other subscription services vying for consumers’ dollars, it will be interesting to see how much of a dent Apple can make. Not only will the service have limited content at launch, but Disney+ will be hot on its heels when it debuts on November 12.

Apple previously announced that it would roll out the TV app for many of the biggest streaming device platforms, including smart TVs from LG, Vizio, and others. So far, (in addition to Apple’s own devices) those platforms include select Samsung smart TVs, which also received AirPlay 2 support, Roku devices, and computers with modern web browsers. The addition of Fire TV streamers is a big milestone toward making the TV app accessible to everyone.

Fire TV Stick (second generation) and Fire TV Stick 4K customers will be able to download the app starting today in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and India. Fire TV Basic Edition customers in over 50 countries can also find the Apple TV app in the Amazon Appstore on their Fire TV. Fire TV Cube (first and second generation), Fire TV (third generation pendant design), Toshiba and Insignia Fire TV Edition smart TVs, and Nebula soundbar will all get the Apple TV app “soon,” however,  Fire TV (first and second generation) and Fire TV Stick (first generation) won’t be getting it.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
You can now make your own AI art with Amazon Fire TV
An example of AI-generated art made available on Amazon Fire TV.

An example of AI-generated art now available on Amazon Fire TV. Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

Amazon has flipped the switch on its AI Art feature, allowing owners of the 2023 Fire TV Stick 4K Max and the Fire TV Omni QLED Series televisions to create their own computer-generated backgrounds. This feature was announced at Amazon's fall 2023 hardware and services event, and one about which we went deeper in our interview with Amazon Director of Fire TV Experience Joshua Danovitz.

Read more
Panasonic’s latest OLED TVs are the first with Amazon Fire TV built-in
A Panasonic OLED TV with the Amazon Fire TV interface.

Fans of Amazon's Fire TV experience haven't had a lot of options when it comes to buying TVs that don't require an external streaming device in order to access Amazon's streaming interface. But today, that changes in a big way with an announcement from Panasonic that its newest OLED TVs will have Fire TV built-in, making them the first OLED TVs to do so.

Initially, the global partnership between Panasonic and Amazon will focus on two OLED TV models, the Panasonic Z95A, which will be available in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes, and the Panasonic Z93A, which will come in a 77-inch size. However, it's expected that Panasonic will roll out additional Fire TV-based models in the future.

Read more
NordVPN tries to scare you into using its new Apple TV app
NordVPN app listing on Apple TV.

As we've written previously, tvOS 17 opened the floodgates for VPNs to run on Apple TV hardware. And the major players are all on board, along with some you've likely never heard of because not everyone has a huge marketing budget. First it was ExpressVPN, and today NordVPN has announced its availability.

Whereas some companies tout a VPN's ability to let you watch content that's not available in your country — literally by routing your network traffic through another country — NordVPN is going with scare tactics in promoting its virtual private network on Apple TV.

Read more