AMAZON has warned its Fire TV users against streaming TV shows through unofficial apps.
It is the second warning against the customisation of its popular Fire Stick device in a matter of weeks.
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Fire Sticks offer users instant access to TV shows from the likes of Prime Video, Netflix and Disney+.
Although some owners use their Fire devices for illegal streaming.
This is often done through ‘jailbreaking’ a Fire Stick, which is against the law in the UK.
The remote control can be adapted to side-load unofficial apps that aren’t found on Amazon’s store.
Now, Amazon appears to be trying to stamp out this practice with a new warning message.
When an app is side-loaded, a warning now pops up.
The alert intends to warn, naïve users who are perhaps unaware, of the dangers associated with adding unofficial software to their devices.
“WARNING: When you use applications from unknown sources, your TV and personal data are less secure and there is a risk of unexpected behaviour,” the message says, according to AFTnews.
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“You agree that you are solely responsible for any damage to your device or loss of data that may result from using these applications.”
Amazon has not fully blocked off access to these official apps.
But the message is signals the general consensus at Amazon – that it wants users to stream through official channels only.
This isn’t the only change to Fire Sticks in the past few weeks.
The latest update to Amazon’s Fire TV stick has blocked the installation of an app called ‘Remapper’.
The app was first launched in 2021 after being developed by Elias Saba, the founder of Amazon Fire TV-focused news site AFTV.
It helped Fire TV owners open a different app to the one listed on one of the remote’s four dedicated app buttons.
The first time the app was blocked was due to a change Amazon made with its Appstore, but a later update allowed the app to continue working.
But the app will no longer operate on Fire TV sticks with the latest update.
Now when users try to access the app, Fire TV immediately aborts and shuts down the app.
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