Echo Show 15 Fire TV update is rolling out

The Echo Show 15 is the largest smart display in Amazon’s current collection of smart displays, but despite its unique design, large screen, and Alexa intelligence, it always felt like it had to deliver. more.

Amazon apparently recognized this and promised a big update in a late September announcement that would bring its Fire TV interface to Show 15, bringing with it support for many other streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Now TV as well as an improved interface and, of course, support for the Fire TV remote.

Amazon wasn’t too clear on when we should expect the update during the announcement, promising a vague “later this year” rather than a month or date to expect, and nothing It’s been said since, despite us (and probably every other Echo Show 15 owner) constantly pestering Amazon for news.

So it was a nice surprise to find a message on my Echo Show 15 this morning inviting me to update. A few taps and a quick download five minutes later and the update had installed, with a shortcut to the Fire TV interface in the top right of the Echo Show 15’s UI.

It’s great that Amazon has delivered on its promise of a late 2022 launch and is rolling out the update in time for Christmas. I’m in the UK, but it’s safe to assume it will also roll out in the US and other regions where the Echo Show 15 is available to buy.

I asked Amazon for clarification on the rollout and will update this article if I have a response.

As expected, turning the Echo Show 15 into a Fire TV really does make for a more compelling offering. It’s now able to take full advantage of that big screen, and no more workarounds using web browsers to get YouTube – arguably the Echo Show 15’s biggest omission so far – and other content. It’s a particular boon for those who want to use it as a small kitchen TV to watch the news and more.

Because Fire TV supports user profiles, different members of your household can log in to see their personal content libraries for each Show 15 user.

Essentially, it’s gone from a smart display that occasionally reminded me of shopping lists and upcoming events to something I actively want to use.

You can pair an Alexa Voice Remote with the Show 15 for easier control than using your voice (or the touchscreen) – and you’ll be prompted to do so during the setup process – but there’s also a remote Virtual Fire TV that appears on-screen in apps designed around remote input rather than touch.

If you don’t see the Fire TV download prompt on screen on your Echo Show 15, you can try to force the update by going to Settings, selecting Device Options, and hitting Search updates.

Can you download apps on the Echo Show 15 with Fire TV?

One of the great things about the Fire TV interface – over dedicated Fire Sticks, that is – is the ability to sideload apps not officially available on Amazon’s Appstore. Apps can range from streaming apps like Kodi to apps like Google Photos that let you view images from your smartphone without relying on Amazon’s Photos app, further expanding what you can do with the device.

However, that’s unfortunately not the case with the Echo Show 15 with Fire TV. While you can enable the ability to install apps from outside of Amazon’s Appstore using Developer Settings on the Fire Stick, this same option is not available in the Developer Settings post. -Echo Show 15 update. This is likely due to Fire TV being introduced more as an additional app or feature rather than an overhaul of the core operating system the Echo Show 15 runs on.

That said, if you were hoping to load Kodi onto the Echo Show 15 to stream your personal movie library, I’m afraid you’re out of luck!

Are you excited about the new Fire TV feature, or isn’t that enough to entice you to buy the Echo Show 15? Let us know on Twitter.

Related Content You May Like