A very impressive new mod for the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick has been released that adds some of the best aspects of the Android TV operating system without losing access to the Amazon Appstore and standard Fire TV apps. The mod is called “Playing with Fire” and was created by a reader by the name of SimLynks. It allows for the use of the Android TV home screen launcher as well as the Google Play Store on a Fire TV device. It even lets you use Google’s Live Channels app and a connected USB Tuner.
As you should expect, the Playing with Fire mod requires your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick to be rooted in order to make all the changes necessary for all of its components to function correctly. The creator of the mod developed it using a rooted Fire TV 1, but others have confirmed it also works on a rooted Fire TV Stick 1. The mod should also work on a Fire TV 2, but it has yet to be confirmed. I have not had the chance to set it up on one of my own rooted Fire TV devices yet.
This mod is not a custom ROM. Playing with Fire does not completely replace Fire OS on the Fire TV with Android TV, like you would expect from a custom ROM. Instead, it makes deep changes to Fire OS in order for components of Android TV to work on top of Fire OS.
The benefits of this approach is that aspects of Fire OS that you want to keep, like access to the Amazon Appstore and the apps you’ve installed through it, are still accessible on a Fire TV with this mod in place. The downside is that the setup process is intense and should be followed with great care and caution. The creator of this mod puts it best by saying: “This Mod is not called Playing with Fire for no reason, you’re literally holding your Fire TV’s life in your hands, if you don’t pay attention YOU WILL GET BURNED!”
That said, this is one of the most, if not the most, ambitious modification to the Fire TV that has ever been released. Enthusiasts have been wanting a way to install Android TV on the Fire TV ever since the first model was rooted. In my opinion, this mod, assuming it works correctly, is even better than that because you get the best of both worlds.
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i would like just the play store, maybe you can do a guide for it
Elias, I have gotten the ? a few times. Some (not me) are looking to extract info from this mod but only to install a working leanback PlayStore & Gapps. They want to keep the FireOS 5 UI.
Please consider making a guide for them.
I’m still digging into this mod, but I’ll definitely look into pull parts of it out into independent guides, like just installing the Google Play Store.
Try aptoide tv instead
I myself use a combination of:
APKUpdater – For notification of updates & links to those updates. It checks for updates from four sources. APKPure, APKMirror, PlayStore & UptoDown.
APKPure – For easy installation of updates available from APKPure.
Opera Beta – For easy updates available on APKMirror.
I’ve been trying the APKMirror 3rd party app but downloads have never worked on my FTV1’s. If not I would use that app too.
Will try Aptoide TV. Looks very interesting. Maybe a All-in-One.
I would like custom ROM that was pure Android TV. Just to play around with. Something to do with my old sticks that don’t have purpose anymore.
With all but a few FTV1’s with fully unlocked bootloaders. This is as close as you are going to get.
And all development for a non FireOS ROMs seem to have stopped.
So enjoy this mod now.
exactly what are the benefits of rooting my Fire TV gaming Edition that I purchasedon’t 2016.
Impressive. I looked through the steps and they are indeed involved and intimidating. Would it be possible to create a flashable ROM or a Nandroid backup for the rest of us?
Pretty cool. Closest thing to a custom rom we’ve ever seen.
i would love to try this out, but I think I’ll take the cowards approach and wait to see if this can be made into a script/rom that can be flashed. Looks awesome though.
Kudos to SimLynks. But got to say the “how-to” is missing stuff for people no so techie. I’m trying but i can’t install things. Guess i just have to wait an other guide.
I’ll have a guide soon-ish that is more detailed. Stay tuned.
thank a lot
This still coming?
Did this fall off of your agenda? I’ve just moved to Canada and my 1st gen FireTVs are pretty badly compromised by Amazon. I’d love to try this mod.
I believe I fit this bill as I am to new to the Android system on my Fire TV I wanted to learn as much as I can to be able to utilize its capabilities
Just get nvidea shield it has everything and it’s the best
It has everything except Dolby Digital support in Netflix and other streaming apps. Unlike the Fire TV, it only supports Dolby Digital Plus, which is nice, but doesn’t travel over optical/TOSLINK.
That means that those of us with surround sound systems that don’t have HDMI are stuck with stereo over our five or seven speakers.
For us, the Fire TV is the superior option.
do we still have access to amazon prime video content? and is it still easily browsable like normal?
Really impressive ! great job @SimLynks :)
I just want to watch tv and have all and any channels what do I use ive tried everything dont like them I tried ola and can’t get it to work.terrium sucks min sucks