Six months after Netflix released their new app for the Amazon Fire TV, customers still using the old app have begun receiving an email informing them that they will need to update to the new app if they wish to continue using Netflix on their Fire TV. This is slightly more problematic than it may appear on the surface since the new Netflix app requires Fire TV software version 51.1.4.0 or greater. Many Fire TV owners have decided to remain on software version 51.1.1.0 since it is the last official version to be rootable. In order to upgrade beyond version 51.1.1.0 and retain root, one must go through the daunting process of unlocking the Fire TV’s bootloader, installing ClockworkMod, installing a boot menu, and finally installing a pre-rooted ROM. The entire process, in the correct order, is laid out in my starters guide, which anyone can safely follow regardless of which software version they are currently on. Read on for the full Netflix email.
Hello,
As part of a software update, the Netflix app has been updated to improve the user experience. The old version of the Netflix app is no longer supported. You will need to update your Amazon Fire TV software and download the new app in order to continue using Netflix on your Amazon Fire TV.
To update your Amazon Fire TV software:
- From the Home screen, select Settings.
- Select System, and then select About. You will see the current Software Version.
- Select Check for System Update to manually check for a software update. If an update is available, it will automatically start downloading.
- After the download is complete, select Install System Update to install the update, or it will automatically install the next time your device is idle for 30 minutes or is rebooted.
After you update your Amazon Fire TV software, you will be prompted to update the Netflix app when you open it. The new Netflix app (white icon) is available for download in the Amazon Appstore. When you open the old Netflix app (red icon), you will be prompted to go to the Appstore to download the new version.
To update Netflix and delete the old app:
- Use the remote to select Apps on your Amazon Fire TV, and then select the old Netflix app (red icon). You’ll be prompted to download the new app.
- Select Go to Appstore.
- Select the Free button to download the new Netflix app. The new app (white icon) will install in the background.
- Go back to Apps, and then select the old Netflix app again (red icon).
- You’ll be prompted to uninstall the app. Select Uninstall Now.
If the old version of Netflix is in one of your Amazon FreeTime profiles, you will need to remove it from there before you can delete the app. If the app is available on multiple profiles, you will need to remove it from each one.
To remove the old app from the profile:
- From the Home screen, select Settings.
- Select Parental Controls & FreeTime Settings, and then Manage Child Profiles.
- Select Add Titles to Your Child’s Library.
- Navigate to the old Netflix app (red icon) and press the Select button on the remote. This should remove the check mark from the app.
After you install the new version of Netflix, you may need to sign in to the app again with the e-mail address and password associated with your Netflix account. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Thanks for using Amazon Fire TV.
@AFTVnews
AFTVnews
I knew this was coming, but still not happy about it. While the new netflix app is good, it does not allow the FTV to automatically go to sleep, it stays on. The old app did not do this, this is a big problem in my house :/
Press the Home button when you’re done watching Netflix. The Fire TV will sleep as it should.
I’m aware you can do that, infact all you have to do is exit netflix, the problem is I have little kids, who don’t do this. Also if I fell asleep watching netflix, it now stays on all night. So that is not a resolution to the problem
And that’s a problem?
I’m with you, this is a huge oversight. Used to set my TV timer and when the TV went off it would stop Netflix, then 30 minutes later the FTV would turn off.
Now I wake up to a bright ass light in the middle of the night, and have to pull the power cord to reboot the FTV.
I’ll be going through your guide this afternoon so i can get updated but keep my rootability. I was able to remove and reinstall the “red icon” netflix last night and watch an episode of Daredevel. It didnt work today, though.
The guides worked great. I updated to “last before need of boot menu” version and now can run Netflix again. thanks!
Anybody has problems in the new Netflix app (when trying to play anything, it reaches 99% and it fails to play)?
I think it is in connection with running kodi.
When I clean the cache in both (kodi and netflix) and restart the box, then Netflix works…
That happened to me once and a reboot of the AFTV fixed it…
It happens to me almost everytime I use netflix after kodi…
this is happening to me too since i went thru this guide and updated to pre-rooted 51.1.4… only fix for me seems to be rebooting. pretty annoying
“The entire process, in the correct order, is laid out in my starters guide, which anyone can safely follow regardless of which software version they are currently on.”
It’s a little silly and misleading to say that… I’m on the latest firmware and was pretty excited to see this only to find out that it in fact could not be done. I mean yeah technically it was safe to follow the guide lol but seriously… Come on dude.
Huh? What part did you not comprehend “Dude”?
Were you running the old Netflix App?
The process is laid out as stated, and if you have an un-rooted later version of software, there is no need to look any further.
Dude is probably referring to: “which anyone can safely follow regardless of which software version they are currently on.” Which makes it sound like any version of the Fire TV software not just people who are already “rooted”. Should probably say: “which anyone can safely follow regardless of which rooted software version they are currently on.” ;)
Can someone not supply the latest netflix apk or a zipped folder of the new netflix version for an overlay install on rooted devices
I also received the email. When does it go in effect? I am still using 51.1.1.0 version and netflix still works perfectly fine for me. Even if I were to lose netflix app, I have a billion other devices like ps3 and roku that have netflix. I believe that I can even download netflix from the google store and it would work on the fire tv but it would be the “android version”.
The android version won’t work with the remote it requires a mouse or trackpad and doenst do surround sound or 1080p heck most stuff barley is 720p
The netflix app doesn’t work anymore for me. Even though I have the logitech keyboard with trackpad, I haven’t tried to download the android netflix app simply because I have other options for netflix like roku3 and ps3. It is kind of annoying not to have original netflix app on fire tv which is my most used app. I’m gonna try out the android netflix app now and see how it is…. Update: I downloaded the netflix android app from 1mobile market for the Fire TV. The picture quality isn’t as nice but it still looks ok. I would be more annoyed with using the keyboard every time I want to watch netflix. I guess that I won’t be using firetv for netflix. Damn!
I’m using the new Netflix app but I’m always having to reboot the firetv in order to watch anything on it. For some reason when trying to watch a show it gets stuck at 99%. Only a reboot fixes it temporarily the. I have to reboot it later on again. Is anyone else having this proble? I’m on the latest firetv version and looks as if this problem started around the same time Netflix dropped support for the old one. I’ve even deleted the app and reinstalled it…same issue…very annoying. I have 2 firetv’ and it happens on both.
same here, any ideas anyone??
Hi
My netflix app on Fire Tv is 1.1.5 build 147, which seems to from Oct 2014… No updated netflix app in 10 months?
Dang! I’m just about to install Netflix on my rooted FTV for the first time and I found this article.
Is it even worth it now?
I find Fire tv to be rather buggy (not as buggy as the Kindle Fire though, I won’t be purchasing one of those again.) My Netflix quit working the other day, saying I couldn’t get a network connection, when the app’s own diagnostic successfully found one. I reset the app, which forced me to re-enter my account data. Then it claimed my account wasn’t found. Clearing the cache and rebooting the Fire didn’t fix it (although the reboot did fix an unrelated problem with voice search not working.) Uninstalling and reinstalling the Netflix app finally did the trick. All the while this was happening, I was able to access Netflix on two other devices, and log into their website successfully.
Do we need to hide the fact that we are rooted? I think Netflix and Amazon are trying to stop rooted Users. Do we need to use hide my root app?
I’m on FTv1 and build 51.1.6.0_516009820. I’ve tried a couple APK’s and none of them open the app anymore. Is anyone else having the same issue? I have a feeling I might need to move to FireOS5 or use what the previous person said “hide my root app” so netflix and amazon don’t know i’m rooted.
Heat tom! I’ve update fire TV video box all the way to our 5.2.1.2 r rom. Twrp version 3.0.0-7…. still no Netflix of any kind working. I side loaded a black icon version and it loaded for like 30 seconds. Then came up with error 13000. I think there blocking rooted devices. May have to do Xbox ed framework with root cloak. Or edit or rename a file in system,lib folder…. we’d needed root file browser or esfile explorer to do that.