Amazon Echo Show 15

Amazon blocks Downloader app on the Echo Show 15 in seemingly meaningless effort to thwart sideloading

Posted by Elias Saba on December 19, 2022 — 28 Comments

Amazon has blocked my Downloader app from being installed on the Fire TV experience of the Echo Show 15, despite it initially being available and marked as a compatible app. The app continues to appear in search results on the Echo Show 15 but is now listed as unavailable. Amazon made this change the day after a method for sideloading apps on the Echo Show 15 was discovered, where my Downloader app was used as the means for transferring an APK file to the device. Blocking Downloader does absolutely nothing to thwart sideloading on the device because it’s Amazon’s own pre-installed file manager on the Echo Show 15 that performs the sideload app installation and there are still many other apps available for the Echo Show 15 that can transfer APKs to the device. Read more ›

Posted in Article Tagged with: Amazon Echo Show 15, Downloader, Sideload

Fire TV Remote app is now compatible with the Echo Show 15

Posted by Elias Saba on December 14, 2022

When Amazon first added Fire TV capabilities to the Echo Show 15, you could control the experience using the touchscreen when using a touch-enabled app and either a physical or virtual on-screen remote when an app didn’t support touch interaction. Not available at the time was the ability to use the Fire TV Remote app on a mobile device with the Echo Show 15. Amazon has now added support for the remote app with a few limitations. Read more ›

Posted in Article Tagged with: Amazon Echo Show 15, Remote, Remote App

Workaround for Sideloading apps on the Echo Show 15 has been discovered

Posted by Elias Saba on December 12, 2022 — 23 Comments

When Amazon added Fire TV capabilities to the Echo Show 15, it went out of its way to block the ability to install apps from unknown sources, a.k.a. sideloading apps, through the traditional Fire TV methods. With the ability to make ADB connections to the Echo Show 15 and the ability to grant permission for apps from unknown sources both missing from the device, it seemed like there was no way to sideload apps. However, it appears as though Amazon left a loophole in place that can be used to sideload apps in a roundabout way. Read more ›

Posted in Article Tagged with: Amazon Echo Show 15, Sideload

How to Sideload APK Apps on the Amazon Echo Show 15

Posted by Elias Saba on December 12, 2022 — 50 Comments

The Echo Show 15 now has access to most of the Fire TV apps in the Amazon Appstore, but, unfortunately, Amazon has blocked the regular ways used to sideload apps on Fire TV devices. Thankfully, a workaround has been discovered by AFTVnews reader Super Street Racing. Using that discovery, here are full step-by-step instructions for sideloading APK app files on the Echo Show 15. Read more ›

Posted in Article Tagged with: Amazon Echo Show 15, Guide, Sideload, Sideload Guides

How to connect and pair a Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote to the Amazon Echo Show 15

Posted by Elias Saba on December 7, 2022 — 1 Comment

The new Fire TV interface on the Echo Show 15 is best used with a physical Fire TV remote. It may not be entirely clear how to pair a Fire TV remote to the Echo Show 15, especially since the usual Fire TV settings menu where you connect remotes is missing on the Echo Show 15. Here are detailed step-by-step instructions for how to pair Fire TV remotes to an Echo Show 15. Read more ›

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List of all Fire TV Remotes that are compatible with the Amazon Echo Show 15

Posted by Elias Saba on December 7, 2022 — 8 Comments

The Echo Show 15 can now double as a Fire TV. While the main Fire TV interface can be navigated with the touchscreen, many apps require a remote of some sort. You can certainly use the virtual on-screen remote built into the Echo Show 15’s Fire TV interface, but that quickly gets tedious. If you’re planning to use the Fire TV interface on the Echo Show 15 regularly, you should really consider pairing a physical Fire TV remote. Currently, the only fully-compatible remote is the 3rd-gen Alexa Voice Remote, but if you have older Fire TV remotes, you might be able to get by using them as long as you’re okay with some missing functionality. Here is a list of all the current and older Fire TV remotes that I have personally tested with the Echo Show 15, along with which remote buttons do and don’t work. Read more ›

Posted in Article Tagged with: Amazon Echo Show 15, Remote

Echo Show 15 owners can buy a Fire TV Remote for just $9.99 — UPDATE: Echo Show 15 may not be required for discount

Posted by Elias Saba on December 6, 2022 — 22 Comments

Now that the Echo Show 15 can double as a Fire TV and is compatible with the Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote, Amazon is offering owners of the smart display a discount on the Fire TV remote. If you purchase the remote through the Echo Show, you’ll pay just $9.99, which is 66% off the regular price of $29.99. Read more ›

Posted in Article Tagged with: Amazon Echo Show 15, Amazon Fire TV, Deal, Remote, Voice Remote

Echo Show 15 with Fire TV interface does not allow App Sideloading, resulting in crippled app development

Posted by Elias Saba on December 6, 2022 — 14 Comments

The Fire TV interface for the Echo Show 15 recently started rolling out to devices, turning the smart display into an entertainment powerhouse. While there are many apps already available for the device, a lot of them are missing and not compatible. Of the apps that are available, the majority are not optimized for the device’s touch interface and some are so buggy on the new platform that it renders them unusable. Unfortunately, Amazon has chosen to completely block app sideloading on the Echo Show 15, which is a crucial capability that Fire TV app developers need if they want to fix or improve their apps on the Echo Show 15. Read more ›

Posted in Article Tagged with: Amazon Echo Show 15, Amazon Fire TV

Fire TV interface update for the Echo Show 15 has arrived

Posted by Elias Saba on December 5, 2022 — 100 Comments

Amazon announced in September that the Echo Show 15 would be receiving an update that turned it into a full-fledged Fire TV. With only a few weeks left in the year, the Fire TV update is now rolling out to Amazon’s largest Echo smart display, bringing the two product lines closer together than they’ve ever been. Read more ›

Posted in Article Tagged with: Amazon Echo Show 15, Amazon Fire TV, Update