A new option to select your default browser has been added to the Fire TV’s settings menu with the new 5.2.6.9 and 6.2.6.0 software updates that are rolling out to all models. The new option, located at the bottom of the Preferences menu, allows you to change which browser is used when launching the YouTube shortcut app, without needing to clear the app’s data. Read more ›
A new upcoming feature for Amazon’s Silk browser on Fire TV devices should make entering URLs a lot easier. The release notes for the app have been updated to say that autocomplete suggestions for the search/URL field are being added. As you can probably guess, the field will populate a list of suggestions that you can select from, as you type something out, to save you from having to type out an entire URL. While the feature is included in the current release notes, I’ve learned that it’s not yet available and will soon be rolling out slowly. Only certain Fire TV models, such as the Fire TV 3, are currently receiving the new version 71 of Silk at first. Other models will receive the update soon. Once all Fire TV models have access to version 71 of Silk, the autocomplete feature will be remotely enabled for everyone to use.
Private browsing mode, a.k.a Incognito mode, appears to be coming to Amazon’s Silk Browser for Fire TV devices. The unfinished feature has been added to the browser’s code with one of the recent updates. As you’d expect, the feature will allow you to browse the internet on the Fire TV without saving a history of the pages you visit and without saving any cookies. Read more ›
It appears as though Amazon is working on bringing not one, but two fully functional web browsers to their touchscreen-equipped Echo Show smart speaker. A member of a Facebook Group has posted images of new browser options that have appeared in the device settings of their Echo Show. I have also individually discovered code in a recent release of Amazon Silk for Fire TV devices that suggests that support for Amazon Echo devices is being built into the browser. Read more ›
Amazon has pushed out a new update to their Silk browser for Fire TV devices that doesn’t appear to change anything other than rebrand the browser. The app, which was formerly named “Silk Browser for Fire TV,” has been renamed to “Amazon Silk – Web Browser.” The browser has also received a new bright teal icon that emphasizes the word “internet” above the name of the app. While this could be nothing more than a quick spruce up for the app, it could also be a hint of something bigger to come. Read more ›
Amazon’s Silk Browser for Fire TV devices will be turning 1-year-old soon. In that time it has become a crucial component of the Fire TV since it, along with Firefox, is the main way to access YouTube. Amazon has continued to improve Silk with the addition of things like voice search, voice media control, YouTube casting, and support for 4K video playback. While Silk for Fire TV is arguably one of the best web browsing experiences you can have on a TV, it still has plenty of room for improvement. I would love, for example, for Amazon to put my generic Bookmarker apps out of business by supporting native Silk bookmarks on the Fire TV home screen. What other features would you like to see come to Silk for the Fire TV? I know Amazon employees read this site, so here’s your chance to make your voice heard. Comment below with how you’d like Silk improved.
In the most recent updates to Firefox and the Silk Browser, both apps have added support for media playback control by voice. This allows customers to use voice commands to play videos, pause videos, and more while watching something, like YouTube, in a web browser on a Fire TV device. Read more ›
Amazon has updated the Silk Browser for Fire TV devices to support 4K video playback on YouTube. The new update, carrying version number 68.2.6.3440.85.30, is starting to roll, but the new version appears to only be rolling out to select devices, as it’s not yet available to all Fire TV models. Read more ›
Amazon’s Silk Browser for Fire TV has just been updated to version 67.5.x and with it comes the ability to cast YouTube videos directly to the browser. With the Silk Browser installed on any Fire TV, Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Stick, or Fire TV Edition television, Google’s official YouTube app for Android and iOS devices will now see the Fire TV as a valid casting destination. You don’t need to have the Silk Browser open or even have the Fire TV awake for the new YouTube casting feature to work. Read more ›
A new update to the Silk Browser for Fire TV devices has greatly improved streaming video playback on older Fire TV hardware. The first generation Fire TV Stick, in particular, had a hard time playing online videos for long periods of time in the Silk Browser. Version 64 of the Silk Browser is much more stable than previous versions, resulting in smoother playback that no longer crashes the browser after prolonged viewing sessions. Read more ›
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