Advanced Television

Amazon unveils new Fire TV user interface

January 7, 2026

By Nik Roseveare

Amazon has redesigned the Fire TV UI to be “cleaner, faster, and better organised” which it says will help users spend less time searching and more time watching.

The new UI has a more modern design with improved layouts, rounded corners, redesigned colour gradients, updated typography, and more optimised spacing. The update isn’t just aesthetic: The Amazon team rebuilt the underlying code to make the experience faster. In some cases, Amazon notes they are seeing up to 20–30 per cent gains in speed when using the new UI. All of these improvements will be available to customers with a free software update.

The redesign also increases the number of apps users can pin to the home screen from six to 20. Users can also now press the Menu button on theremote to quickly get to Games, Art & Photos, and the Ambient Experience. And with Amazon Photos on Fire TV, it’s easy to connect personal photos so they show up on the biggest screen in the home.

Amazon has also added a shortcut panel that can be accessed by long-pressing the Home button on the remote. It gives quick access to the most-used controls on Fire TV, including audio and display settings, connected Ring cameras, and smart home device management.

Alexa+, the generative AI-powered agent, is available in every part of the Fire TV experience. Users can tell Alexa what they’re in the mood to watch, who they’re with, or examples of actors or directors they like. Alexa will then help find something suitable to watch. Users can also ask Alexa to add the title you see on screen to their watchlist, get stats from the game they’re watching, create an AI-generated background screensaver, see photos from family albums, turn down the lights, or jump straight to an iconic movie scene.

The Fire TV mobile app has also been improved. The redesigned app adds the ability to browse content, manage watchlists and play titles on TV screens – all with a look and feel that matches the new Fire TV design. Users can use their phone as a second screen to discover what to watch next or add a friend’s show recommendation to their watchlist when they’re away from home. The Fire TV mobile app will be available for free to download.

The new Fire TV UI and mobile app will launch starting in February on the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series in the US. Later this spring, Amazon will expand the new UI design to more countries and more devices, including the latest generation Fire TV 4K streaming media players and TVs such as the Fire TV 2-Series, Fire TV 4-Series, Fire TV Omni QLED Series; TVs made by partners including Hisense, Insignia, Panasonic and TCL; and at launch on the all-new Amazon Ember Artline.

 

Categories: Articles, IPG, Middleware, OTT, Search/Recommendation

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