The YouTube app on Firestick and Fire TV devices lets you enjoy all the benefits of a YouTube Premium subscription. Essentially, there’s no difference between Premium and regular YouTube—it’s just that Premium doesn’t show you ads; by subscribing to Premium, you’re added to the list of users who don’t see ads. So, YouTube isn’t always pre-installed; on some models, it may already be installed, but most often you’ll need to download it yourself from the Amazon Appstore. Previously, due to a conflict between Amazon and Google, the app was unavailable on Fire TV, but the situation has now been fully resolved, and YouTube is officially supported.
How to install YouTube on Fire TV
To install YouTube, open the Firestick or Fire TV home screen and go to the Apps section. In the search bar, type “YouTube” using the on-screen keyboard or voice control via the Alexa-enabled remote. The official YouTube app will appear in the search results; select it and start the installation. After that, the app will install automatically and appear in your app list, ready for use.
Signing in and setup YouTube on Fire TV
After installation, open YouTube and sign in to your account. For convenience, you can use code-based sign-in: a code will appear on the TV screen that you need to enter on another device, such as a phone or computer. You can also sign in directly by entering your username and password. If you have a YouTube Premium subscription active on your account, it will take effect immediately after you sign in. Once you’re signed in, all your subscriptions, recommendations, and viewing history will sync automatically. If needed, you can pin the app to the Fire TV home screen for quick access, and updates happen automatically through the Amazon system.
YouTube Premium features and limitations
With a Premium subscription, ads disappear from all videos, and you gain access to exclusive content and the YouTube Music service. Content plays in the highest quality available for your Firestick model, including Full HD and 4K depending on the resolution supported by your device. Rare app glitches are usually resolved by restarting or updating the app.
