Amazon Fire TV users are now dealing with a new full-screen warning that completely stops certain apps from opening. This is a big change in how Amazon handles third-party apps on its streaming devices, and it shows the company is taking a much stronger stand against piracy.
Before this, if you saw an anti-piracy pop-up on your Fire TV Stick, you could usually close the message and still open the app you wanted. Now, Amazon has gone much further. If you close the “unlicensed content” warning that shows up when you try to open a blocked app, the app won’t open at all. This new block is showing up on Fire OS devices like the popular Fire TV 4K Max.
According to XDA Developers, people have been expecting Amazon to start blocking apps that help with piracy for months now. The company was rumored to be planning a crackdown on its devices. While some warnings appeared after those rumors, they didn’t actually stop anything. That’s why this new full-screen block is such a major step forward.
Popular media apps like Plex and Kodi remain safe for now
It’s good news that popular media apps like Plex, Kodi, and Jellyfin are not included in this crackdown right now. These apps can be used to stream copyrighted content, but they are important tools for people who legally host their own media collections. If Amazon went after these services, it would hurt legitimate users and seriously limit what Fire TV devices can do.
The new blocking system works by targeting the app’s package or name. This means if you changed the package name, you could potentially get around the block and open the app anyway. Some piracy-focused apps are already trying to use this workaround to keep working. This isn’t the first time Amazon has faced user backlash over controversial platform changes.
Amazon isn’t making that workaround easy for users, though. Along with the new pop-up, Amazon also removed a popular cloning tool from the Fire TV app store. That tool let users easily rename and copy blocked apps right on their streaming devices. Removing the cloning tool makes getting around this new system much harder for regular users who aren’t very tech-savvy.
It’s unclear exactly how many apps are part of this crackdown right now. Amazon first showed its plans to go after these apps back in October. Since there’s currently no easy way to open the blocked apps, users have to choose between removing the app or just leaving it blocked on their device. Security concerns continue to grow as hackers target major tech companies with sophisticated data requests.
A simpler workaround will probably show up soon, as usually happens in these ongoing battles between app makers and platform owners. Once an easy fix appears, Amazon will likely block it quickly, and the whole cycle will start again. Fire TV devices are very popular mainly because the Android-powered Fire OS system is flexible and open. If Amazon keeps locking down its streaming devices this hard, core users might switch to other, less restrictive streaming devices.
Published: Dec 19, 2025 02:45 pm