Common Kindle Fire Problems and How to Fix Them

The kindle fire is an intriguing device. It runs a custom version of Android, has decent specs, and it’s low price makes it many people’s first Tablet experience. Unfortunately, some users have been reporting various problems with their kindle fire so we decided to compile a list of the most common problems and their solutions. Often, these solutions boil down to either perform a hard reset, perform a factory reset, or contact support, but this will serve as a quick index for just how serious your problem really is.

Before continuing, we will describe how to accomplish those two, standard trouble shooting steps of Hard Resetting, and Factory Resetting; which should not be confused!

To do a Hard Reset

You simply hold down the power button for 30 seconds. Make sure to ignore all prompts your device may throw your way and just be sure to hold down the power button for 30 seconds until the device powers down. Once that’s done you can restart the tablet. This will often be the only step you need to take.

To do a Factory Reset

A factory reset is a little more complicated but still very simple. The problem with a factory reset is that it will totally erase pretty much all the information on your device making it like you just took it out of the box. You will have to re-download all of your apps and re-enter all your account information for your various services. It will NOT however, delete information saved on the cloud.

1. Swipe down from the top of your kindle’s screen to reveal the “Settings” button and tap it.
2. Go to “Device Options”
3. Tap “Reset To Factory Defaults”
4. Make really really sure you’ve tried everything else, and you’re willing to lose/re-enter everything on your kindle.
5. Hit “Reset” to confirm

Won’t Turn On / Frozen / Won’t Charge

We covered this issue at length in a full article here, but basically, hold down the power button for 30 seconds to do a “hard reset” which just means resetting the device.

If that doesn’t help, make really, really sure your battery is sufficiently charged. To do this you’ll need to leave it plugged in at least 15-20 mins as totally dead batteries will need some time to work up a charge before the device will turn on again.

If that doesn’t help, you’ll need to contact support.

Won’t Connect to a PC

Some people report having problems connecting their kindle to their computer. If this is you, try the steps below, in order.

1. Try a different data cable
2. Make Sure your Kindle is Charged and On
3. Try a different USB Port
4. Try a different USB Cable
5. Try doing a Hard Reset
6. Try Restarting your computer
7. Make sure your Kindle Fire drivers are up to date and functioning properly.
   1. Right click on “My Computer” in your start menu and select “Manage” another window will pop up where you should see “Device Manager”. Click on it and look for your Kindle Fire
   2. Right Click your kindle fire and select “Properties”
   3. Check the driver’s status
   4. If necessary, download new drivers by Googling “Kindle Fire Drivers” making sure to specify which device you have (Fire HD, HDX etc.)
8. If that didn’t work, right click on the Kindle Fire in Device Manager and select “Uninstall” this will remove it from your computer. You can then unplug it, and plug it back in, which will make windows reinstall your Device properly.
9. Factory Reset your Kindle
10. If all else fails you can always get files onto your Kindle Fire by using cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Mega. You can even try e-mail if the files are small.

Won’t connect to Wi-Fi

There are many reasons a Kindle will not be able to connect to a given WiFi point and unfortunately, the problems could be with either the Tablet or the router. Follow the steps below to troubleshoot your WiFi woes.

1. Make Sure your WiFi is On
2. Make sure the battery is charged. WiFi is very energy consuming and may not work properly in low battery mode.
3. Make sure Airplane Mode is Off
4. Go into your WiFi Settings and “Forget” the network then reconnect. You will have to renter you WiFi password.
5. Try a hard reset
6. Unplug the router for 30 seconds before plugging it back in. Give it a couple of minutes to full turn itself back on and then try to reconnect.
7. Analyze your WiFi channels to make sure you’re not on a congested channel. There are free apps available to help you do this.
8. Factory Reset Your Kindle.

Keyboard Not Typing Properly

Some users have reported that the keyboard doesn’t type properly or types letters or symbols they aren’t pressing. This may just be a dirty screen or a software problem.

1. Clean your screen with a microfiber cloth
2. Try a Hard Reset
3. Factory Reset.

Silk browser Crashing

Many users have voiced their displeasure with Silk browser for various reasons including frequent crashes. The easiest solution is to simply download another browser like Dolphin Browser, Firefox, or Chrome. If however you are set on keeping Silk, see below.

1. Force Stop the Application
   1. Swipe down from the top of the screen
   2. Select “More”
   3. Tap “Manage Applications”
   4. Tap “All Applications”
   5. Find Silk
   6. Select “Force Stop”
2. Make Sure It’s Not Blocked by Parental Controls
   1. Swipe down from the top of the screen
   2. Go To Settings
   3. Parental Control
3. Clear the application data
   1. Follow steps 1-5 above for Force Stop
   2. Select “Clear Data” (This will delete all the app data. You will lose all saved data in that app including accounts entered, level progress, etc.)

“An internal error occurred”

You may encounter an error message saying “An internal error occurred” this may or may not be followed up by “This can be caused by a lack of network connectivity. Please make sure you have a good network connection.”

1. Force Stop the Application
   1. Swipe down from the top of the screen
   2. Select “More”
   3. Tap “Manage Applications”
   4. Tap “Installed Applications”
   5. Find the app that is misbehaving and click it
   6. Select “Force Stop”
2. Make sure your kindle is set to the correct date and time
3. Try all the trouble shooting steps above for “Won’t Connect to WiFI”
4. Try a Hard Reset
5. Clear the application data
   1. Follow steps 1-5 above for Force Stop
   2. Select “Clear Data” (This will delete all the app data. You will lose all saved data in that app including accounts entered, level progress, etc.)
6. Deregister, then re-register your Kindle Fire
   1. Swipe down from the top of your screen
   2. Tap More
   3. Tap My Account
   4. Deregister
   5. Register it again

Email Not Working

Some users report that the e-mail service is spotty on the Kindle Fire. This can often be traced back to the native e-mail app which, truthfully, could be better

• Download a third party e-mail app.

Screen flicker

Some users have reported that their screen flickers to varying degrees. Some have said that it only happens in certain applications, some say it happens periodically, while still others say it is a constant issue.

1. Turn Off Auto Brightness
   1. Pull Down from the top of the screen
   2. Turn off Auto-Brightness
2. Hard Reset
3. If you have a tablet cover, try removing it and checking if the issue still occurs. Some covers interfere with the tablets light sensor causing issues with flickering, especially if auto-brightness is on.

Hazy Screen

Some people have said that it looks like there is a blueish or purplish haze, especially around the edges of the screen. It is also supposedly more noticeable wen the background is white. Users have reported this issue to varying degrees and it’s important to note that it is normal to see a faint blue line along the edges. This is because Amazon uses blue LED in the screen. In fact, they made an official statement to that effect noting.

• If it’s actually an issue you’ll need to contact support.

Problems with Headphone Jack

Another issue that is unfortunately pretty common is issues with the sound through the headphone jack. First you’ll need to determine if you’re getting any sound at all like static or a crackle. If that is the case it will most likely a hardware problem and will need to be repaired by Amazon support.

1. Make sure the volume is turned up
2. If you have a case on your tablet, remove it and try to reconnect the headphones or speakers. Sometimes, the holes aren’t quite lined up right or the right size, causing issues.
3. Try a hard reset
4. If you hear static or crackling contact Amazon Support.

Overheating

Some users have mentioned that the Kindle Fire will overheat when performing resource intensive activities like playing high quality games or watching HD movies. The sad truth is that this is a common problem amongst all tablets and smartphones in the current generation of devices. The truth is it may be “normal” that your device runs a little hot. If, however, your kindle is getting so hot that it’s physically uncomfortable, or shutting itself down, you may have a faulty device.

1. Contact Amazon Custome Support.