Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick HD signals the end of sideloading

A few days ago, Amazon announced the new Fire TV Stick HD. This will be the company’s second streaming stick with Vega OS, Amazon’s new Linux-based operating system. As the device ditches Fire OS, a forked version of Android, there are some concerns about app support and sideloading. It appears the company is trying to get ahead of the issue by issuing warnings to customers. Amazon is also extending support for a wide range of Fire TV products.

The new Fire TV Stick HD is available for pre-order on Amazon right now. If you head over to the store page, there’s a chance you might see the alert box in the image below (via Cord Cutters News). The warning reads, “For enhanced security, this device prevents sideloading or installing apps from unknown sources. Only apps from the Amazon Appstore are available for download.”

The warning seems to confirm fears that Vega OS devices won’t allow sideloading. While sideloading has never been officially supported on Fire TV sticks, it’s something that has been commonly done on Amazon’s devices. What’s strange about this, however, is that the warning is only showing up for some shoppers. When I navigated to the page, there was no alert box to be found.

In related news, Amazon announced it is extending software support for its current lineup of Fire TV devices. The company promised that a wide range of its hardware will continue to receive compatibility and security support until December 31, 2030. This includes the following devices:

The only exception to this promise is the original Fire TV Stick 4K. This device will continue to be supported until December 31, 2029.

Amazon’s support announcement is a welcome one, especially considering that the e-commerce giant recently began notifying customers that it would end support for older Kindles. Via email, Amazon warned that it would start cutting off support for older Kindles on May 20, 2026. Affected models include the first- and second-generation Kindle, the Kindle DX and DX Graphite, the Kindle Keyboard, the Kindle 4, the Kindle Touch, the Kindle 5, and the first-generation Kindle Paperwhite.