Fire Stick digital signage: turn an Amazon Fire TV Stick into a signage player
An Amazon Fire TV Stick is one of the cheapest ways to turn any HDMI screen into a managed digital sign. This guide walks through installing the DigitalWall Android player on a Fire Stick, pairing it and keeping it reliable.
Why a Fire Stick works well for signage
It is inexpensive, small enough to hide behind the TV, powered from the TV's USB port or a wall adapter, and runs Fire OS, which is based on Android. That means the Android player runs on it without any proprietary media player or special hardware.
What you need
- An Amazon Fire TV Stick (or Fire TV) and a TV or monitor with HDMI.
- A Wi-Fi connection at the location.
- A free DigitalWall account (7-day trial, no credit card).
- The player APK from our download page.
Step 1: allow apps from unknown sources
On the Fire Stick, open Settings, then My Fire TV, then Developer Options. Turn on "Install unknown apps" for the app you will use to download the player, for example the Downloader app. On newer Fire OS versions this setting is per app.
Step 2: install the player
Install the free Downloader app from the Amazon Appstore, open it, and enter the APK link from the download page. Install when prompted. You can also install over the network with adb install if you manage several sticks from a computer.
Step 3: pair the screen
Open the DigitalWall player. It shows a six-character pairing code. In the console, choose Add screen, type the code and name the screen. The player claims the screen and starts playing within seconds.
Step 4: keep it running
- Prevent sleep. In Settings, Display and Sounds, set screen saver to the longest option or disable it, so the stick does not drop into the home screen saver.
- Launch on boot. Set the player to start after power returns, and put the TV and stick on a socket you can power-cycle if needed.
- Use Ethernet where possible. A Fire Stick with an Ethernet adapter is more stable than Wi-Fi in busy venues.
- Cool and ventilated. Do not tuck the stick where heat builds up.
Step 5: manage content from anywhere
Everything else happens in the web console. Upload images and video, add widgets, group them into a campaign, schedule it and assign it to the screen. Changes arrive in seconds. If the network drops, the player keeps playing from its cache and catches up when it reconnects.
Troubleshooting
- Stuck on a pairing code. Check the code was entered exactly; codes expire, so reopen the player for a fresh one.
- Playback stutters. Use shorter videos and compressed files, or move to an Ethernet adapter.
- Screen shows the Fire TV home. Re-open the player and confirm the screen saver and sleep settings above.
Prefer a different device? See how to run digital signage on any screen or the Raspberry Pi guide.