How to Reset an Amazon Fire Tablet

Perform a reset before selling or giving away your device

By Robert Earl Wells III
Updated on March 27, 2022
Reviewed by
Michael Barton Heine Jr
Michael Heine headshot
Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr
Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • Go to Settings > Device Options > Reset to Factory Defaults > Reset.
  • For older Kindle Fire tablets, go to Settings gear > More > Device > Reset to Factory Defaults > Erase everything.
  • Alternatively, bring up the system recovery screen and select wipe data/factory reset.

This article explains how to reset an Amazon Fire tablet to its factory settings. These instructions apply to all tablet models, including the Amazon Fire HD 10.

How Do I Hard Reset My Amazon Fire Tablet?

Follow these steps to factory reset most Amazon Fire tablets:

Make sure your Fire tablet has at least a 30% battery charge before you begin. If the tablet shuts off during the reset process, it could brick your device.

  1. Swipe down from the top of your screen and tap the Settings gear.

  2. Scroll down and tap Device Options.

    Setting gear and Device Options on Amazon Fire Tablet

  3. Tap Reset to Factory Defaults.

  4. Tap Reset.

    Reset to Factory Defaults and Reset on an Amazon Fire tablet

For first and second-generation Kindle Fire tablets, go to Settings gear > More > Device > Reset to Factory Defaults > Erase everything.

Why Reset My Fire Tablet?

A factory reset, or hard reset, will erase all of your files and remove your Amazon account from the device. Resetting your Fire tablet can resolve many technical issues, and it will restore all settings to their original defaults. You should perform a factory reset before giving away the device so the new owner can't access your Amazon account.

Back up your app data, photos, and music before you proceed so you can re-download them on your new device. Transfer files to your computer, save content to the cloud or use a third-party backup app. Purchases from Amazon (your Kindle books, Amazon Video movies, etc.) sync to your Amazon account, so you can always access them from another device.

How Do I Manually Reset My Fire Tablet?

If you can't access your device because it has a password you don't remember, you can still reset your Fire tablet without the pin:

  1. With your device turned off, hold down the Power button+Volume Up until it turns on.

  2. When you see the Amazon logo, release Volume Up, but keep holding the Power button to bring up the system recovery screen.

  3. Use the Volume buttons to scroll through the options and highlight wipe data/factory reset. Press Power to make your selection.

  4. Select Yes to confirm.

How Do You Force a Kids Fire Tablet to Reset?

You can factory reset a Kids Edition Fire tablet like any other Amazon Fire tablet. Go to Settings > Device Options > Reset to Factory Defaults > Reset, or use the manual reset method.

To reboot (soft reset) a frozen or unresponsive Fire tablet, press and hold the Power button or Power+Volume Down for about 20 seconds.

FAQ
  • How do I install Google Play on my Fire tablet?

    To install the Google Play Store on your Fire tablet, download the appropriate Google Play Store APK files for your device's version. Go to Docs > Local Storage > Downloads to install the APKs, then tap the Google Play app icon.

  • How do I take a screenshot on a Fire tablet?

    To take a screenshot on a Fire tablet, press and hold the Power+Volume Down buttons. Screenshots save to your device's internal storage.

  • How do I root my Fire tablet?

    To root a Fire tablet, go to Settings > Device Options > tap your device's serial number > Developer Options > Enable ADB. Then, in Settings, select Apps from Unknown Sources under Advanced. Connect your device to your PC via USB, download the Amazon Fire Utility and follow the prompts.

  • Can I remove ads from my Fire tablet?

    Yes. For a one-time fee, you can unsubscribe from ads and sponsored screensavers. Go to Amazon's Manage Your Content and Devices page,

    choose your device, and select Remove Offers under Special Offers.

  • How do I change the lock screen on my Fire tablet?

    To set your Fire tablet's lock screen, go to Settings > Lock Screen > Select a lock screen scene. Tap Your Photo to choose a personal photo. Turn off Rotate Scene Daily at the top to keep your lock screen from changing every day.

Was this page helpful?