How to Set up a Fire TV Cube

This article explains how to set up a Fire TV Cube, including how to get your Fire TV Cube to control your TV and other devices able to be operated with an infrared (IR) remote.

How to Set up a Fire TV Cube

If you have a brand new Fire TV Cube, or you’ve recently reset your Fire TV Cube, then you will have to go through the setup process. This process connects the Fire TV Cube to your Amazon account and it will get you ready to start streaming content from a number of included services. To stream from other services, you’ll have to download Fire TV apps to your Fire TV Cube.

Here’s how to set up a Fire TV Cube:

1. Find a suitable location for your Fire TV Cube.

   For the best results, place your Fire TV Cube at least 1-2 feet away from the nearest speaker, and in a position where it has an unimpeded line-of-sight to the television and any other devices you want to control via IR.

2. Connect the Fire TV Cube to your television via an HDMI cable.

3. Plug the power adapter into power, and then plug the other end into your Fire TV Cube.

4. Insert batteries into your Fire TV remote if you haven’t already done so.

5. Turn on your television, and select the relevant HDMI input.

6. If the remote doesn’t connect automatically, press and hold the Home button when prompted. You may need to press and hold the Home button for 10 or more seconds.

   This step cannot be completed without a physical remote. Even if you successfully connect to the Fire TV remote app on your phone, pressing home in the app will not move you past this step.

7. Select your language.

8. Select I already have an Amazon account.

   If you selected simple Wi-Fi setup when you bought the Fire TV Cube, your information will already be on the device and you won't have to do this step.

9. Enter the email address you use for Amazon, and select Next.

10. Enter your password, and select SIGN IN.

11. If your Amazon account requires it, you'll see a verification code notice. Select Next.

12. Enter the verification code, and select SIGN IN.

13. Select Continue.

14. Select Enable Parental Controls or No Parental Controls to proceed.

    If you choose parental controls, you'll need to set a PIN.

15. Select Get Started and follow the on-screen prompts if you want some help selecting streaming apps, or No Thanks if you want to download them yourself later.

16. Select Do this later.

    If you want to spend time setting up device control right now, select Continue instead, and follow the on-screen prompts.

17. Select Continue.

18. Your Fire TV Cube is ready to use.

How Do I Get My Fire TV Cube to Control My TV?

Your Fire TV Cube includes something called an IR blaster, which means you can use it to control most devices that use IR remotes. That includes most televisions, soundbars, Blu-ray and DVD players, and a variety of other home entertainment devices. Some ceiling fans and other fixtures and appliances can even be controlled by the IR blaster in a Fire TV Cube.

When you first set up your Fire TV Cube, you are presented with the option to set up your soundbar and other devices, which includes the option to control them through the IR blaster. If you chose to skip that step, or you’ve purchased a new device, you can add new devices to control at any time.

Here’s how to get your Fire TV Cube to control your TV:

1. Press the Home button on your remote.

2. Select Settings.

3. Select Equipment Control.

4. Select Manage Equipment.

5. Select Add Equipment.

6. Select TV.

   If you want to set up your Fire TV Cube to control a different type of device, select it from the list instead of TV.

7. Wait for the Fire TV Cube to establish line of sight, and select Next.

8. Select I use just my TV, unless you want to set up a sound bar at this time.

9. Click Next, and wait for your TV to turn off. The TV will turn on and off repeatedly. Follow the on-screen prompts until the Fire TV Cube has full control over the TV.

10. The Fire TV Cube will next try to control your TV's sound. Listen and watch for prompts, and click Yes when everything is working.

11. When the setup is done, click Continue to return to the home screen.

12. After you’ve set it up, you can use voice commands like, “Alexa, turn off my TV,” or “Alexa, switch to channel 13,” to control your TV.

13. Repeat this procedure if you want to set up the Fire TV Cube to control other devices, like your cable box or sound bar.

How Does Amazon Fire TV Cube Connect to TV?

Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick both use the dongle form factor, which means the streaming device and HDMI input are integrated together. That makes them exceptionally easy to set up and use because you plug the Fire TV or Fire Stick directly into an HDMI input on your television. If that’s the only kind of streaming device you’ve ever used, you might be left wondering exactly how Amazon Fire TV Cube connects to your TV.

Amazon Fire TV Cube connects to TVs through HDMI just like Fire TV and Fire Stick, but it requires an HDMI cable. If you look at the back of the Fire TV Cube, you’ll find an HDMI output that looks just like the HDMI inputs in your television. To connect, you plug an HDMI cable into this output port and then plug the other end into one of the HDMI input ports on your television.

If you’re curious how Fire TV Cube can control a TV, it's accomplished through a wireless connection. Most televisions make use of an infrared remote control which uses pulses of invisible infrared light to send commands to turn it on, off, adjust the volume, and everything else. The Fire TV Cube includes an IR blaster capable of sending those same pulses of infrared light, and it also has the same information programmed into a universal remote.

When you tell the Fire TV Cube what kind of television you have, it looks up the correct signals to control your kind of TV, and then it sends them through the IR blaster. This same technique can also be used to control your soundbar and a variety of other devices.

Why Is My Fire TV Cube Not Working?

There are a lot of issues that can cause a Fire TV Cube to not work, from a corrupt update to a malfunctioning app, and even failed hardware. Here are some of the most common Fire TV Cube problems, and potential fixes:

• Trouble streaming or playing media: Try restarting your Fire TV Cube by unplugging it from power and plugging it back in. If that doesn’t work, make sure you have a strong Wi-Fi signal, and try connecting via Ethernet if possible. Resetting your network hardware may help if your connection is slow.
• Slow performance or buggy operation: Check for updates. Navigate to Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for Updates > Install Updates. If the problem is only with one app, uninstalling and reinstalling the app may help.
• Fire TV Cube is unresponsive: If you have a picture but it isn’t responsive, make sure your remote is functional, has good batteries, and is paired. If it is, then try restarting the Fire TV Cube by unplugging it from power then plugging it back in. If that doesn’t work, you may need to reset it.
• Television screen is blank: The Fire TV Cube may not be plugged in, it may not be connected to the TV, or the wrong input might be selected. Make sure the TV and Fire TV Cube are both plugged in and connected together, and the correct input is selected. Make sure you’re using a high-speed HDMI cable if you’re using the second-generation Fire TV Cube.
• No audio heard during operation: Check the volume of your television and soundbar to make sure they aren’t set too low. If you’re using a soundbar, make sure it’s selected as the sound output. You can also try switching to a different HDMI cable. If you’re using an HDMI hub, try connecting directly to the television temporarily and see if that fixes the problem.