A common problem on the Firestick is that it will randomly go to screensaver mode when you’re using a movie or tv show app. Examples where this occurs include Twitch, Youtube, Netflix, Kodi, Jellyfin, Emby, and Plex.
Beyond turning the screensaver off, updates on both old and new Firestick models are causing the screensaver to turn on all of a sudden, particularly at night or in between shows and movies.
To fix a Firestick that keeps going to a screensaver, you can turn the screensaver off by holding the home button for 3 seconds and locating the ‘display and sound’ option. Next, you’ll select screensaver options and select to turn off the screensaver. You can optionally change its duration if you don’t want to turn it off.
Another alternative is to make sure your Firestick power cord is not connected to a TV USB port as a power source. You’ll need to connect to a wall power source and not the TV.
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If you can not access the screensaver options, try holding the big round button at the same time as the home button (simultaneously). This should bring up the screensaver option.
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In this post, we will cover every possible way you can fix a Firestick that keeps going to screensaver as well as one that has issues surrounding the Firestick turning off, or performing actions you don’t want it to do.
Why does my Firestick Keep going to the screensaver when I watch TV, Twitch or Youtube?
Your Firestick shouldn’t go to the screensaver page when watching movies or series. However, if your Firestick screensaver goes black or your Firestick 4K keeps going to screensaver while watching TV, Twitch or Youtube, there are some effective solutions:
| Firestick Problem | Solution(s) |
| Goes to screensaver randomly | Go to settings, display and sound, turn off screensaver |
| Screen goes black | Check HDMI cord, try turning off screensaver, factory reset |
| Keeps turning off | Ensure power source is wall adapter, not TV USB, plug hdmi cords in and out, factory reset |
| Finding the Firestick sleep timer | Go to quick access menu (3 second home button hold) select sleep timer at bottom |
The most effective method is unfortunately a factory reset if you can’t find the common troubleshooting methods to work. You can find this in settings, then selecting My Fire TV, scrolling all the way down and tapping reset to factory defaults.
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Other issues that are related to random screensaver problems on Firestick include the device going to the Home Screen during video playback, going to sleep and not waking up as well as sleep timer issues.
I’ve even found some cases where the Firestick has an automatic sleep mode that occurs only when it is very late at night.
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How to prevent your Firestick from going to sleep by turning it off
The best way to prevent your Firestick from suddenly entering sleep mode is by disabling the sleep feature within the settings menu. This commonly occurs while watching Netflix, Youtube, Twitch, and even using Plex or Kodi apps on your Firestick.
But, how can you stop Firestick from sleeping? Well, if you use an Amazon Fire TV Stick,, you may have noticed its difficult to determine which setting can disable the device from going to sleep when you don’t want it to.
If you are watching a movie late at night and the firestick suddenly turns off, this can cause a problem of keeping you up and interrupting your entertainment.
In the following steps you will learn how to turn off a firestick screensaver. Here’s how to disable sleep mode Amazon fire stick while your using apps like Twitch, Youtube, Plex, Kodi or watching TV & Movies:
- Navigate to the Firestick menu and select the settings option from the top menu. It will be one of the last options available based on your fire OS model.
- Locate and select ‘Display and Sound’.
- A new selection of options appears; select the first one, which is the screensaver option. You’ll then be sent to the screensaver’s menu.
- You may modify any aspect of the screensaver’s setup on this screen. Locate the “start time” button, (4th option).
- Choose “‘Never again in my life will I start a screensaver’. Once completed, your Firestick wi will not sleep automatically or enter screensaver mode without your consent.
Your Firestick should never fall asleep or go into any type of sleep mode after these steps are followed. But if it does, this process will help you turn off the sleep mode fire stick.
If implemented correctly, sleep mode will not interrupt again when you take a break between youtube, twitch, or movies.
This will also stop the stress of constantly needing to press buttons to wake the fire stick..
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If you still want to use sleep mode but don’t want to be interrupted in the middle of watching your movies or shows, then a longer time period can be set before your firestick enters sleep or screensaver mode.
How to stop Firestick from turning off
The reason why a Firestick turns off or randomly turns black is often an HDMI issue, but that’s not always the case. The first thing to check is how secure the cables are before troubleshooting anything else. A simple plug in and out usually does the trick.
You can tell if a Firestick has a true problem when your TV doesn’t turn off at the same time you power off your Firestick. This could be either the TV or the Firestick.
If you don’t suspect your TV is the issue, then the problem is likely to be with the Firestick. Here is how to stop a fire stick from turning off by itself:
- Try another TV: Consider connecting your Fire Stick to another television. If the issue is with your TV and not with your Fire Stick, your Fire Stick will resume normal operation when switched to another display. If not, you’ll want to try the next steps. If this only works temporarily, then you’ll want to attempt connecting to an alternate HDMI port.
- Restart: Unplug your Fire Stick for 25+ seconds, then reconnect it back to your Smart TV. After powering down your Firestick device, power it back on and check to see whether it continues to shut off on its own.
- Try a different HDMI port: Consider connecting your Fire Stick to another HDMI port on your television. If you do not have another television to test your Fire Stick on, try connecting it to a different HDMI port on your television. Occasionally, problems might be isolated to a particular port on your television, resulting in unusual behaviors such as gadgets shutting off.
- Ensure your Smart TV is HDCP compatible: Check if your smart TV to which your Fire Stick is attached supports something called “HDCP”. Fire Sticks 4k and cube require screens that support HDCP. Not all TVs support this (particularly older types). A quick web search for the model number from the manufacturer can solve this confusion and show you these details.
- Try a factory reset: A factory reset will reset your entire Firestick back to original settings. This is a last resort method if your Firestick is really having issues turning off along with additional miscellaneous errors.
- Reset any Apps: You can exit apps and enter them again – This is a slightly different approach compared to a regular restart because it’s possible that if you have custom set up on your fire stick an app is causing an issue upon start up. If an app is launching as soon as you start your device up, it’s possible one of them is causing an issue and is worth checking out.
- Disconnect from any HDMI Hubs: If your Fire Stick is connected to your TV using another device other than the TV itself, such as via an HDMI hub, then try connecting it directly to your TV. It’s possible this is the issue and is worth troubleshooting a direct approach rather than using a third party device like a hub.
Fire Stick Keeps Going to Home Screen during shows
It’s common that your Firestick randomly returns to the home screen while you’re watching a TV, show, movie or apps such as YouTube, Netflix or even Twitch. I found this occurs on the Firestick 4K and one of the main frustrations with this is that you can’t watch a show for more than 5 minutes.
While there are a few fixes available, they appear to only be temporary without a factory reset. phone fixes do not work, a factory reset or a software update may be required.
While swapping the cord connected to the USB port is a solution we found – it doesn’t always work perfectly. I found a firestick factory reset to have a higher success rate, particularly on the 4k & Cube models.
If you are experiencing troubles with applications reverting to the Home screen (particularly with video playback), you’ll want to attempt forcing the program to close and emptying its cache.
Here’s how to fix a firestick that keeps going to the home screen:
- Select Settings from the Fire TV menu.
- Navigate to Application.
- Locate and select the software where the home screen keeps reverting back from. This can be done by visiting ‘Manage Installed Applications’.
- Force Stop is the first option, followed by Clear Cache.
Other often used solutions include the following:
- Restarting your modem/router
- Completely Remove and reinstall the application.
- Restart your Fire TV device by simultaneously pressing and holding the Select”” and Play/Pause Play/Pause Button buttons for 10 seconds.
Firestick goes to sleep but won’t wake up
The easiest way to wake up your Firestick is by pressing the center round button on the device. Alternatively, you can press any of the buttons on the remote control and your Firestick should go out of sleep mode.
If that doesn’t happen, you have to reset your device. To do that, you can follow a series of simple steps that will help you get rid of the problem:
- First of all, if you use your remote control, check the batteries. There is a chance that your remote’s batteries are dead. In that case, the Firestick won’t wake up until you replace the batteries (or press the center button of the device).
- After checking your batteries, you should perform a reset. Try unplugging the Firestick from the power first. Wait for a few minutes, and turn on the device.
- Alternatively, you can press and hold (for a few seconds) the Select and Play buttons from your device. This should automatically restart your Firestick.
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Can you put a sleep timer on Amazon Fire stick?
Unfortunately, the Amazon fire sticks don’t have a Sleep Timer function. Thankfully, setting a sleep timer on most modern TVs is actually very easy. Keep in mind that the sleep timer function of TVs allows you to turn your device off in 5-240 minutes.
So, even if your Amazon Fire Stick doesn’t have a sleep timer, you don’t need one. You can use the sleep timer from your TV settings. Although most TVs have different menus, the sleep timer can be usually found in the Settings menu. All you need to do is:
- Go to Settings
- From the menu, select the Sleep Timer tab
- Set the timer
- You are all set. The Sleep Timer is now set
Insignia fire TV sleep mode
The Insignia fire TV has a sleep mode feature that automatically sets the screen off after a specific time frame of inactivity. In the Insignia, you cannot find the Sleep Mode option from the settings tab. So, what if you need to turn off sleep mode?
Well, thankfully, there is a way to stop the Insignia Fire TV from going to sleep. First of all, you have to turn on the Apps from unknown sources and ADB debugging features. To do that, all you need to do is go to Settings > My Fire TV > Developer Options. From there, you have to turn on both functions.
After doing that, you have to find your IP address. Go to Settings > About > Network. Once you have the IP address, everything gets easier, as all you have to do is use the AdbLink Utility from your PC or laptop.
After downloading the app, you have to connect your Insignia’s IP and click on the Utility bar > Set Timer > Sleep off. You’re all set. The sleep mode is now manually turned off.
Does amazon Firestick turn off automatically
Yes, the Amazon Firestick is set to turn off automatically after 20 minutes of inactivity. That’s both a good and a bad thing. On the bright side, you don’t have to turn off your Firestick after you stop watching TV. On the other hand, some users claim that the Sleep Mode function is pretty annoying.
I personally had this issue with my Firestick 4K. On some occasions, shows and movies stop playing on Firestick and it goes to a screensaver with photos.
If you want to get rid of the automatic turn off function, you can only do it via a third-party app like the AdbLink Utility. Keep in mind that this is an unauthorized app and you should use it cautiously.
How to fix a Firestick that keeps going black (dark screen)
It’s a Fire stick keeps making your TV screen turn black or appears to be disconnecting or turning the TV off, then you will find the following solutions will help:
- Do not use a TV USB as a power source: Many people make the mistake of using the TV USB as a power source. A Firestick that keeps going black screen can often be fixed by simply using the wall as Firestick power source rather than the TV.
- HDMI swap: Try connecting the Firestick to an unused HDMI port on the back of your smart TV. Your Firestick may not work in one HDMI, but I’ll transmit the right signals when connected to another. Do you also want to make sure it is firmly connected
- Clear the cache: By clearing the cache you may find your fire stick does not go black as often. The screen display is less likely to glitch or stop working if the app data and cache is cleared. hey YaLocate settings, then go to Applications. Next, select manage installed apps, and finally clear the cache in data of that app.
- Restart the Firestick: For at least five 10 seconds, hold the Select and Play/Pause buttons together at the same time. This will quickly switch off the Fire TV Stick and turn it back on, resetting apps, and other small issues.
- Check the input your devices are set to: Ensure your TV and firestick are connected to the correct input. Both devices should match, when you select input change from your smart TV, you will want to select whichever HDMI input your firestick is currently plugged into. You can check this by looking at the back of your TV.
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How to use the Firestick Sleep timer
If you’re looking to set a sleep timer on the firestick, then there’s a few options you have to make this work properly. If you are using a firestick 4k, then you can access the Sleep Timer through Home > Settings > Sleep Timer. Just hold the home button and the ‘select’ button simultaneously for 3-5 seconds (the big round button in the center).
Here’s an alternate way to set a sleep timer on the firestick:
- Press and hold the Voice Remote’s Home Button for 3-5 seconds to bring up something called the “Quick Access Menu”.
- After this, scroll down, and pick Sleep Timer.
- The Sleep Timer function shuts off the television after 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 120 minutes, 150 minutes, 180 minutes, and 240 minutes.
Setting a sleep timer is useful for if you’re watching movies or shows late at night and you don’t want the TV to stay on for hours on end. It is common to have difficulty when looking for this setting if you are a new fire stick user or not used to accessing the quick access menu using the remote. There are also ADBLink methods if you are more technical.
Alternatively, people also use the Nvidia Shield TV Pro when their Firestick is not working.
How to fix the error: Fire Stick Sleep timer not supported
Older versions of the fire stick used to get an error called fire stick sleep time or not supported. In the past this meant that you couldn’t have a sleep timer, however newer models of the firestick will allow you to have a sleep timer supported; meaning you won’t have this error. If you have an older firestick you might want to try to update it to the latest software using either manual or automatic updates feature.
To enable a sleep timer you’ll want to hold your remote’s home button for 3-5 seconds and locate the quick access menu. This typically works on both fire TV and fire stick 4k if the devices are updated.
How to wake up a fire stick from sleep mode
Fire OS based devices, particularly the Firestick, cube, and fire TV, should awaken when you press the middle circular button. The majority of the remote’s buttons will awaken it from sleep or ‘hibernation’ mode.
If you are unable to wake it this way, you can reset it by unplugging and replugging the USB power. Additionally, you may press and hold the middle button. Rebooting the power supply should resolve the issue. If the issue reappears, switch to a new HDMI port.
If your firestick is still not waking up from sleep mode that means it may not actually be in sleep mode at all. It’s possible that the fire stick HDMI cord it’s not plugged in firmly. You’ll also want to make sure all cords are connected in the correct input that your smart TV displays.
Current streaming approaches vary based on the device. (source)
Sleep mode is comparable to the way a phone’s screen is turned off. Any button on the remote should bring it to life. To begin, click the Home button. If this does not work, disconnect and replug the USB power cord. Occasionally, the device may have difficulty reconnecting to the HDMI connector on television sets.
Alternatively, Roku also has a sleep mode. I personally use Roku Private Channels as they are often used with streaming devices as well. The only thing is that the Roku web browser is not as easy to access as the Firestick browser.
Amazon fire stick screensaver photos
The latest Amazon Fire Stick allows you to manually import screensaver photos and use them as a home screen. Let’s find out how you can add, edit and delete screensavers on your Amazon Fire Stick.
You can upload your photos to Amazon Photos and then download them on any of your devices. All photos you take with supported cameras will automatically be backed up in Amazon Photo.
How to put photos on amazon fire stick
Contrary to what many believe, adding your personalized photos to an Amazon Fire Stick is very simple. Apart from the Fire TV, all you need is the Amazon Photos app. To put your photos on the Amazon fire stick, all you need to do is:
- Download the Amazon Photos app from your mobile phone and upload your photos
- From the app, go to “Personalize Echo Show & Fire TV” option (from “More” tab)
- Choose the Fire Stick you want to put the photos on
- Enable the “Daily Memories” function and/or select the “Add More Collections” option to update your screensaver.
- Open your Fire TV and go to “Display and Sounds”. Click on Screensaver > Current Screensaver and choose one of your collections.
Amazon fire stick photo slideshow locations
Amazon Fire Sticks allow you to choose a personalized or premade slideshow and showcase it on your TV. To change or edit your slideshow, all you need to do is go to the settings of your Fire Stick and select the Screensaver tab. From there, you can change the albums you have created via the Amazon Photos mobile app.
Remember that although you can put a slideshow on your Amazon Fire TV, you can’t import it straight on the device. That said, you either need a smartphone or an Amazon Fire tablet and the Amazon Photos app.
How to delete photos from Firestick screensaver
You can easily delete the photos you have put on your Firestick by using the Amazon Photos mobile app. From the app, go to the More tab > Personalize Echo Show & Fire TV and choose your Firestick device or Fire TV. This is where you can delete the photos of your firestick screensaver options.
From the collections, you can simply add more photos, and edit or delete the ones you have already added to your Firestick screensaver slideshow. To make sure that you have deleted the screensaver, you can turn on your Fire TV, go to settings > Display & Sounds and click on Screensaver.
From the Current Screensaver tab, you will have access to all the collections you have already created.
How to unsync amazon photos
To unsync your Amazon Photos account from your Firestick, you have to go to Settings > Applications > Prime Photos. If you want to disable the Amazon Photos app, all you have to do is press the “Disable Prime Photos” option. Click on Disable to confirm the action and you are good to go.
Once you unsync the Amazon Photos, the device will automatically delete all the photos, slideshows and videos you have used as screensavers on your Firestick. s,
How to unshare pictures from your amazon cloud drive
You can easily un-share the pictures you have added to your Amazon Cloud Drive by visiting the official Amazon Cloud website. After signing in with your credentials, the process is very simple:
- Click on the navigation menu (3 lines tab)
- Go to the “Shared” tab
- Select the media (photos, videos) you want to unshare
- Click on “Stop Sharing”
- You have successfully unshared your pictures from the Amazon Cloud.
I can’t access the settings menu on my fire tv stick anymore
If you are unable to reach the Settings menu, you need to gain access to the reset screen by holding the Back (arrow) and Right buttons on your Fire Stick remote for 12 seconds.
After you’ve reset the device, you will be able to access your settings. If any background apps are running be sure to exit them before resorting to a factory reset.
A factory reset will also work if you still can’t gain access to the settings menu after a regular reset or other methods aren’t working.
Conclusion
We know that many models of the Firestick keep going to screensaver when people don’t want it to. This is a common problem for any Firestick 4K device and has been solved in this guide.
Many people wonder: Why does my Firestick keep going to screensaver? In this article we examined all the things you can do to prevent the Fire TV from sleeping and found out how to turn the Firestick sleep mode off.
To do that, you can either hold the home button for a few seconds or turn off the screensaver option from the Display and Sound menu. If your Firestick goes to sleep or screensaver while watching a movie or show on Plex, there are effective solutions.
After our testing, we found out that a factory reset will solve the problem in most cases. Alternatively, you can check the HDMI cable (and port), restart the Firestick or try another TV to see if the problem is solved.
