- New Amazon Streaming Stick Stops Sideloading
- A message to this effect appears on its online listing
- This is part of Amazon’s rollout of its own Vega operating system.
Alongside an overhaul of the Fire TV OS interface, Amazon earlier this week announced a new Fire TV Stick HD, slimmer than its predecessor – and it has now been confirmed that side-loading will not be allowed on the new device.
As spotted by Cord Cutters News, the product listing on Amazon states: “For added security, this device prevents sideloading or installing apps from unknown sources. Only apps from the Amazon Appstore are available for download.”
The message does not seem to appear for everyone, but it is indeed present in some cases. Of course, when Amazon says “for enhanced security,” it means for the purpose of preventing dubious and legally suspect apps from loading.
Article continues below
However, it will also affect users who liked to customize and hack their Amazon streaming devices in a variety of other perfectly legal ways: think custom launchers, local media streaming, and smart home tools, for example.
The future is Vega OS
Part of how Amazon locked down its latest streaming stick is by using its own proprietary Vega operating system rather than an adapted version of Android. This gives Amazon much more control over what is possible on the software.
This was all announced last year, but it wasn’t clear how quickly the rollout would be done or which specific devices would be affected. We can safely assume that this “no sideloading” rule will apply to all Amazon devices in the future.
In fact, as Ars Technica points out, Vega OS and the same sideloading restrictions also apply to the Fire TV Stick 4K Select released in October – and we noted at the time that you wouldn’t be able to sideload apps on it.
Amazon has ensured that the majority of the best streaming apps work on Vega OS and its new streaming devices, including Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, YouTube, and Apple TV. Beyond official entertainment apps, your options are limited.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
