Amazon Fire TV Stick Parental Controls & Safety Guide
How to set up Amazon Kids profiles, the Parental Controls PIN, app-purchase confirmations and sideload protections on the Fire TV Stick.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick plugs into a TV's HDMI port and runs Fire OS, a fork of Android. It can install thousands of apps from the Amazon Appstore and, because Fire OS is Android-based, it can also sideload apps from outside the official store — which is a common way unofficial streaming apps reach children. Amazon Kids profiles, a five-digit Parental Controls PIN and a separate PIN for purchases together give parents reasonable control if they are configured before the device is handed over.
Main risks
- • Children switching to an adult profile and watching mature streaming content
- • Accidental Prime Video rentals or in-app purchases bought with one click
- • Sideloaded apps from outside the Amazon Appstore that have no content rating or parental safeguards
- • Voice search returning explicit results when Alexa is signed in to an adult account
Initial setup steps
Sign in with the parent's Amazon account
During first set up, sign the Fire TV Stick in with the household's main Amazon account, not a child's. Skip any prompts to enable one-click purchasing.
Turn on Parental Controls and set a PIN
Go to Settings > Preferences > Parental Controls and switch it on. Choose a five-digit PIN that your child does not know and enable PIN Protect Purchases at the same time.
Create an Amazon Kids profile for each child
From the home screen, pick the profile selector, choose 'Add Profile' and add each child with their correct date of birth. Add only the apps and channels you want them to use. The Amazon Kids+ subscription is optional and adds a curated library.
Disable sideloading and developer options
Go to Settings > My Fire TV > Developer Options. Switch 'Apps from Unknown Sources' off and disable ADB debugging. This blocks the most common way unofficial apps reach the device.
Parental control settings
Parental Controls PIN
Location: Settings > Preferences > Parental Controls
Recommended: On with a five-digit PIN different from the Amazon account password
Required to switch profiles, open the Appstore, change settings and play content above a chosen rating.
Amazon Kids Profile
Location: Profile selector on home screen > Add Profile > Amazon Kids
Recommended: One profile per child, with the correct date of birth
Limits the home screen to age-rated apps, films and books and hides the regular Appstore. A profile must be unlocked with the PIN to leave the Kids area.
PIN on Purchases
Location: Settings > Preferences > Parental Controls > PIN Protect Purchases
Recommended: On
Requires the PIN before any Prime Video rental, channel subscription or Appstore purchase completes.
Apps from Unknown Sources
Location: Settings > My Fire TV > Developer Options > Apps from Unknown Sources
Recommended: Off
Blocks sideloading of unofficial streaming apps. Many illegal IPTV apps installed for children to watch sport or films also expose them to malware and explicit pop-ups.
Age recommendations
Use an Amazon Kids profile only. Keep sideloading off and pre-approve a small list of apps such as CBeebies, Disney+ Kids and Amazon Kids+.
Amazon Kids profile with age range set to under 9 or under 12. Keep PIN on purchases on. Review viewing history in the Parent Dashboard every few weeks.
Move to a teen profile or a supervised regular profile with the Parental Controls PIN still active. Keep sideloading off and talk about why unofficial streaming apps are risky.