What changed
According to reporting by AFTVnews and 9to5Google, and Amazon’s own help page (all linked at the end of this page):
- Fire TV devices disable apps that Amazon identifies as using or providing access to unlicensed content.
- Trying to install one shows “App installation blocked”, with the explanation that the app “has been blocked because it provides access to unlicensed content”.
- Amazon says it won’t offer workarounds or exceptions.
This is separate from Vega OS. On Fire OS devices you can still install apps from outside the Appstore, apart from those Amazon blocks. On Vega OS devices you can’t install apps from outside the Appstore at all. See Vega OS explained.
What it means for IPTV
There are two very different kinds of app:
- Player apps such as TiviMate, IPTV Smarters or VLC contain no channels. You add a subscription you pay for, and the app plays it.
- Apps with content built in come preloaded with channels, films or links that the app’s maker doesn’t have the rights to.
Amazon’s block is aimed at the second kind. Amazon doesn’t publish the list of blocked apps, so no one outside Amazon can say exactly which apps it covers. If a player you rely on is ever blocked, don’t try to get round it. Choose another player, ideally one from the Appstore.
If you see the message
- Don’t use tools or modified versions that claim to bypass the block. They come from unknown sources, which is a real malware risk, and they defeat a protection Amazon applied deliberately.
- Choose a different player. The best IPTV apps for Firestick lists players and how each is installed.
- Or choose a different device. Firestick alternatives compares Google TV, Nvidia Shield, Apple TV and dedicated IPTV boxes.
- Ask whether the app was the problem. An app that shows channels without asking for your own subscription is almost always unlicensed. See is IPTV legal in the UK.
Other reasons an install fails
Most “App not installed” messages have nothing to do with blocking. They’re caused by low storage, an incomplete download or a clash with an older version. “App not installed” on Fire TV covers every cause.