Facing – “Content not owned Amazon Fire Stick” issue, even after buying it? We’ve got you!
Firestick could be displaying the “Content Not Owned” due to many things, including temporary server issues with the Amazon server.
There are quite a few easy ways to address the problem and you’ll learn all of them in our upcoming guide!
To fix when the content isn’t owned by Amazon Firestick, reboot the device and make sure you’ve allowed content from Unknown Sources.
Next, de-register your account, update your Firestick/problematic application and check your purchases!
Let’s learn how to address the problem with your Firestick by finding out what’s causing it!
Why Is My Content Not Owned On Amazon Fire TV?
Before we start going through the solutions, it’s best to learn why your Firestick denied your access to the content you should rightfully have access to.
Multiple things could be revoking ownership of the content, without you knowing so it’s time to get you familiar!
Here’s why your content is “not owned” by the Firestick:
- Failed Update with the Content
- Temporal Issue with the Firestick
- The Content is from an “Unknown Source”
- A Software Problem with the Firestick Itself
- Your Purchase of the content didn’t go through
In a major part of the issues reports, this is what could revoke your access to the content you’ve acquired on your Amazon Firestick.
Keep reading to learn how to address the following error and regain the owned content in no time!
Content Not Owned Amazon Fire Stick – Easy Fix!
We’ll be going to some simple solutions, troubleshooting the problem in a step-by-step manner for easier navigation.
Make sure that you’re applying all of our solutions in chronological order and do not miss any of the instructions, steps, notes, and tips.
With that being said, let’s jump right into troubleshooting!
Solution #1 Restart the Amazon Firestick!
The first solution is going to be simple – restarting your Firestick.
As simple as it may sound, sometimes rebooting the device will cause it to re-detect for owned content and therefore grant you access to the features/applications you’ve purchased or acquired.
- Restart the Firestick by unplugging it from the TV and power!
Using the remote, shut down and Firestick and wait for 30 seconds. Disconnect the Firestick from your TV’s HDMI and from the Power USB cable and then wait for about 5 minutes.
Once 5 minutes have fully elapsed, plug the Firestick into the TV and connect the micro USB cable to the device.
After that, test if you’ve been granted access to the content you would otherwise be denied upon trying to use.
Note: Keep the Firestick disconnected for at least 5 minutes to reboot it properly!
Solution #2 Allow Content from Unknown Sources!
If you’ve acquired content on your Firestick that isn’t from the device’s app store, it’ll be considered as acquired from “Unknown Sources”.
This happens whenever the Firestick system isn’t able to detect the merchant of the app and the restriction is applied.
If you’re certain that your content does not contain malicious software data, you should allow content from unknown sources in order to regain access!
- Press the Settings Icon in the left menu of your Firestick.
- Access the General tab.
- From there, scroll down and head to the Unknown Sources tab.
- After that, highlight the Toggle button.
- Press “Allow content from Unknown Sources”.
- Verify the enabling of the feature by pressing the “Confirm” button.
- Test your content.
In order to determine whether your account is from an unknown source or not, you must access the platform Configuration Settings.
If the app is from the app store, it’ll have a merchant/supplier included, otherwise no such information will be there!
Note: Once unknown content is allowed, you may have to restart your Firestick.
Solution #3 Delete Duplicate PBS Video Apps
Many users reported that the sub-feature of Prime Video, the PBS service, could have duplicates on your Firestick software.
If that happens, your streaming stick may start experiencing a variety of issues, including random denial of access requests.
- Simply make sure that one version of the PBS Video exists!
Here’s how to locate and delete duplicate PBS Video apps:
- Head to the Settings of your Fire TV device.
- Select the Applications tab.
- Press on Manage Installed Applications.
- Scroll down and locate the versions of the PBS Video Apps.
- If you’ve found multiple versions of the apps, highlight one of them.
- Press the “Uninstall” button to begin the removal of the duplicate app.
- Wait for the process to conclude.
Although it is not a common occurrence, you could get multiple versions of the PBS Video app when you sign up for it.
Your system may detect malicious intent due to the fact that multiple versions of the app exist and your access to the content will be therefore denied.
Alert: Do not cancel/interrupt your Firestick while it is erasing versions of the PBS Video!
Solution #4 Update the Problematic Application
If you’re experiencing issues with a particular application rather than content, you should update the platform to resolve the problem with the denied access.
It is rather easy to apply the latest versions of apps installed on your Firestick and you shouldn’t have any difficulty.
- The app must be installed from the Amazon Store in order to be updated!
Here’s how to update the application you’re getting denied to:
- From the Home Screen of your Firestick, press the Settings Button.
- Navigate to Applications and press the “OK” button on your Firestick remote.
- Select the App Store icon to gain access to the app configuration.
- Click on “Automatic Updates” to turn on the feature.
- Wait for the particular app you want updated to undergo the process.
Keep in mind that there is currently no way to manually update single platforms on Firestick. By enabling “Automatic Updates” your Firestick will start applying the latest versions to all apps you have.
Note: In case your apps are up to date, keep reading the next solution!
Solution #5 Verify that the Purchase Went Through
If you’re experiencing issues with purchased content on your Firestick, you should verify that the purchase has gone through.
Chances are that you’ve failed the payment of the already “paid” content and you’re currently not granted access to the application.
- Simply check for the transaction in your financial account!
If money has been taken from your payment source, it probably means that the payment is on hold.
If the funds remain in your bank account, the payment has failed and you’ve probably inserted incorrect details on your Debit/Credit card.
Retry the payment of the paid content but this time make sure that the banking information is spelled/written correctly. In addition, make sure enough funds are available in your bank account/payment source.
Note: If the purchase has gone through successfully, funds will be withdrawn!
Solution #6 De-Register/Change Ownership of the Firestick
If nothing worked so far, you should deregister and then register your Firestick account to refresh all of the available content.
It’s another easy thing to do, which won’t take much of your time and in most cases, it helps with unavailable content issues.
Here’s how to deregister and then register your Firestick again:
- Go to the Home Page of your Firestick!
- Head to Manage Your Content and Devices.
- Log into your Amazon Account through the Firestick.
- Press your Firestick Device.
- Select Deregister.
- Follow the instructions to deregister your Firestick.
- Once forwarded to the next tab, press Register.
- Register your Amazon account to Firestick again.
- Test the content…
In case the purchased content is still not accessible, it’s best to wait for at least 24 hours before taking the next action.
Speaking of the next step, your only possible way to acquire help and information about your payment and access is to contact Amazon Support.
Note: Once your account is deregistered from the account, all related settings will be refreshed.
Quick Recap:
Thus, to fix when content not owned on Amazon Fire Stick after buying it, restart the device and delete duplicate PBS Video apps.
In case that doesn’t help, apply an update to the problematic app and conclude by deregistering your Firestick!
Read Next: Do I Need a VPN for Firestick? Complete Guide!
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.