Wondering why is my Amazon Fire Tablet so slow? It’s time to answer this question!
The Amazon Fire Tablet becomes slow when too many background applications are enabled or utilize a local service that consumes the device’s resources. In addition, when apps and content are being used from the SD card, the response time will be slow!
In addition, the tablet won’t function as fast when the Storage is full or when certain heavy CPU features are enabled.
Also, when too many apps are open at once, the Fire Tablet will lag.
Let’s next learn more about why the device could be so slow…
Why Is The Amazon Fire Tablet Running Slow?
The number 1 reason for slow performance on a Fire Tablet is when users download applications on the SD card and then wonder why those apps are so slow.
To justify, simply open an application that is locally installed on the tablet’s storage and not on the SD card.
In case the local application is working well, in contrast to the SD card apps, it’s clear!
When the Fire Tablet is overall slow, these could be the fundamental factors:
- Fire Tablet Storage Is Full
- Running Background Applications
- Outdated OS Firmware
- Resource-Consuming Features!
- Pilled Up Cache Data
In ALL cases, the problem is due to bad Fire Tablet performance and next, we’re about to attempt every possible method to boost the speed of your Amazon device!
Let’s jump right in.
How To Fix When Fire Tablet Is Running Slow?
The solution for some users might require fewer steps in comparison to others!
It’s based on how bad the situation with the Fire Tablet is and more particularly, on how long the tablet hasn’t been under software maintenance.
For best effect, follow the solutions consecutively.
Here’s how to boost the speed of your Fire Tablet in easy steps!
Solution #1 Delete Apps You Don’t Need!
Like any other storage, the more free storage there is, the faster the device works!
Feel free to uninstall ALL applications that you haven’t used in a while.
Even if you don’t really want to, keep in mind that you can easily download them back when you need them!
Here’s how to uninstall any application that you don’t need:
- From the Games & Apps, go into the Library.
- There you can find any application.
- Choose Manage All Applications.
- Individually, select apps and press Delete From Device!
Uninstall as many applications as possible. Leave only the apps that you’re actually using to free up as much storage as possible. That will guarantee a bit more performance!
Tip: The heaviest apps are usually larger in size!
Solution #2 Delete The Cache Partition
To proceed further with the optimization and boost of your Amazon Fire Tablet, we’ll quickly remove the Cache Partition.
To clarify, this is a temporary space that the operating system provides for the applications to store data responsible for background services.
Some devices clear this Cache Data automatically but with Fire Tables it’s different.
Here’s how to delete the Cache Partition on the Amazon Fire Tablet:
- Hold the Power button to turn OFF the Fire Tablet.
- Press & hold the Power button and the Volume Up button (simultaneously).
- Shortly, you will see the Amazon Boot Logo.
- Release the buttons.
- In the Recovery Menu, scroll down to find “Wipe/Delete Cache Partition”.
- Confirm your selection.
- Select Power Down.
- Turn ON the Amazon Fire Tablet.
With the Cache Partition deleted, you should already be feeling a boost in the Fire Tablet’s loading time but don’t stop here!
The most powerful methods are next to come!
Solution #3 Disable “Telemetry Reporting”
The Amazon Fire Tablets send data about how the device is being used (truly harmless), which does not include personal info such as browsing history or identifying credentials.
It only reports info to Amazon to form statistics for research and overall improvement on the device.
The downside is that the Telemetry Reporting can slow your Fire Tablet!
Here’s how to disable the Telemetry Reporting with a few easy steps:
- From the Settings go to Security & Privacy.
- From there select Marketing (Fire OS 5 & 6) or Device Usage Data (Fire OS 7).
- Go into Apps & Notifications and make sure to disable Collect App Usage Data.
This should be just enough for you to feel the difference when the reporting won’t engage and slow your device down. Keep the Telemetry Reporting OFF to make your device faster!
Note: Check for ALL applications that you want to stop reporting for!
Solution #4 Remove Apps From SD Card
The Amazon Fire Tablets come with at least 16GB of storage which is enough to cover most of the consumer’s needs.
To be honest, besides downloading movies and games, how else can you fulfill the entire storage and have enough space to start using the SD card?
Even the fastest SD cards are twice as slow as the Fire Tablet’s internal storage!
The easiest way to deal with this problem is to directly remove the SD card from the tablet.
When you are planning to use the SD card apps in the future there is no need to delete them, instead remove the SD card from the device and only use apps from the local storage.
Note: Test the performance of your Fire Tablet without the SD card.
Solution #5 Stop Alexa!
Even if the voice assistant Alexa does not appear as a large resource consumer, many users reported that turning the feature off made all the difference in the world.
Stopping this constant background service will not only boost the Fire Tablet’s speed but also preserve the battery life!
Here’s how to stop Alexa on a Fire Tablet in easy steps:
- On your Fire Tablet go to Settings.
- From there uses the search bar to locate “Alexa”.
- Press on the “Alexa” tab and press on the green toggle.
- When the button becomes black, you’ll know that Alexa is disabled.
For many people that was the reason why is my Amazon Fire Tablet so slow and they have managed to solve the problem with a single press.
Keep Alexa turned OFF for the rest of this guide just to test whether this will make any difference. In case it does, it’s your call.
Tip: When you have an Echo device setup and you need Alexa to be turned ON, use the Home Screen slide menu to turn OFF only “Alexa Hands-Free”.
Solution #6 Set A Process Limit
Now, the background processes are what truly make a device slow.
By default the background process limit is not enabled, therefore your Fire Tablet might have a resource problem due to many applications working at the same time.
Even when apps are closed, the services might have an operating background process!
Here’s how to set a Background Processes Limit in a few easy steps:
- From the Settings go to Device Options.
- Choose About Fire Tablet.
- Tap on the Serial Number 7 consecutive times.
- This will enable the Developer Options (not enabled by default).
- Go back into Device Options > Developer Options.
- Select Background Process Limit > Choose only “2”.
This will make your Fire Tablet allow only 2 background applications to function, which will boost the speed of your device up to the maximum possible.
This won’t impact your device, except that when you close an application it will automatically unload, and not keep the service running.
Alert: Don’t experiment with the Developer Options, since there is no other setting to boost the speed of your Fire Tablet any further.
Quick Recap:
Thus, the Fire Tablet’s operational speed depends on how much free storage there is, whether the apps are installed on the SD card, and how long the Cache has not been cleared. In addition, users can always Factory Reset the tablet and clean it all at once!
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Wrapping Up:
Now that we know why is my Amazon Fire Tablet so slow and what we can do to boost the speed of our devices, we should no longer experience lag.
To make sure that the device won’t become slow again, regularly clean unused apps and save this post for further use!
For more relevant guides such as this one, make sure to check our tech blog!
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.