Enable Apps from Unknown Sources on your Firestick to access all the great content and Android APK applications available that haven’t been accepted by Amazon for inclusion in their app store. Whether their reason for not including any particular app is a marketing decision based upon potential profits or simply some other lack of knowledge on this corporate entity’s part, once you enable apps from unknown sources, the entire world of available Android APK apps is open to you.
Enable Apps from Unknown Sources
This step is necessary in order to install any apps not found in the Amazon App Store. If you want access to the complete library of free streaming movies and TV shows that is available online right now, this will be the first step required.
- From the Fire TV Stick home screen, navigate to Settings in the far right of the top menu.
- Within the Firestick settings area, scroll to Device and click to enter.
- Next, scroll down and click Developer Options.
- Turn on the Apps from Unknown Sources if it says Off.
- Accept responsibility for your actions and say the Amazon Firestick warning.
Further Considerations & Safety Issues
Enabling apps from unknown sources is pretty much the crux of how to jailbreak a Firestick. With this required step completed, you can now install Kodi, CatMouse, UnlockMyTV, Typhoon TV, Mobdro, or any number of other free streaming Firestick apps not available in the Amazon App Store.
There are still some serious legal issues and privacy concerns to be considered, however…
Protect Yourself Online
One very important thing to consider is blocking access to your usage data and browsing history. There are two important aspects to protecting yourself from the guerrilla marketing efforts of Amazon and their partners.
By the way, “partners” is what most corporations, including Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and even Twitter call anyone willing to pay a royalty for the use of data they collect from you and your activities. Information they gather and record about you and your activities and habits is one of the products they sell.
Block Amazon Collection of Firestick Apps Usage Data
This setting allows you to opt out of having Amazon gather information about what apps you use on your Firestick or other FireOS device and how you use them. The Collect App Usage Data setting is on by default, of course. Amazon would really like to know everything there is to know about you in order to maximize their ability to profit from you. Turning off Collect App Usage Data pretty much tells Amazon “thanks for your interest in my habits and experiences, but please stay out of my business.”
There’s really no telling quite how effective this settings adjustment is. Only some of the people working within the Amazon marketing department could say for certain if this information isn’t gathered anyways and just kept in-house exclusively for Amazon marketing purposes. Still; it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- In the top Firestick menu, go into Settings.
- Click on Applications.
- Turn off Collect App Usage Data.
Securely Block All Personal Data Gathering Online
The only sure-fire protection from having your browsing and usage data collected and recorded for later use requires that you actively participate in your own security. Aside from protecting your data, using a VPN helps you get around the restrictions most internet service providers are putting on many of these free streaming apps.
When using free streaming apps, a securely encrypted VPN is highly recommended to hide your identity, location, and online activities. Many experienced free video streamers, including everyone here at My True Media, prefer Surfshark VPN for price, speed, and privacy.
Providing the fastest VPN server speeds available and helpful 24/7 live chat support, Surfshark VPN has easy to use apps, including a Fire TV Stick native app. We've also arranged a special discount exclusively for My True Media readers.
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Why is VPN Important?
If unsure what a VPN is, how it works, or why you really should use one, save yourself a lot of trouble and learn more about them.
Read Why Encrypted VPN is so Important: What is VPN?
Video Walk-through to Enable Apps From Unknown Sources
If you work better visually, check this video instruction to enable apps from unknown sources on an Amazon Firestick, Fire TV, or Fire TV Cube. There is plenty to help you secure your Fire device from the watchful eyes of Amazon, their partners, and even your ISP within.
Quick, Easy, Free Movies and TV Shows
Once you’ve carried out these simple tasks, the rest is a matter of prioritizing your desires. You get three options to match your personal values. Do you value quality, money, or time the most, and which do you care the least about? The adage “time is money” says a lot about those who believe it. It’s also telling when someone shows a belief that “any job worth doing is worth doing well.” Most decisions made in life follow these basic principals.
Quality of Entertainment
If the highest quality is most important to you, then you may be willing to spend the money and time it takes traveling to the great movie houses of the world. The IMAX Theater at Darling Harbour in Sydney, Australia will let you experience the world’s largest screen. Maybe you’d prefer the 4DX in Seoul, South Korea for a seriously immersive cinema experience that includes smell-o-vision along with motion, wind, and water effects.
Cost of Entertainment
If you cared the least about money, you’d probably just buy all the apps that provide the shows you want along with an Amazon Prime account. Of course, if you want to watch new release movies, you’d also have to spend extra time going to the theater along with the money this would cost.
As you’re reading this article, presumably to save money on entertainment costs, it is probably safe to assume money isn’t the least of your considerations.
Time for Entertainment
If time is your least important of these three choices, you may just wait for the movie or TV show to be made freely available by the licensing studio. If you’re willing to wait long enough, eventually every video and song will go into the public realm.
Are Free Streaming Movie & TV Show Apps Legal?
Be sure to check the local laws in your area to find out if your streaming from unlicensed sources is illegal. Many of the free streaming apps not available in the Amazon App Store search openly online for available titles to present to you without consideration for a source’s legal licensing and distribution rights.
Get High Quality Now Free
One of the great things about streaming movies and TV shows online is the immediate availability. You can watch anything that you want online without making a major expense of time or money. Enjoying the latest movie release or your local football team playing a home game are now possible from the comfort of your Lay-Z-Boy recliner.
Live streaming 4K video is now available in many free Firestick apps and 1080p in nearly all of them. The quality of many streaming videos online has improved to the point that the human eye can’t even detect the visual artifacts that often spoil lower-quality recordings. If your internet connection can handle the data throughput necessary, and your display is of high enough resolution, then you can enjoy all the best streaming free movies and TV shows available.
May your streams never run dry!