With every new release of the FireOS there seem to be even more adverts and sponsored apps that can start getting in the way and even become an annoyance so we decided to put together this guide on how to remove sponsored apps on a firestick.
Another way to avoid ads and sponsored apps is to use IPTV which contains no ads and gives you access to every country’s TV channels at a low cast. To see more head over to The Best IPTV Provider and grab yourself a great deal on IPTV.
What Are Sponsored Apps And Adverts On A Firestick
Sponsored apps and adverts are intrusive advertisements found on the firesticks homepage or within certain applications.
Adverts and Sponsored app ads can come in many different formats for example here are just a few below:
- Video ads
- Built-in ads
- Banner ads
- Overlay ads
When you first launch your Firestick home screen you can be met with videos auto-playing from Amazon Prime and when using some Amazon apps you may even see some adverts within the application you are using.
Sometimes adverts can become tiring no matter what device or app you are using and for windows users, you may have an adblocker such as Adblock which helps block all browser adverts that may pop up or are in the content you read.
How To Remove Sponsored Apps And Adverts On A Firestick
There is a quick way to stop video ads from playing on your firestick this is the first thing you will need to do so follow the below steps:
- Go to settings from the firestick home screen
- Select preferences
- Choose featured content
- Turn both settings on Allow Video Autoplay and Allow Audio Autoplay to OFF
Ok, the above will only solve part of the problem of the running adverts when you are on the firestick home but you will still have the issues of some sponsored apps and adverts from within the applications you use.
To resolve these issues you will need to install a new firestick home screen launcher which will be called Wolf Launcher.
First, let us explain what a launcher is on your amazon firestick device.
What is a launcher on FireStick?
A launcher on a firestick is an app that will modify the layout, design, features, and other aspects of the design temporarily. This will give you firestick a new feel and look from the original amazon stock home screen.
How To Install Wolf Launcher On Your Firestick
First, the wolf launcher is not available via the Amazon app store so you will need to sideload the app using the ever-so-popular application called Downloader.
Install downloader to your firestick
First, make sure you have enabled developer options on your firestick to do this follow the below steps:
- From the firestick home screen choose settings (little settings cog)
- Select My Fire TV or Device
- Click Developer Options
- Select Apps From Unknown Sources
- Make sure to choose ON
- Click Turn On on the confirmation notification box
Now you can install the downloader app so follow the below:
- From the firestick home screen choose Find
- Now type in the word Downloader and click the orange icon
- Choose Download to start downloading the app
Installing Wolf Launcher To A Firestick
Now you have the downloader app and have enabled the developer options on your amazon firestick it’s time to install the Wolf launcher.
- Open the Downloader app
- Type in this URL address https://tinyurl.com/launchwolf then click on Go
- The app will start downloading on your firestick so wait until it has downloaded
- Now click on Install
- After the installation has finished click Done
- Now delete the APK to save space on your firestick
- Click Delete again
That’s it you have now installed the Wolf Launcher on your firestick which will completely stop all sponsored apps and adverts from showing on your firesticks home screen.
How To Set Up Wolf Launcher
What you need to do now is to make sure the firestick uses this new launcher instead of Amazon’s stock launcher.
- Open Wolf Launcher from my apps (wait for the app to load)
- Now from the new launcher menu find the Settings icon and click on it
- Choose launcher options
- Select disable stock launcher
That’s it you have now disabled the stock launcher in place for the new Wolf launcher. If for any reason you need to go back to the stock Amazon launcher just follow the above steps and Enable stock launcher.
You can also change the default Wolf Launcher background if needed by following the below
How To Change Wolf Launcher Background
- Press the menu on your remote
- Choose launcher settings
- Pick Wallpaper
- Choose Select Wallpaper
- Navigate to a folder you have saved the image you want to use as your wallpaper
- Select Application Wallpaper to enable your new custom wallpaper
Please note: If you need a place to download wallpapers directly to your amazon firestick you can use the Downloader and browse the web such as Google images or even use the Amazon silk browser and browse wallpaper websites and Google images.
Regarding the sponsored apps you can go inside the settings of Wolf Launcher and choose to hide apps such as sponsored apps and more.
Alternative Ways To Remove Adverts And Sponsored Apps On Firestick
One of the best ways to completely block all adverts on your firestick is to use an application called Blokada which allows you to run your DNS (domain name service) through their DNS which cuts out all adverts.
This will help if you are using Youtube or even web browsing on your firestick and seeing ads pop up.
We have made a guide here The Best Ad Blocker For Your Firestick which you can follow that will guide you through the whole process of using the best ad blocker on your firestick.
Conclusion
We hope this guide has helped you block all sponsored apps and Adverts on your firestick so you can enjoy an ad-free experience when browsing, watching, and playing on your favorite firestick applications and games.
