An XDA piece made the rounds recently on four useful things to do with an old Fire TV Stick instead of throwing it away. The premise is right on the money. Every household with a Prime membership has one or two Sticks sitting in a drawer, still functional, just eclipsed by whatever came next. The Stick’s Fire OS is Android under the hood, which means the same repurposing playbook that applies to old Android boxes applies here.
We tested seven apps on a first-gen Fire TV Stick 4K that had been retired for two years. The Stick handles most of them without complaint. A few need sideloading. All of them extend the device’s life past its Prime Video use.
What to look for in a Fire TV repurposing app
The Fire TV Stick is not a full Android TV device. Amazon’s Fire OS restricts a lot of what standard Android TV can do. A few criteria matter:
- Works with the Fire TV remote or supports a Bluetooth gamepad
- Runs on Fire OS 5 or 6, since older Sticks are stuck there
- Available in the Amazon Appstore or sideloadable via Downloader
- Modest CPU and RAM requirements (older Sticks have 1GB RAM)
- No dependency on Google Play Services
Quick comparison table
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price/mo | Sideload needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RetroArch | Retro gaming console | Android, Fire TV, more | Yes | Free | Sometimes |
| Kodi | Local media center | Fire TV, Android, desktop | Yes | Free | Sometimes |
| Jellyfin | Self-hosted media client | Fire TV, Android, more | Yes | Free | Yes |
| Plex | Home media streaming | Fire TV, Android, more | Yes | Optional Plex Pass | No |
| AirScreen | Cast from any device | Fire TV, Android TV | Yes | Optional Pro | No, in Amazon Appstore |
| Aptoide TV | Alternative app store | Fire TV, Android TV | Yes | Free | Yes, one-time install |
| Downloader | Sideload other apps | Fire TV, Android TV | Yes | Free | No, in Amazon Appstore |
The apps
1. RetroArch — Best for turning a Stick into a retro gaming console
RetroArch is the multi-system emulator frontend that runs on almost anything with a screen. On a Fire TV Stick, it handles NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, PS1, and lighter arcade games without breaking a sweat. Pair a Bluetooth controller (8BitDo works well) and the Stick becomes a plug-and-play retro console.
Where it falls short: PS2 and N64 emulation struggle on older Sticks. Some cores need manual configuration through the RetroArch UI.
Pricing:
- Free: full app
Platforms: Android, Fire TV, and many more
Bottom line: RetroArch is the best single reason to keep an old Fire TV Stick. Pair a controller and you have a retro console for the price of a spare HDMI port.
2. Kodi — Best for a local media center
Kodi turns the Stick into a full media center for local files. Point it at a NAS or a USB drive plugged into a powered hub, add metadata scrapers, and Kodi builds a Plex-quality library with movie posters, TV show art, and playback tracking. Runs cleanly on older Fire TV hardware.
Where it falls short: Not in the Amazon Appstore. Requires sideloading via Downloader or Aptoide TV. Setup requires more configuration than Plex or Jellyfin.
Pricing:
- Free: full app
Platforms: Fire TV, Android, desktop, and more
Bottom line: Kodi for households that already run a Plex or Jellyfin server. It stretches a retired Stick into another playback endpoint.
3. Jellyfin — Best for self-hosted media client
Jellyfin is the open-source Plex alternative. If you already run a Jellyfin server, the Fire TV client is a legitimate reason to keep an old Stick alive as a bedroom or guest-room streamer.
Where it falls short: Sideload only. The Amazon Appstore does not carry it.
Pricing:
- Free: full app and server
Platforms: Fire TV, Android, iOS, desktop
Bottom line: Jellyfin for anyone whose media library is already self-hosted. A retired Stick becomes a second Jellyfin room.
4. Plex — Best for the polished home media streaming client
Plex offers the smoothest Fire TV client of the media servers. In the Amazon Appstore, no sideloading, remote viewing built in, and hardware transcoding on the server side.
Where it falls short: Some features hide behind Plex Pass. Recent product direction has leaned toward the free ad-supported catalog, which annoys long-time users.
Pricing:
- Free: local streaming plus ad-supported catalogue
- Plex Pass for hardware transcoding, offline sync, and premium features
Platforms: Fire TV, Android, iOS, desktop
Bottom line: Plex for the fastest path to a working home media client. Jellyfin if the Plex direction has soured on you.
5. AirScreen — Best for casting from any device
AirScreen turns the Stick into a receiver for AirPlay, Chromecast, Miracast, and DLNA. Anyone in the house can cast to it, regardless of phone brand. Handy in a guest room where the primary use is throwing YouTube from a laptop or Spotify from a phone.
Where it falls short: 4K casting requires the Pro tier and depends heavily on the Stick’s hardware generation.
Pricing:
- Free: HD casting with ads
- Pro tier for 4K and no ads
Platforms: Fire TV, Android TV
Bottom line: AirScreen for a Stick that lives in a guest room and needs to accept casts from every phone brand.
6. Aptoide TV — Best alternative app store for Fire TV
Aptoide TV opens up an app catalogue that the Amazon Appstore does not carry: Kodi builds, IPTV clients, homebrew launchers, and old versions of apps that Amazon dropped. Install it once via Downloader and it becomes your route to almost everything Amazon does not stock.
Where it falls short: Requires sideloading. Users should stick to well-known apps and pay attention to permissions.
Pricing:
- Free: full app store
Platforms: Fire TV, Android TV
Bottom line: Aptoide TV as the second app store on any Fire TV Stick you plan to keep using past its Amazon-supported lifespan.
7. Downloader — Best for pulling sideload APKs
Downloader by AFTVnews is the sanctioned Fire TV sideloading tool. Enter a URL, get the APK, install it. That is the whole workflow. Available in the Amazon Appstore, which makes it the entry point for every other sideload on this list.
Where it falls short: Not a full app store. Users need to know where to find APKs before Downloader helps.
Pricing:
- Free: full app
Platforms: Fire TV, Android TV
Bottom line: Downloader is the first app to install on a Stick you plan to repurpose. Everything else follows from there.
How to pick the right one
- Install Downloader first, regardless of the endgame
- Add Aptoide TV as the second app store
- For retro gaming: RetroArch plus a Bluetooth controller
- For a self-hosted media client: Jellyfin (open source) or Plex (polished)
- For a local media library from a NAS: Kodi
- For a guest-room casting target: AirScreen
- If the Stick genuinely will not run anything usable: Amazon accepts old Fire devices for recycling
FAQ
Can an old Fire TV Stick run RetroArch? Yes, up to PS1 comfortably. N64 and PS2 struggle on first-gen hardware.
How do I sideload apps on a Fire TV Stick? Enable Apps From Unknown Sources in Settings, install Downloader from the Amazon Appstore, and use it to fetch APKs.
Is sideloading legal? Yes, sideloading itself is legal. What you install and whether you have a license for it is a separate question.
What is the best media server for a Fire TV Stick? Plex is the smoothest experience. Jellyfin if you prefer open source.
Can I use a Fire TV Stick without an Amazon account? The initial setup requires an Amazon account. After that, most apps work without further Amazon signin.
Does an old Fire TV Stick support 4K? Only the models labeled 4K or Max. Standard Sticks cap at 1080p.
