This article is part of a directory: Guides for Amazon Fire tablets

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How to install the Google Play Store on every Amazon Fire tablet (updated Jan. 2023)

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The first 10 things to do with your new Amazon Fire tablet

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After years of neglect, Android tablets are finally finding their place in the spotlight. But for most people, it's not worth dropping hundreds of dollars on a slate that acts as an accessory to their smartphone and laptop. Instead, tablets are the best affordable ways for media consumption, which makes Amazon's Fire tablet lineup the best you can find.

With all three models updated with USB-C ports and faster processors, it's a better lineup than ever. From the entry-level 7-inch model starting at $60 to the expansive 10-inch model — not to mention the Fire Kids models and the brand-new Fire Max 11 — there's an excellent Fire Tablet available for everyone. And with routine sales throughout the year, getting a large screen that's perfect for endless streaming has never been easier or cheaper.

If you recently picked up a Fire device but don't know where to start, here are the ten things you should do right away.

1 Install the Google Play Store

The Amazon Fire Tablet screen showing the installed apps, including the side-loaded Google Play Store

The Amazon Appstore is fine, especially when combined with web apps through the Silk browser. Still, there's no replacing the Play Store, especially when you want to install must-have apps like Gmail and YouTube. You won't find any of Google's applications on the Appstore, making this an essential step for power users and Android newcomers.

You can install the Play Store on Amazon Fire tablets. It requires about ten minutes of your time and four downloaded APKs, and our detailed guide helps you every step of the way. The Amazon Appstore works in a pinch, but the Play Store is a must-have for most of us.

But if you don't feel up to the challenge of installing the Play Store and its various required apps — or you want to avoid Google services — don't worry. It's not a prerequisite for the rest of this guide, and you can still have a fantastic experience.

2 Download your favorite apps and games

Whether or not you've installed the Play Store, it's time to download some apps. It doesn't matter if this is your first Android-compatible device or if you're a seasoned expert. Either way, you probably have a good idea of what software you want on your tablet.

If you have the Play Store, Google apps are a no-brainer. YouTube, Gmail, Chrome, and Google Photos are all day-one downloads for us, but you might have your own list. Grab apps like Drive, Docs, and Sheets if you plan to use your Fire Tablet for school. If you're working from home, Google Meet and Calendar are essential. And don't forget to grab Google Opinion Rewards, which can net you free Play Store credit by filling out some surveys. That's free money for apps, games, and subscriptions.

The Google Play Store as displayed on a Fire Tablet

And speaking of which, your Fire Tablet is great for casual games. Do you know what's better than some boring old productivity apps? Games. And the Play Store is full of them. We have no shortage of guides rounding up the best games on Android, with selections like Baba is You and Dead Cells that you'll never find on Amazon's Appstore. If you're out of Play Store credit, there are plenty of incredible free-to-play games worth checking out, including Pokémon Unite and Among Us.

If you decided not to install the Play Store, the Amazon Appstore has plenty of content. Grab streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+, and Peacock if you're interested in movie apps. TikTok, Spotify, and Facebook are worth grabbing, especially if you already use those services. Check out titles like Minecraft, Geometry Dash, and Candy Crush Saga on the games side.

3 Expand your storage

MicroSD slot on the Amazon Fire 7

Even in its highest configuration, the most expensive Fire Tablet — the Fire HD 10 — only has 64GB of storage. Cheaper models, such as the entry-level Fire 7, only have 16GB of storage. Considering you just loaded up your device with apps, games, movies, and more, that won't cut it in 2023.

Thankfully, Amazon still offers expandable storage on its most recent tablets, making it easy and affordable to add hundreds of additional gigabytes of space for as little as $20. We gathered some of our favorite microSD cards for Fire Tablets, with options as large as 1TB. Select the right size for your needs and drop it into the appropriate space on your tablet. Once you have your card in hand, follow these instructions to format it properly:

  1. Insert the microSD card into the card slot on your tablet.
  2. A pop-up fills the screen, asking how you'll use the SD card. Select Use as internal storage.
  3. If prompted, allow the card to be formatted by selecting Format storage device.
  4. Allow the format to proceed.
  5. Once it's finished, go into the Storage section in settings to view your SD card's free space and select specific content to auto-download to your external storage. Toggle on your preferred settings individually.
  6. If you want to use it for apps and games, you'll need to select Format as Internal Storage from this screen, followed by Format & Erase on the prompt that follows. This is an optional step. You can leave it as default if you'd rather use your SD card for movies or music.

Use this settings menu to erase or remove your SD card.

4 Embrace the Amazon experience

The Home Screen as displayed on an Amazon Fire Tablet

Although setting a third-party launch on Fire OS is possible, we don't recommend it. It's a difficult process that's easily broken through system updates and reboots. Amazon's homescreen experience may not feel like classic Android, but with a little customization, it's usable, especially if you're a Prime subscriber.

With three tabs (For You, Home, and Library), Amazon's setup is simplified for a big-screen experience. You can get rid of advertisements or suggested content on the top of the Home tab by tapping, holding, and selecting Not Interested, leaving only your list of installed apps. It might not be immediately apparent, but you can easily create folders by dragging apps on top of each other or uninstall (most) unwanted software by pressing and holding an icon.

The Library tab is where you'll spot all of your digital content. This includes synced Kindle purchases, apps and games from the Appstore, Prime Video content, and Audible selections, and you can customize it using the button at the bottom of this page. There's also a filter to display downloaded content only, in case you're offline for an extended period of time. It's the perfect option if you've got a road trip coming up.

Finally, the For You tab suggests content from Amazon-owned services, along with trending videos and app suggestions. You'll either find this page extremely useful or never use it. Which side of that coin you land on is a personal decision. Ultimately, your homescreen is what you make of it, and even without a third-party launcher, there's plenty of room for customization.

Make sure you head into the Settings menu to toggle off homescreen content you might not want to see. This list includes calendar events, news, photo highlights, recipes, and more. Some content may interest you, but you might as well banish it from the homescreen if it doesn't. And while you're in the Settings menu, check off some basic adjustments, like font size and blue light filters.

5 Sync your smart home gadgets

The Fire Tablet device dashboard displaying several smart plugs.

You might have noticed a little icon in the lower-left corner of your display. This toggle accesses Amazon's Device Dashboard, the perfect method for controlling your Alexa-compatible smart home gadgets. If you synced some devices with Alexa, they show up here, ready for use. Everything else can be added to the preinstalled Alexa app, no matter whether it's another Amazon-made device or a third-party utility from companies like TP-Link.

You can assign favorites, browse categories, build routines, and control your lights with a single toggle. Device Dashboard is a must-use for anyone obsessed with making their home a little smarter, and it only takes a couple of minutes to set up.

If you haven't taken the plunge into smart home gadgets, check out our favorite Alexa-supported devices and start building out your ecosystem. With Matter finally out and supported by plenty of IoT devices, including Amazon products, this feature has never been more important.

6 Set up user profiles

The Profiles and Family Library page in Fire OS settings.

Amazon does a great job with profiles, offering a personalized experience to everyone in your family on a single device. You can set up profiles in the Settings menu of your tablet, adding both adult and child-friendly accounts. Family Library makes it easy to sync purchased content with others, while Amazon's handy screen time tools help to keep your kid focused without too many distractions.

If you installed the Google Play Store, be aware that this isn't shared between profiles. Fixing this isn't worth the time or effort, especially considering how locked down Fire OS can be.

7 Make your Fire tablet the perfect Echo Show alternative

Show Mode as displayed on a Fire Tablet, with the weather forecast on screen.

Did you know Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 devices can double as makeshift Echo Show alternatives? It transforms your tablet into the perfect gadget for the kitchen counter, the coffee table in the living room, or anywhere else around your house.

Just grab your tablet stand, prop it up on a flat surface, then swipe down from the top of the device to open the Quick Settings menu. Toggle on Show Mode, and right before your eyes, your Fire Tablet transforms into an Echo Show, complete with a large-screen UI.

To use Show Mode, you must enable Alexa on your device. It works best when Hands-Free Mode is also turned on. Otherwise, issuing voice commands is harder. You can access Show-specific settings by tapping the gear icon in the notification panel while this mode is enabled.

If you have an Echo Show in your house, you'll feel at home with this UI. A swipe to the right opens a control panel with quick commands while your homescreen rotates between the clock, weather, news, and more. Whether you're trying to load a Prime Original or look for cookie recipes to start baking, Show Mode gives you everything you need to use your Fire Tablet hands-free.

8 Get rid of Amazon's lock screen ads

Whether you got your Fire tablet as a gift or bought the cheapest option available on Amazon's homepage, there's a good chance you're dealing with advertisements on your lock screen. Some users might find these acceptable (or, at the very least, easy to ignore), but if you don't fall into that camp, they're easy to remove. As long as you have $15 burning a hole in your pocket, you can get rid of those ads any time you like.

To do so, head to Amazon's device manager for your account. Select your Fire tablet from the list, then look for the Special Offers banner under Details. Click Remove offers and follow the prompts to clear your lock screen of those pesky ads. Amazon charges $15 to ditch sponsored content for good, but if you use your tablet every day, it's well worth the price of admission.

9 Back up your photo and video library

Amazon has a host of cloud services, and as a Fire owner and (likely) Prime member, it's worth taking advantage of them. Prime users get unlimited photo storage, along with 5GB of free video storage with additional space starting at just $2 per month. Your tablet is likely backing up this content without you realizing it in the first place, but to make sure it's enabled, here's how to check the app:

  1. Open the Amazon Photos app, then select More at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap Settings and select Auto-Save.
  3. Ensure Photos and Videos are toggled on as you like. You can also select specific folders to back up by tapping Manage Folders.
  4. On the Settings page, select Manage Storage Plan to check how much storage you've used or buy additional cloud storage for videos.

And, if you use Google Photos, you don't need to leave your preferred service behind. Remember, once the Play Store is up and running, installing Google Photos is as easy as tapping the Install button.

10 Check out some must-have accessories

The Fire HD 10 near its keyboard accessory, undocked.

Okay, your tablet is running all your favorite apps. You removed ads, set up Show Mode, and have control over the lights and outlets in your home. All that's left is to trick out your Fire tablet with some incredible accessories.

Picking up a stand makes Show Mode even better, while buying a game controller (or syncing one you have around the house) opens up options for Xbox Cloud Gaming and Amazon's Luna service. Your Fire tablet is only as good as what you make of it, but making it worthy of competing against the iPad and other mid-range slates is super easy.

We also recommend looking into cases or covers for your device. Amazon makes some surprisingly good flip covers that pull double-duty as a stand, making it easy to prop up your tablet anywhere in your house. And if you want to be productive, consider a keyboard or stylus. They can go a long way in helping you fill out documents, take notes, or have your kid finish their homework.

You're just getting started with Fire OS

An Amazon Fire 7 tablet sitting on a blanket with the home screen displayed.
Amazon Fire 7

You've expanded your storage, uploaded your photo library to the cloud, and downloaded some excellent games. Those are big steps toward tablet nirvana, but you aren't finished. Before you kick back and relax, check out our guide on the best ways to speed up Fire OS for peak performance. Amazon's tablets might be faster than ever, but you'll still want to squeeze every last drop of power out of them.