Overview
- Amazon began shipping two Fire TV models running its proprietary Linux-based VegaOS in late 2025, and those devices no longer allow sideloading of Android apps.
- Aidan Marcuss, Amazon’s VP of Fire TV, said VegaOS was chosen for its light footprint that lets Amazon make lower-spec hardware and for security reasons tied to sideloaded apps carrying malware.
- VegaOS breaks compatibility with thousands of Android-based Fire TV apps, and reviewers note missing features such as Dolby Vision and USB storage that make the new software feel less mature than Fire OS.
- Amazon says it will keep streaming Android apps from the cloud as a stopgap for developers but has not confirmed whether developers will face fees or how long the service will continue.
- The change gives Amazon tighter platform control to protect ad placement and roll out features like subscription services and Alexa+, and it follows industry pressure and research linking sideloaded apps on Fire Sticks to widespread piracy and malware.