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Fire TV Stick setup for MaxifyTV

The Amazon Fire TV Stick is the most common device our subscribers use, and the only one that needs a sideloading step. Sixteen screens below, start to finish, and about six minutes of your time.

Why the extra steps?

Fire OS does not permit application downloads through a browser, and IBO Player is not carried in the Amazon Appstore. The workaround is a free utility called Downloader, published by AFTVnews, which fetches and installs the file for you. Nothing about this is unusual — sideloading is a supported Amazon feature, it simply sits behind a settings toggle.

Work through the three parts in order. Skipping part two is the single most common reason an installation fails at the final step.

Part 1

Install the Downloader utility

1. Open the Find menu

From the Fire TV home screen, move up to the top menu bar and select Find.

Fire TV home screen with the Find menu highlighted in the top navigation bar

2. Choose Search

Inside the Find menu, select Search at the top left of the tile grid.

Fire TV Find menu with the Search tile highlighted

3. Type the app name

The on-screen keyboard appears. Begin typing Downloader.

Fire TV on-screen virtual keyboard used for searching the app store

4. Pick it from the suggestions

Select Downloader when it appears in the suggestion list below the keyboard.

Search suggestion list on Fire TV showing the Downloader entry highlighted

5. Install the app

Choose the orange Downloader icon in the results, then select Get or Download. Installation takes under a minute.

Fire TV app store page for the Downloader utility with the install option highlighted

6. Confirm it is there

The app store listing describes Downloader as a tool for downloading files onto Fire TV devices. That is exactly the one you want.

Downloader application listing page showing the install button
Part 2

Allow apps from unknown sources

This is the step people skip. Without it, the installation stalls at the final screen.

7. Open Settings

Press the home button, then move to the gear icon on the far right of the top menu.

Fire TV home screen with the settings gear icon highlighted

8. Choose My Fire TV

Scroll the settings tiles and select My Fire TV.

Fire TV settings menu with the My Fire TV tile highlighted

9. Open Developer Options

Select Developer Options. If it is not listed, open About and press select on Fire TV Stick seven times in quick succession — a notification confirms developer mode is on.

My Fire TV menu showing the Developer Options entry highlighted

10. Switch on unknown sources

Select Apps from Unknown Sources (on some builds, Install from unknown apps › Downloader) and set it to ON.

Developer Options screen with Apps from Unknown Sources switched on
Part 3

Sideload IBO Player

11. Open the Apps menu

Return to the home screen and open the apps grid from the top menu bar.

Fire TV home screen with the apps grid icon highlighted

12. Launch Downloader

Press and hold the home button for the quick menu, or open the apps library, and launch Downloader.

Fire TV quick menu with the Apps shortcut highlighted

13. Select the URL box

Dismiss the first-run prompts until the home screen appears, then click the Enter a URL field on the right.

Downloader home screen with the URL entry box highlighted

14. Enter the downloader code

Type the official IBO Player code 511693 and press Go. Leave the device alone while the file downloads.

Downloader utility URL and search field ready for the app code

15. Install and tidy up

Choose Install when the installer opens, wait for the confirmation, then select Done and delete the leftover installation file. It has served its purpose and only occupies storage.

16. Activate your line

Open IBO Player, read the MAC address and device key from the profile screen, and send them through our activation form. We pair your playlist and confirm within minutes.

Streaming stick connected to an HDMI port on the rear of a television

Fire Stick performance tips

  • Use the 5 GHz band. Fire Sticks on a congested 2.4 GHz network are the most frequent cause of evening buffering reports.
  • Keep storage above 500 MB free. Delete installation files and unused apps; Fire OS behaves poorly when storage runs tight.
  • Restart weekly. Settings › My Fire TV › Restart clears accumulated memory pressure on older sticks.
  • Move IBO Player to the front row. Hold home, open Apps, highlight the player, press the options button and choose Move.
  • Check your speed. FHD needs roughly 8 Mbps sustained and 4K around 15 Mbps. See the FAQ for more on bandwidth.

Using something other than a Fire Stick? The full IBO Player setup guide covers Android, Windows, macOS, LG and Samsung televisions. Not subscribed yet? The pricing page starts at $8.99 for the intro month.

Stuck at any step?

Send a photo of the screen to our desk on WhatsApp. We talk Fire Stick installations through several times a day and will get you past it in minutes.

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