Fire TV Annoyance: Full-Screen Ads Replace Homescreen

This is beyond frustrating.

If you own any Fire TV product, you've likely been irked in recent weeks by a sudden change.

Upon turning on your Fire TV device, instead of the familiar home screen, a full-screen ad takes over.

Initially, I thought it was my mistake—a button pressed inadvertently during startup. However, my husband noticed the same issue on his Fire TV.

Unfortunately, it turns out this is a feature, not a glitch.

As Cord Cutter News first reported, a recent update shifted the default location of the Fire TV cursor.

Previously, it started on the navigation menu, but now, it begins on a large banner ad dominating half of the Fire TV home menu.

Since highlighting a banner triggers it to play, the first thing your Fire TV does on startup is bombard you with an ad.

There doesn't appear to be a straightforward fix. You can disable video ads on the homescreen through the settings menu by turning off "allow video autoplay" under preferences and featured content.

However, this only replaces video ads with static images. While in these settings, it's advisable to disable audio autoplay to prevent unintended TV activations.

After making these adjustments, your TV will display a slideshow instead of a video on startup, and you can swiftly return to the homescreen by pressing the Home button or navigating down with the cursor.

Ads have always been part of content, and that's acceptable. However, it's the increasingly disruptive delivery of these ads that raises concerns.

While pop-up ads aren't a new concept, their impact has been actively restricted online.

Amazon's recent approach to Fire TV ads is not sitting well with users, leading some to seek ad-free refuge in platforms like Xbox.