Is there a problem with your Kindle Fire? You’re not alone, if this is the case. This is, in fact, the most common issue that Fire users contact me with.
While it’s possible that the problem is due to a hardware issue that the solutions in this article will not be able to resolve, the good news is that most problems are easy.
Before giving up on your smartphone, try each and every one of the suggestions on this page. When I’ve experienced this problem in the past, one or more of these suggestions has always helped!
NB: The advice on this page may apply to any Fire tablet, regardless of generation.
That implies it’s worth a shot, regardless of how old your tablet is!
Kindle Fire Not Turning on – or Frozen?
If your Fire won’t turn on, then it is possible that it is simply ‘dead’ and you are having problems ‘resuscitating’ it.
But sometimes it is frozen or locked up, or something is preventing it from coming out of ‘sleep’ mode. It can be really hard to tell the difference, especially as the screen can be totally dark in all of these situations.
The First Fix is to Reset Your Fire Tablet.
It’s surprising how many issues may be resolved with a simple reset!
It’s also the simplest repair to start with.
Simply hold down the power button on your Kindle Fire tablet for 20 seconds or until it turns off entirely to reset it.
It’s usually obvious when this has worked because the screen goes black. However, it’s difficult to tell because you’re starting with a black screen. So make sure you hold it for the entire 20 seconds.
Then, to switch it back on, hit the power button. It’s worth noting that a quick ‘tap’ on the power button is unlikely to bring it back to life; you may need to hold it down for a few seconds.
Is there still nothing?
Then continue reading…
Fix Number Two – Charge Your Fire
I know you’re probably rolling your eyes because this is the first thing you did, but stick with me!
If your Kindle Fire is entirely ‘dead’ and the battery is completely depleted, simply plugging it in and waiting 20 minutes or so may not be sufficient.
It may take several hours for it to charge sufficiently to power it back up.
One of my older tablets died and appeared to be beyond repair, but I charged it for a full day before attempting to turn it back on. It miraculously came back to life and worked properly after that!
Try restarting your Fire tablet (fix number one) whenever you feel it has been charged for an acceptable amount of time.
If your Kindle Fire does not switch on after several hours of charging,
check your USB cord and charging adaptor (the part that plugs into the wall).
Make that there are no damaged or bent pins, and that the cable is in good condition. Use a different USB cable with the same adapter, or the same cable with a different adapter. This will assist you in determining whether one or the other is malfunctioning.
Connect the wire to another USB source if you don’t have another adapter. You could use a laptop, but I’ve found that laptops charge Fire tablets very slowly, if at all. My desktop computer performs better.
An genuine Amazon Fire charging adaptor and cable might be your best bet. I make an effort to maintain a spare of each on hand at all times.
Examine your power supply.
To rule out the possibility that the one you’re using isn’t working, try plugging your charger into a different outlet.
Is your Fire capable of receiving wireless charging?
If you have one of the newest tablets with wireless charging capabilities, try charging it that way instead.
When I first published my review of Amazon’s Show Mode Charging Dock, I received feedback from multiple visitors who claimed it revived their dead Fires (I published two of their emails on that page).
Because some Fire tablets may function with any Qi wireless charging pad, you should first see if you can borrow one from someone.
Fix #3: Inspect the Charging Port
The charging port (where you connect the cable) may be damaged or loose if your Kindle Fire won’t come on despite your best efforts to charge it.
The constant connection and reconnecting of the wire might wear it out, especially if it’s not done carefully!
You might be able to charge your Fire if you lay it flat and press the wire in hard at first. Unfortunately, unless you’re very careful, once a port starts to loosen, the situation might get worse.
There are two basic criteria to follow in order to keep the charging port safe for as long as feasible…
When your Fire is charging, don’t use it. The most typical source of damage is this. My kids frequently use the charging wire to ‘prop up’ their tablets while reading or playing games, putting a lot of strain on the port and causing it to loosen over time.
Maintain the cleanliness of the port. This is where a little can of compressed air comes in handy, and it can also be used to clean all of the ports on other devices, including your phone. If you use a sharp object, such as a needle, you risk causing more injury.
Fix #4: Reset the device to factory defaults.
If you can’t even turn your Fire tablet on, you might be asking how on earth you can do a factory reset.
You might be able to get into the recovery screen on your Fire and do it from there.
To do so, press and hold the ‘volume up’ and ‘power’ buttons at the same time. The following screen should (hopefully) show after around 20 seconds.
There are a several alternatives available here, including a simple reboot and a ‘wipe data/factory reset.’
A factory reset may just save the day if all else has failed and you’re about to give up on your Fire.
However, it’s critical to understand that this would delete EVERYTHING – your personal information, any downloaded stuff, information about your Amazon account, and so on. (Keep in mind, though, that all of your Amazon information should be safely saved in the cloud and accessible at any time.)
As a result, this is only a last resort, and you should only do it if the alternative is throwing away your Fire tablet.
To execute a factory reset, just navigate with the volume up/down buttons and confirm your option by pressing the ‘power’ button. Before the reset, you should receive another warning to ensure you realize that you are wiping all of your data.
NOTE: To get to this screen on some versions of the Fire, press ‘volume down’ (rather than ‘volume up’) then ‘power.’
It’s also worth noting that some customers report that simply pushing any ‘volume’ button combined with the ‘power’ button restores their device’s functionality without ever reaching to the recovery screen!
Two Readers’ Suggestions for Getting Your Kindle Fire to Turn On
Here are two suggestions from website visitors. I haven’t tried these myself, but if your Fire looks to have died, everything is worth a shot!
“I got my Fire to operate by holding the power button for 20 seconds, releasing go, then hitting it repeatedly,” stated William from Florida.
“I was ready to toss my Kindle out when I fixed it the old fashioned way, by lying it on the table and smacking it with the flat of my hand!” remarked Barbara from Iowa.
If you find a way to resuscitate your Fire that I haven’t listed here, please leave a comment or let me know.
Suggestions for Avoiding Problems in the Future
I hope that some of the tips provided here have helped you get your Fire tablet back up and running.
While it’s difficult to say what causes difficulties like these, there are a few things you can do to try to avoid them in the future:
Make sure your apps are up to date.
Please read my post on app updates, particularly if you have Google Play Store installed on your tablet. Outdated apps can behave in unforeseen ways, such as preventing your Fire from waking up when it should, causing it to appear ‘dead.’
Check to see if any of your apps are causing your Fire to freeze.
A malicious app could be the cause of your tablet’s frequent lockups! It’s not always easy to spot a potentially dangerous app (although free apps tend to cause more problems than paid ones). However, if you’ve only lately started having issues, it’s possible that a freshly installed app is to blame. Remove any new apps from your Fire and see if it runs better without them.
Don’t let your battery die completely.
Although the battery life on newer Fire tablets is far better than it used to be, leaving apps open or keeping your device connected to wifi all the time will still quickly deplete the battery. If you don’t want to entirely turn off your tablet when you’re not using it (like me), consider using Airplane Mode instead.
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