Fire OS is a

mobile operating system A mobile operating system is an operating system for mobile phones, tablet computer, tablets, smartwatches, smartglasses, or other non-laptop personal computing, personal mobile computing devices. While computers such as typical laptops are "mobi ...

based on the

Android Open Source Project Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is developed by a consortium of deve ...

, it is developed by

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

for their devices. Fire OS includes

proprietary software Proprietary software is software that is deemed within the free and open-source software to be non-free because its creator, publisher, or other rightsholder or rightsholder partner exercises a legal monopoly afforded by modern copyright and i ...

, a customized

user interface In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine f ...

primarily centered on content consumption, and heavy ties to content available from Amazon's storefronts and services.

History

Amazon began referring to the Android derivative as Fire OS with its third iteration of Fire tablets. Unlike previous Fire models, whose operating system was described as "based on" Android, Fire OS 3.0 was described as "compatible with" Android.

Fire OS 5

Based on Android 5.1 "Lollipop", it added an updated interface. The home screen has a traditional application grid and pages for content types, as opposed to the previous carousel interface. It also introduced On Deck, a function that automatically moves content out of offline storage to maintain storage space for new content; the Word Runner speed reading tool; and screen color filters. Parental controls were enhanced with a new web browser for FreeTime mode featuring a curated selection of content appropriate for children, and an Activity Center for monitoring children's usage. It removed support for device encryption, which an Amazon spokesperson stated was an enterprise-oriented feature that was underused. In March 2016, after the removal was publicized and criticized in the wake of the FBI–Apple encryption dispute, Amazon announced it would restore the feature in a future patch.

Fire OS 6

Based on Android 7.1.2 "Nougat", its main changes and additions include: * Adoptable storage, allowing users to format and use their SD card as internal storage * Doze/App standby, aiming to improve battery life by forcing devices to sleep when not actively used, adding restrictions to apps that would normally continue to run background processes *

MediaTek exploits (2019)

In early 2019, security exploits for six Fire Tablet models and one Fire TV model were discovered that could allow temporary

root access In computing, the superuser is a special user account used for system administration. Depending on the operating system (OS), the actual name of this account might be root, administrator, admin or supervisor. In some cases, the actual name of th ...

, permanent root access, and

bootloader unlocking Bootloader unlocking is the process of disabling the bootloader security that makes secure boot possible. It can make advanced customizations possible, such as installing a custom firmware. On smartphones this can be a custom Android distribu ...

due to security vulnerabilities in multiple MediaTek chipsets.

Fire OS 7

Based on Android 9.0 "Pie", it was released in 2019 for all 8th-11th generation Fire tablets. In February 2022,

announced that the Docs app would be replaced (in August 2022) by document creation functionality in the Files app; and introduced an improved home editing system.

Fire OS 8

FireOS 8 is the latest release of FireOS for the 12th generation Fire 7, based on

Android 11 Android 11 is the eleventh major release and 18th version of Android, the mobile operating system developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google. It was released on September 8, 2020. The first phone launched in Europe with Android 11 ...

, information about the release became available via Amazon developer documentation around May 2022. FireOS 8 incorporates changes from

Android 10 Android 10 ( codenamed Android Q during development) is the tenth major release and the 17th version of the Android mobile operating system. It was first released as a developer preview on March 13, 2019, and was released publicly on Septembe ...

and

, although it is noted in the Amazon developer documentation that some Android 11 features such as File Based Encryption (FBE) are not supported yet, Some of the new changes in FireOS 8 include: Note: new changes/features (e.g: changes for developers) may be excluded * Android 10 updates *

TLS TLS may refer to: Computing * Transport Layer Security, a cryptographic protocol for secure computer network communication * Thread level speculation, an optimisation on multiprocessor CPUs * Thread-local storage, a mechanism for allocating vari ...

1.3 support enabled by default * Invoke Setting Panel from within app * Sharing improvements * Access to device location in background * Restrictions on starting activities from the background * High Efficiency Image File (HEIF) format * Dark theme * Android 11 updates * APK Signature Scheme v2 now required * One-time permissions

Features

Fire OS does not come with

Google mobile services Google Mobile Services (GMS) is a collection of proprietary applications and application programming interfaces (APIs) services from Google that are typically pre-installed on Android devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs. GM ...

pre-installed, therefore Amazon cannot use the Android trademarks to market the devices. although users are able to

sideload Sideloading describes the process of transferring files between two local devices, in particular between a personal computer and a mobile device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, tablet, portable media player or e-reader. Sideloading ...

the Google Play store full compatibility is not guaranteed if the app depends on Google services. Because

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

services are not pre-installed, Amazon develops and uses its own apps in their place, some of which include

Amazon Appstore Amazon Appstore is an app store for Android-compatible platforms operated by Amazon.com Services, LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon. The store is primarily used as the storefront for Amazon's Android-based Fire OS. including Amazon Fire tablets, a ...

Amazon Alexa Amazon Alexa, also known simply as Alexa, is a virtual assistant technology largely based on a Polish speech synthesiser named Ivona, bought by Amazon in 2013. It was first used in the Amazon Echo smart speaker and the Echo Dot, Echo Studio ...

Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology ...

Amazon Music Amazon Music (previously Amazon MP3) is a music streaming platform and online music store operated by Amazon. Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007, in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights ...

, Audible, Kindle Store, Silk Browser and

Here WeGo HERE WeGo is a web mapping and navigation service, operated by HERE Technologies and originally developed by Nokia. In 2013, HERE Technologies released this web mapping application for Windows Phone and the World Wide Web as a revamped versi ...

. Fire OS uses a customized home screen ( launcher), as of Fire OS 7.3.2.3 the launcher features 3 sections: * "For You" shows the weather, recently used apps, Alexa integration, then shows recommended content such as apps, books movies, etc. * "Home" is the section for the icons of all of the apps currently installed on the device, apps on the Home section can be moved around or put into folders, a search bar is also available at the top of the launcher to search though local content on the device or search online using the Bing

search engine A search engine is a software system designed to carry out web searches. They search the World Wide Web in a systematic way for particular information specified in a textual web search query. The search results are generally presented in a ...

. * "Library" Fire OS provides integration with

Goodreads Goodreads is an American social cataloging website and a subsidiary of Amazon that allows individuals to search its database of books, annotations, quotes, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogs and readi ...

, Facebook and Twitter.

X-Ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

is also integrated into its playback functions, allowing users to access supplemental information on what they are currently viewing. The OS features a user system, Along with Amazon Kids and Amazon Kids+, a suite of

parental controls Parental controls are features which may be included in digital television services, computers and video games, mobile devices and software that allow parents to restrict the access of content to their children. These controls were created to ...

is included which allow parents to set limits and restrictions for minors.

Devices

Current Amazon devices running Fire OS: * Fire Tablets - manufactured by

Quanta Computer Quanta Computer Incorporated () () is a Taiwan-based manufacturer of notebook computers and other electronic hardware. Its customers include Apple Inc., Dell, Hewlett-Packard Inc., Acer Inc., Alienware, Amazon.com, Cisco, Fujitsu, Gericom ...

* Fire TV - manufactured by

Foxconn Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., trading as Hon Hai Technology Group in China and Taiwan and Foxconn internationally, is a Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturer established in 1974 with headquarters in Tucheng, New ...

* Amazon Echo /

Amazon Echo Show Amazon Echo Show is a smart speaker that is part of the Amazon Echo line of products. Similarly to other devices in the family, it is designed around Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa, but additionally features a touchscreen display that can be ...

- manufactured by

Discontinued devices running Fire OS: * Fire Phone - manufactured by

List of Fire OS versions

The releases are categorized by major Fire OS versions based upon a certain Android codebase first and then sorted chronologically. ;Fire OS 1 – based on Android 2.3 ''Gingerbread'' : system version = 6.3.1 : system version = 6.3.2 – longer movie rentals, Amazon cloud synchronization : system version = 6.3.4 – latest version for Kindle Fire (1st Generation) (2011) ;Fire OS 2 – based on Android 4.0 ''Ice Cream Sandwich'' : system version = 7.5.1 – latest version for Kindle Fire HD (2nd Generation) (7" 2012) : system version = 8.5.1 – latest version for Kindle Fire HD 8.9" (2nd Generation) (2012) : system version = 10.5.1 – latest version for Kindle Fire (2nd Generation) (2012) ;Fire OS 2.4 – based on Android 4.0.3(?) ;Fire OS 3 ''Mojito'' – based on Android 4.2 ''Jelly Bean'' : 3.1 : 3.2.8 – rollback point for

Kindle Fire HDX The Fire HDX, formerly named Kindle Fire HDX, was a high-end model in Amazon Fire line of tablet computers. It was announced on September 25, 2013 and was available in two models, 7 inch and 8.9 inch. The 7 inch WiFi model was rele ...

(2013) : 3.5.0 – introduces support for Fire Phone; Android 4.2.2 codebase : 3.5.1 – Fire Phone maintenance version ;Fire OS 4 ''Sangria'' – based on Android 4.4 ''KitKat'' : 4.1.1 : 4.5.5.1 : 4.5.5.2 : 4.5.5.3 – latest version for some tablets released in 2013, Kindle Fire HDX (3rd Generation), Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" (3rd Generation), Kindle Fire HD (3rd Generation) : 4.5.5.5 – latest version for some tablets released in 2013 (e.g. some Kindle Fire tablets of 3rd Generation) : 4.6.6.0 – Fire Phone : 4.6.6.1 – latest version for the Fire Phone : 4.7.8.4 – Last version for the fire phone (2019) : 4.8.2.9 – Last version for the fire phone (2019) ;Fire OS 5 ''Bellini'' – based on Android 5.1.1 ''Lollipop'' : 5.0 : 5.0.5.1 – introduction of Fire TV : 5.0.1 : 5.1.1 : 5.1.2 : 5.1.2.1 : 5.1.4 : 5.2.1.0 – Fire TV devices : 5.2.1.1 : 5.2.1.2 : 5.2.4.0 : 5.2.6.0 : 5.2.6.1 : 5.2.6.2 :5.2.8.4 : 5.3.1.0 : 5.3.1.1 – August 2016 : 5.3.2.0 – November 2016 : 5.3.2.1 – December 2016 : 5.3.3.0 – March 2017 : 5.3.6.4 – version for Fire HD 8 (6th Generation) : 5.3.6.8 : 5.3.7.0 : 5.3.7.1 : 5.3.7.2 – for Fire HD 8 & Fire HD 10 (7th Generation) : 5.4.0.0 – June 2017 : 5.4.0.1 – August 2017 : 5.5.0.0 – November 2017: Only for Fire HD 10 (2017) with hands-free Alexa : 5.6.0.0 – November 2017 : 5.6.0.1 – January 2018 : 5.6.1.0 – March 2018: version for tablets released in 2014 (e.g. some Fire tablets of 4th Generation) : 5.6.2.0 – July 2018: Hands-Free Alexa For Fire 7 & HD 8 (2017) only : 5.6.2.3 – April 2018: Latest version for first and second generation Fire TV devices : 5.6.3.0 – November 2018: for Fire 7 (5th to 7th Generation); Due to a mistake, this version was accidentally released as 5.3.6.4 on some Fire tablets instead of 5.6.3.0, but includes the same update features. : 5.6.3.8 – April 2019 : 5.6.4.0 – May 2019, September 2019: for Fire HD 8 : 5.6.6.0 – May 2020 : 5.6.7.0 – August 2020 : 5.6.8.0 – November 2020: Latest version for Fire (5th Generation), Fire HD 6 (4th Generation), Fire HD 7 (4th Generation), Fire HD 8 (5th and 6th Generation), Fire HDX 8.9 (4th Generation), and Fire HD 10 (5th Generation) : 5.6.9.0 - December 2020 : 5.7.0.0 – February 2022: Latest version for Fire (7th Generation), Fire HD 8 (7th Generation), and Fire HD 10 (7th Generation) : 5.8.6.8 – July 2019 : 5.8.7.9 – August 2019 : 5.7.8.2 – September 2019 ;Fire OS 6 – based on Android 7.1.2 ''Nougat'' : 6.2.1.0 – October 2017, released on third generation Fire TV : 6.2.1.2 – December 2017 : 6.2.1.3 – May 2018 : 6.3.0.1 – November 2018 : 6.3.1.2 – July 2019: version for Fire 7 (9th Generation) : 6.3.1.3 (information needed) : 6.3.1.4 (information needed) : 6.3.1.5 – September 2019: last version of FireOS 6 for Fire HD 8 (8th generation) : 6.5.3.4 – September 2019: Last version for Fire 7 (7th generation) : 6.5.3.5 – November 2019 ;Fire OS 7 – based on Android 9.0 ''Pie'' : 7.3.1.0 – October 2019: First version for Fire HD 10 (9th Generation) : 7.3.1.1 – October 2019: Second version for Fire HD 10 (9th Generation) : 7.3.1.2 – February 2020: Third version for Fire HD 10 (9th Generation) : 7.3.1.3 – April 2020: Fourth version for Fire HD 10 (9th Generation) : 7.3.1.4 – June 2020: Fifth version for Fire HD 10 (9th Generation) : 7.3.1.5 – August 2020: First version of FireOS 7 for Fire HD 8 (8th Generation) : 7.3.1.6 – October 2020 : 7.3.1.7 – November 2020 : 7.3.1.8 – February 2021 : 7.3.1.9 – May 2021 : 7.3.2.1 – September 2021 : 7.3.2.2 – November 2021 : 7.3.2.3 – May 2022 : 7.3.2.4 – August 2022 : 7.3.2.6 – November 2022: Latest version for 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Generation Fire Tablets ;Fire OS 8 - based on

(Red Velvet Cake ) ;8.3.1.0 - June? 2022: Included on some 12th Gen Fire 7 units out of the box : 8.3.1.1 – June 28, 2022: Known first version for the 12th Generation Fire 7 : 8.3.1.2 - September?, 2022 : 8.3.1.3 - November 26, 2022: Latest version for 12th Generation Fire Tablets

Notes

References

External links

* {{Mobile operating systems Amazon (company) Android (operating system) Android forks ARM operating systems Mobile operating systems Tablet operating systems