Amazon Fire TV’s new interface is now rolling out in the U.S.

Amazon is rolling out a new user interface for its Fire TV streaming devices, designed to put more focus on the content, while also simplifying navigation. The update, which is initially available to Fire TV owners in the U.S., represents the first major Fire TV redesign in years. The changes arrive after an explosion of streaming content has made it more difficult to know what’s available to watch on which service, requiring streaming platforms like Fire TV to serve more as a discovery hub than just a tool to launch streaming apps. The company first previewed the new design at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, showing off an interface intended to meant to make Fire TV feel less cluttered. The updated design features rounded corners, varied gradients, consistent typography, and increased spacing between content, and it adds more space for pinned apps. Image Credits:Amazon Previously, Fire TV users could only pin six apps to the home screen. Now, with smaller app icons, the update expands that to 20 slots for apps, accommodating services like Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, and other top streamers. In addition, the navigation bar at the top of the screen has been simplified into categories marked with simple icon, including Movies, TV, Live TV, Sports, and News. The search button is also easily within reach to the left of the Home tab. Image Credits:Amazon Within these tabs, Fire TV surfaces the content you’re already watching and displays other suggestions drawn from the services you’ve subscribed to, organized in rows labeled “For You.” The tabs also highlight free movies to stream, top movies and shows, and other paid content you might enjoy. The Live TV tab, meanwhile, centralizes access to the live content that’s available across your streaming services, plus broadcast or cable TV, if you subscribe or use an antenna. Image Credits:Amaz0n Less frequently used features live under a three-line “hamburger” menu on the left, and include Games, Art & Photos, the Appstore, Music Video & Audio, a universal watchlist called “My Stuff”, Settings, and other options. Amazon’s AI assistant Alexa+ is also built into the new interface, allowing users to ask questions on almost any topic, not just movies and TV. Queries can be asked using natural language, and Fire TV owners can refine them or ask follow-up questions as they chat with the AI assistant. The AI can also interact with on-screen content. For instance, you could select a movie tile and say, “Tell me more about that one.” You can even ask nuanced questions like, “Find me more movies that have the same look.” Image Credits:Amazon Amazon recently announced that Alexa+ is available to customers with a Prime subscription as an included perk. Others can choose to pay for access separately. The new user interface launches first on the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), and the Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series in the U.S. This spring, it will roll out to more countries and devices, including the latest generation of the Fire TV 4K streaming players and TVs such as the Fire TV 2-Series, Fire TV 4-Series, and Fire TV Omni QLED Series, as well as TVs made by partners like Hisense, Insignia, Panasonic, and TCL. Th update is also available on the new Amazon Ember Artline, a new series of televisions that can make your TV screen look like a framed work of art when not in use. Topics AI, alexa+, Amazon, Amazon Fire TV, Apps, Fire TV, Media & Entertainment, streaming, tv Sarah Perez Consumer News Editor Sarah has worked as a reporter for TechCrunch since August 2011. She joined the company after having previously spent over three years at ReadWriteWeb. Prior to her work as a reporter, Sarah worked in I.T. across a number of industries, including banking, retail and software. You can contact or verify outreach from Sarah by emailing sarahp@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at sarahperez.01 on Signal.

View Bio October 13-15 San Francisco, CA Tickets are live at the lowest rates of the year. Save up to $680 on your pass now.Meet investors. Discover your next portfolio company. Hear from 250+ tech leaders, dive into 200+ sessions, and explore 300+ startups building what’s next. Don’t miss these one-time savings. REGISTER NOW Most Popular After all the hype, some AI experts don’t think OpenClaw is all that exciting Amanda Silberling OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI Anthony Ha Hollywood isn’t happy about the new Seedance 2.0 video generator Anthony Ha The great computer science exodus (and where students are going instead) Connie Loizos A Stanford grad student created an algorithm to help his classmates find love; now, Date Drop is the basis of his new startup Amanda Silberling Spotify says its best developers haven’t written a line of code since December, thanks to AI Sarah Perez With co-founders leaving and an IPO looming, Elon Musk turns talk to the moon Connie Loizos