Amazon is set to provide a significant upgrade to some popular Fire TV Stick models to enhance user experience. The update includes a refreshed design with a more modern interface, updated typography, redesigned color gradients, and improved layouts on the home screen. Navigation is expected to be faster, with performance improvements of up to 30 percent when moving through menus.

Apart from visual enhancements, users will now be able to pin up to 20 apps on the home screen, a notable increase from the previous limit of six. Access to Games, Art & Photos, and the Ambient Experience has been simplified through the Menu button on the remote control.

Additionally, a new shortcut panel has been added, accessible by long-pressing the Home button, allowing quick access to various Fire TV controls like audio and display settings. The update also introduces Alexa+, an upgraded assistant aimed at making content discovery more efficient and intuitive.

In conjunction with the Fire TV Stick update, Amazon is redesigning the Fire TV mobile app to offer browsing capabilities, watchlist management, and direct playback on TVs. The app’s new look mirrors the updated Fire TV interface, turning smartphones into a second screen for discovering new shows and managing recommendations remotely.

The update will initially roll out in the U.S. and eventually expand to other regions later this year. The new Fire TV features will be available on the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series in the U.S., with plans to extend availability to more devices and countries, including the latest Fire TV 4K streaming media players, in the upcoming months.