The oldest Fire TV devices are losing Netflix support soon
- Netflix will be discontinuing support for some first-generation Fire TV devices, including the original Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote.
- The cutoff date for US users is June 3rd, although non-US users may have a different deadline.
- Users can check if their device is affected by looking in the “About” section under Settings > My Fire TV on their Fire TV device.
- Amazon has offered to provide a discount on a newer Fire TV Stick for users who are eligible, and customers can contact customer service for more information.
- The reason for Netflix’s decision to cut off support is unclear, but the company may be deprecating its app due to devices being unable to receive necessary updates or support new features.
Netflix has been emailing owners of the very earliest Amazon Fire TV devices to let them know it’s ending support for the devices next month, reports German outlet Heise. The cutoff for US users is June 3rd, according to ZDNet.
Amazon spokesperson Jen Lurey Ridings confirmed that support is ending in a statement emailed to The Verge:
Netflix will be discontinuing support for some first-generation Fire TV devices, which were introduced more than 10 years ago. Netflix remains available on all other Fire TV devices.
Lurey Ridings specified that Netflix won’t be supported on the first-generation models of Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote. They also confirmed that people who have those devices “may be eligible for a discount on a newer Fire TV Stick and can contact customer service for more information.”
If you didn’t get the email but want to check whether your Fire TV device is one of those losing Netflix support, the outlet writes that you can look in the “About” section under Settings > My Fire TV.
Netflix’s email reportedly doesn’t say why it is cutting off the devices. But in a FAQ added to a Netflix help page sometime in the last couple of months (March 15th is when it first showed up on The Internet Archive), the company indicates it may deprecate its app for devices that “can no longer get necessary updates from its manufacturer or support new features.” The company also added new references to error codes R4, R12, and R25-1, which each signify that a device isn’t supported.
Netflix did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
Update May 25th: Added statement from Amazon spokesperson Jen Lurey Ridings.