First your homescreen, now Amazon Fire TV is replacing your screensaver with adverts

Amazon Fire TV users, your screensaver is about to be replaced by a full-screen advert.

In November, Cord Cutters News reported that Amazon planned to introduce video ads when you start your Fire TV – unless you quickly press something.

Now, Amazon has decided to take things further by replacing your screensaver with a full-screen ad. If you leave your device for an extended period, a full-screen ad will run for roughly 30 to 60 seconds before eventually showing your screensaver. These latest changes appear to be implemented on all Fire TV devices released in 2016 or later.

Amazon confirmed with Cord Cutters that these latest changes are part of an update to its ‘Ambient Experience’, which displays art, weather, widgets, and now ads, when your display isn’t streaming. These changes have all been via server-side updates, which means no software update is required on the user’s end.

A wide range of affordable TVs and smart stick manufacturers have all been introducing adverts to their TV homescreens – Amazon Fire TV in November 2023, Google TV in January 2024, and Roku in April 2024. These brands are looking into more ways of adding interactive ads, pause ads, and even ads over your TV's HDMI inputs.

We recently wrote how we think the Apple TV 4K is easily the best streamer with the best operating system. Not only this, but it does not display ads on the homescreen. Perhaps it’s time to start considering Fire TV alternatives which aren’t so intrusive with their advertising.

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