Why Kodi Disappeared from Amazon’s FireStick and How to Fix It?

Last Updated on July 4, 2022

There is no denying that the Amazon FireStick is a powerful little device that offers quite a range of entertainment options. Among these options are streaming devices, media players, social media platforms, and gaming platforms. It is possible to stream a favorite musician, television show, or movie in numerous different ways. There are a lot of these options available to you via Amazon’s Fire TV/Stick.

In general, the FireStick works well, but what happens when you lose sight of the application you like from your home screen?

An open-source media player such as Kodi is one such program that comes to mind. In order to download it, you will need to side-load it onto the FireStick because it doesn’t appear as an option on the Amazon web store. Because of this roundabout, the Kodi program is apt to disappear off of the home screen and get tucked back into the application management list.

Solutions to Disappearing Apps

Thankfully, Kodi is not lost forever!

In order to resolve this, there are several ways to find Kodi depending on the upgrade that the FireStick has received. The process usually involves finding the application in the management section, under options, and then launching it from there. Other methods can be considered, such as the use of separate app launches that circumvent FireStick’s method for launching applications.

Simple Solutions Work Well

When all else fails, it is highly recommended that you uninstall the version of Kodi you are using and that you reinstall it. It is generally possible to do this to force the application to be displayed on the home page of your FireStick and to correct any problems that may have existed in the memory.

A different version of Kodi is also recommended as there could be issues with the current version of Kodi that is running as opposed to the current version of the FireStick that has recently been released and upgraded.

What is Kodi?

Generally referred to as Kodi, Kodi.tv is a software program that was developed by the Kodi Foundation for Android, Linux, Mac OS X, iOS, and Windows versions of operating systems. There is always a development release that is made available to each platform, which helps to keep the platform stable.

Development releases, called versions, are released periodically. To enjoy the benefits of the development release, the user must uninstall the current version of Kodi and install the updated version instead. The Kodi 19 Matrix was released this year, in 2022. It would be worth noting that Kodi v. 19.4 is the latest Windows version of Kodi.

What Can Kodi Be Used For?

You can use Kodi to play different types of open-source media files. Kodi supports the visualization and streaming of music, movies, television shows, photographs, and games, among other types of media. Kodi is also capable of recording live television programs using its PVR function.

Two Types of Kodi Applications

There are two versions of Kodi currently available, Kodi Matrix 19.4 and Kodi Leia 18.9. Volunteers in the community work on these versions and they are updated every now and again. In addition, the updates come with the latest development releases that provide more options for customization and other useful features for users of Kodi.

No Content Included

It is worth noting that the official Kodi software does not come with any extra content. You can use it as a blank media player that relies on populating its data from files, drives, and discs that you already own. You will also find notices on the website explaining that the platform does not condone the use of pirated content.

For those who have bought and downloaded a CD, uploaded your cell phone’s gallery, received a DVD for Christmas, or have a USB drive with free podcasts from your favorite online personalities, then Kodi can do great things for you. You have a ton of customization options that will make it easier for you to showcase your collection in a neat and orderly way that is easy to access.

There are a lot of places online to find freely attainable content. It is up to the user to decide which content they want to add to Kodi’s platform to be streamed or viewed. It is heavily important, however, for the user to determine that what they are accessing is indeed open-source or something they have legally attained.

Kodi Plugins

There may not be any content that comes with Kodi’s initial download, but there are several options for plugins for the platform. These options allow the user to find content that is available through outsourced plugins.

• Venom. Movies and television shows.
• Asgard. Documentaries and other movies.
• TVOne. Access live television channels.

Third-Party Applications

Kodi is considered a third-party application in the realm of Amazon’s Fire TV/Stick. This application is downloaded through a method known as side-loading. It is for this reason that Kodi has been able to feature along with other services such as VLX, MX Player, TubiTV, and Crackle on Amazon’s Fire TV/Stick.

In addition to being supported by a large community, Kodi is completely free of charge. As a result, Kodi makes a wise choice when it comes to the media player and streaming business since people are more willing to go for free applications rather than spending hard-earned money on mega-platforms.

A Popular Alternative to Paid Content

Kodi is one of the most popular applications for the Amazon FireStick since it offers freedom from the fees previously associated with the “premium content” options in the Amazon store. It is true that there are many free channels and downloads available at the Amazon store. Memberships for other entertainment platforms are, however, quite expensive.

The platform and application are developed by a large team of volunteers, producing development releases periodically. Those brand-new releases, if they are maintained, would offer some pretty great options for those looking for a media player with some fun design and features.

You can use Kodi as an excellent way to find media in a more cost-effective manner using your own open sources. Kodi only allows users to access their own media content with the use of this platform, but this offers the freedom to use Kodi in a variety of ways.

Forging Ahead with Kodi

It is necessary to install Kodi via a process known as side-loading. A number of applications are available within Amazon’s store that allow you to download files from the internet. One of these applications is called “Downloader.” With this application, you will be able to download files from the internet that can be used within the FireStick.

However, it is not entirely recommended to use this method as it is a technical “jail-breaking” of this device. The customer service team at Amazon will not help you if you choose this route to experience programs outside of what is available in the Amazon store. If you choose to go outside of the box, you may also expose your device to greater risks or may encounter glitches worse than disappearing applications, so it is strongly advised not to experiment.

How to Download Kodi onto the FireStick

The good news is that if you are tech-savvy and familiar with your ability to find platforms that you are comfortable using, then Kodi could be your best choice.

There are a variety of Kodi versions available online that can be downloaded for free. After you have found the one that you like, preferably the latest version of Kodi so that it works properly with the FireStick updates, then you can do the following:

• You must change the settings to allow ADB Debugging and Unknown Apps. It is very important for this task to be completed in order to allow foreign applications to be used from outside of the Amazon web store.
• In order to do this, go to the Amazon web store and download the “Downloader” app.
• You should use Downloader to download your favorite VPN before you do anything else.
• Choose the file that corresponds to the version of Kodi you want to download.
• Then enter the URL in the URL field of the Kodi Downloader app.
• After that, choose to download the file to your FireStick and wait for it to be completely downloaded.
• Then, select the VPN and install it after Kodi has downloaded to the FireStick. You should probably turn it on at this point in order to get the best experience.
• Install Kodi on the FireStick by following the installation process and log into the app.

Why the Disappearing Act?

There is no customer service option offered by Amazon for assisting with problems with Kodi. In order to solve problems with Kodi on the FireStick, it is important to determine why the problem is happening in the first place.

In some cases, the problem may be related to the Kodi program, the FireStick, or the internet connection between the two.

• Check to see if the internet connection is working properly.
• Test the FireStick with a different program and see if it works.

You can try the following options:

• PlutoTV
• YouTube
• Netflix
• You may try a different add-on with your Kodi application or even try a different Kodi application altogether, such as Kodi Leia Version 18.9.
• The best way to troubleshoot being blocked by your internet service provider is to connect to a VPN service.

Although it may seem like your apps have disappeared, this is not entirely the case. As you will come to find out these applications go to hide in a long list of your applications’ management section. This is where all third-party applications will go when there is an update to Amazon’s FireStick.

So Where Does Kodi Go?

It was approximately seven years ago, in 2015, that Kodi was removed from Amazon’s home page as a result of an update that Amazon had implemented. Reddit users unanimously agreed that the fix was relatively easy and that you had to launch Kodi through the application manager within the FireStick to carry out the fix. These instructions were specific to versions of Kodi 17.

• Visit the FireStick home page
• And select the Settings button
• Navigate to “Manage Installed Applications”
• And then locate the Kodi application
• Launch Kodi
• Then add the Kodi application to your list of favorite applications

Kodi Goes Missing Again

In 2018 Kodi pulled another disappearing act during yet another Amazon software update. To move Kodi to the front of the list of installed apps, the user had to find the app and select the “Move to Front” option manually. This brought Kodi back to the home page, front and center.

The Latest Disappearance of Kodi

After the latest and newest update from Amazon this year (2022), Kodi’s all too familiar disappearance act took place. This year’s New Fire TV Interface resulted in some of the connections between application icons and the programs they represented being wiped out, with Kodi being one of the victims. As a result, it was difficult to find these applications, but almost always, they were found on the application management page.

Why Does This Happen?

Third-party apps are notorious for being overlooked during Amazon’s updates to its devices. This causes minor to major disturbances that make it appear as if your previous beloved third-party apps are missing.

Side-loading Does Not Help

These applications are generally brought onto the FireStick in a different process called side-loading. Side-loading occurs through other avenues than what the Amazon store provides. This means that Amazon does not claim responsibility for third-party apps and that is shown in the resulting upheaval after an update.

Missing and Broken Icons

Often the icons and respective links to third-party applications, such as Kodi, need to be fixed by adjusting the configuration of the newly updated FireStick. This can sometimes seem tricky as the layout and interface changes with each update, but so far, the solution has remained pretty similar.

Because Kodi is an open-source and free third-party media player, it will often disappear during these updates. During these updates, Kodi often disappears since it is one of the applications that is known to be a third-party application.

Third-party applications get hit a lot of the time because they are not a part of the main platform’s company. None of the third-party applications belong to Amazon, and this can cause issues when Amazon makes changes. Third-party applications are developed specifically for certain platforms and operating systems and when the original system changes, it may no longer support the beginning additional application.

Third-Party Application Scrambling

Unfortunately, the newest Amazon update in 2022 scrambled a lot of third-party applications this time around. New ways to overcome this had to be found and the good news is that some of them work to fix Kodi’s disappearance.

• Use a custom launcher. It can fix missing or broken icons for third-party applications while also launching them flawlessly.
• Launch the application from the application manager in the settings of the FireStick. Most of the apps that seem to be missing can still be found there and launching them from the manager almost reminds the system that the applications existed.
• Uninstall and reinstall the program. Sometimes it is best to just uninstall Kodi and then reinstall it. There are different versions of Kodi that come out every so often and when downloading the newest one the oldest version has to be uninstalled first.

Hopefully, one of these tactics will work. It is wise to initiate one tactic at a time and to try them all before giving up on the idea that Kodi exists on your FireStick. It is simply a matter of miscommunication in the system due to the new updates and the conflict between data sets.

Kodi Is Not Alone

Other side-loaded apps include AptoidTV, PeacockTV, and VirusTotal, among others. These apps are also prone to going missing when updates from Amazon occur.

Most side-loaded third-party apps are not the responsibility of Amazon, therefore do not get consideration in upgrades. This means that previously working icons and links are now broken or missing in a lot of the updated FireSticks.

People often wonder how to fix these issues with third-party apps that are loaded from other places rather than Amazon’s web store. Reddit users have frequently come up with the best ideas after coming to a conclusion together about this problem.

Kodi is just one of the applications that gets side-barred in Amazon’s update process. Luckily enough, it is easy enough to fix most of the associated issues with the disappearance of Kodi on your FireStick.

A Note on Legality

It is widely declared that the government and your internet service provider can monitor what you are doing online. This is done through the Internet Protocol or IP address. This means it is heavily not recommended to pirate content or to use pirated content in any way.

One can find plenty of great and free content. There are lots of open-source avenues that Kodi will beautifully showcase on its application. It is well worth the time put in to find legally legitimate content so that you don’t pay for it much later.

Plugins specifically made for Kodi can also help you limit your chances of gaining illegal content. If there are plugins and they work well for Kodi, these plugins will help you access the right kind of content that won’t get you in trouble.

Conclusion

The disappearance of Kodi from Amazon’s FireStick got a lot of people talking. This is because Kodi is a popular interface for a lot of users.

There are great ways to view and stream content on the internet. These ways can be found in your own home with the addition of platforms like Amazon’s FireStick. One such program is an open-source media player like Kodi.

Sometimes though, there are problems with applications like Kodi because it is a third-party application. Kodi is a third-party application that can be downloaded via side-loading onto platforms such as Amazon’s FireStick.

Since it does not appear on the Amazon web store, you will need to side-load it onto the FireStick. Kodi is susceptible to disappearing from the home screen and getting tucked back into the application management list due to this roundabout.

The side-loading process is the only way to install Kodi. Amazon’s store contains a number of applications for downloading files from the internet. Among them is “Downloader.”
After following the steps of the application that will help you download internet files, it is important to locate and download a VPN service. This will help to keep you safe while you are downloading files from the internet.

After you have secured a VPN service, locate where the file is of the chosen version of Kodi you want to download. Turn the VPN on and then download the chosen version of Kodi. After the version is downloaded, install Kodi. Once you install Kodi, you are free to explore the world that this platform has to offer.

It is important to remember there is no content initially in the download. Kodi’s official software does not include any extra content. It is a blank media player that uses files, drives, and discs that you already own to populate its data. The website also includes notices explaining that pirated content is not permitted.

You can use Kodi to listen to podcasts from your favorite online personalities if you have downloaded a CD, uploaded a cell phone picture gallery, or received a DVD for Christmas. Your collection can be organized in a neat and orderly way that is easy to access with a variety of customization options.

On the internet, you can find a lot of free content. Streaming or viewing content on Kodi’s platform is completely up to the user. The user must, however, make sure what they are accessing is indeed open-source or that it is something they are legally entitled to.

The newest update from Amazon this year (2022) brought Kodi’s all too familiar disappearance act. A consequence of this year’s New Fire TV Interface was that some connections between application icons and the programs they represented were wiped out, including Kodi.

A change made to Amazon’s home page resulted in Kodi being removed from the page seven years ago in 2015. To resolve the problem, Reddit users unanimously agreed that the fix was relatively easy, requiring you to launch Kodi through the FireStick’s application manager. Kodi 17 users were directed to follow these instructions.

• Visit the FireStick home page
• And select the Settings button
• Navigate to “Manage Installed Applications”
• And then locate the Kodi application
• Launch Kodi
• Then add the Kodi application to your list of favorite application

A lot of third-party applications were scrambled by Amazon’s new update in 2022. It was necessary to find new ways to fix the problem, and some are working to resolve Kodi’s disappearance.

• You should use a custom launcher. It can fix missing or broken icons for third-party applications as well as launch them flawlessly.
• You can launch the application from FireStick’s application manager. Almost all of the apps that seem to be missing can still be accessed from the manager, and launching them there makes the system remember that the applications existed.
• Uninstall and reinstall the program. It is sometimes best to simply uninstall Kodi and then reinstall it.
• There are different versions of Kodi that come out every so often and when downloading the newest one, the oldest version has to be uninstalled first.

Kodi customer service is not offered by Amazon. Identifying the cause of a problem with Kodi on a FireStick is vital to resolving it.

Occasionally, the problem may be related to Kodi, the FireStick, or the internet connection between the two.

• Make sure the internet connection is working properly.
• Try the FireStick with a different program to see if it works.

You can try the following options:

• PlutoTV
• YouTube
• Netflix
• You can try another add-on with your Kodi application or even a different Kodi application altogether, such as Kodi Leia Version 18.9.
• You can avoid being blocked by your internet service provider by connecting to a VPN service.

The apps may seem to have disappeared, but this isn’t entirely the case. There is a long list of your applications in the management section where these applications hide.

When done correctly, Kodi will longer be missing from your home page and you can return to using the free and open-source media player. Remember that this will happen with each update from Amazon because they do not make developments for third-party applications. Third-party applications have to make adjustments to their versions of things to fit with updated platforms like Amazon’s FireStick.