Last Updated on May 9, 2022
Although rare, it can happen that your FireStick has no sound. There are numerous underlying causes for this, as well as ways to try and fix it on your own.
This article will explain all the causes for no sound problem on a FireStick and then will guide you through all the possible solutions. Yes, you might need to go one by one to try them all, but at least there’s a chance of fixing it, right? So, let’s blast it!
Contents
Why Is There No Sound on My FireStick?
No sound on the FireStick can have different underlying reasons, from software issues to faulty hardware. The next sections will cover the most plausible causes of not having sound on your FireStick before we continue to possible solutions.
1. Wrong Cable Connection
Audio problems, including not having sound on your FireStick, can be due to a faulty cable connection. The cables might have come loose, bent, or damaged.
There are a few things you can check:
- Look at the HDMI connectors to spot if they are plugged correctly
- Check the HDMI connector or power adapter for signs of breakage
- Go through the length of the cable to be sure that it’s not bent or damaged
- Check if switching the HDMI ends of the cable helps
- If you have, connect a new HDMI cable
- Check if you have any external speakers connected to it
2. Software Issues
To provide the best experience, Amazon releases software updates regularly. If by chance your FireStick doesn’t have the newest update installed, this might be causing the problem.
One way this can happen is if you have turned off auto-updates. To try and solve this problem, check any pending updates on your FireStick and perform all of them.
3. Problems with Audio Settings & Output
Another source of the no sound problem might be the Audio Settings. Check for Dolby Digital Output in the Settings menu of the FireStick. Once there, go to Display & Sounds and then Audio to be sure that Dolby Digital Plus is disabled.
4. Bad Internet Connection
Although rare, a bad internet connection can cause sound issues since your Fire TV stick can’t stream effortlessly.
To check if this is the cause, see if your router works properly or update your internet speed. In order to stream Full HD without any problems, you need above 5Mbps.
5. Problems with Hardware
This is another rare reason, but it’s worth mentioning. The FireStick sound issue might be due to some definitive hardware part inside the FireStick. That can be due to broken parts, wrong wiring of the audio cable, or a defective adapter.
If nothing else on our list helps, you might need to have your FireStick checked by a professional.
6. Muted TV Audio
Just to humor me, check if, by mistake, you’ve muted the TV. Since they are connected, this will also mute your Fire TV stick. Even though this thing happens rarely, check if you or someone in your household muted the TV. The same goes for any external speakers you might use.
How to fix the FireStick Sound
Finding out what is causing your no sound problem on the FireStick won’t solve it. It might bring you closer to troubleshooting, but you still need to fix it and continue streaming.
1. Start Basic
Start with the most basic things if you haven’t already done them.
- Unplug the FireStick TV from all sources, with the HDMI and the power adapter included
- Wait for half a minute and plug them back
- Go to Audio Setting and select the Default Mode
- Make sure that your TV or external speakers aren’t muted
- Make sure that Dolby Digital Plus is disabled
In the next sections of our article, you will find more info about performing these steps. If none of these fix the no sound problem, you would need to dig a little deeper.
2. Check The Power Supply
A lot of FireStick users use the TV as a USB power source. But, the TV can’t provide enough power for a proper work of the FireStick.
This can cause audio problems. So, try and connect your FireStick directly to a power source socket and see if that changes anything.
If you don’t have the possibility of plugging your FireStick directly into a socket, try lowering the resolution in which you stream. If the FireStick doesn’t have enough power to stream smoothly, it might display only video, but not play sound. So, change the resolution from 1080p to 720p using the remote and check if that’s the thing that caused problems.
3. Upgrade FireStick Software
Updates are an integral part of every app and its smooth performance. Amazon releases software updates all the time in order to optimize app performance and work. So, having any unperformed or stopped updates of the software can be a cause of sound problems.
To check if maybe pending updates are doing you no sound problems, update FireStick software like this:
Go to the Home menu on the Fire TV
Then, navigate to Settings
Next, find the Software Version
Finally, click Check for System Update
If there are any pending updates, allow them and wait until they finish
4. Try the Magic Up Press
Some users have reported that pressing Up on the FireStick remote control fixes their no sound on FireStick problem. The Up button is on the circular ring button. Press it and see if the magic works for you too.
5. Close And Restart FireStick App in Question
There is a possibility of having sound problems with a particular app only. If that’s the case with you, it might be a good idea to close the app and then re-run it. If you want to do that, follow these steps:
- Go to the Home menu on the FireStick
- Find and select Settings
- Find Applications
- Navigate to Manage Installed Applications
- Find the particular app that has no sound and click it
- Press the Force Close
- Wait a few seconds and relaunch the app from the home screen
6. Uninstall And Reinstall FireStick App in Question
This is a follow-up effort if you have a particular app that doesn’t have any sound and if you’ve tried Force-closing it and restarting it again. If that didn’t work, you can try to uninstall and reinstall the app in question.
Do it the following way:
- Go to Home
- Go to Settings
- Find Applications
- And then select Manage Installed Applications
- Fit the problematic no sound app and click it
- Press Uninstall
- Wait until it uninstalls and then go to the home screen
- Search for the app and reinstall it
- Once the installation is done, open the app to check if the problem is fixed
Turn off Dolby Digital Output
The Dolby Digital Plus feature enhances the sound on some apps and services, but it might also mute others. This is how you can turn it off and be sure that it’s not the Dolby Digital Output doing the problem:
- Press the Home button and get to the home screen
- Next, press left until you get to Settings
- In the Settings menu, find and select Display & Sounds
- Find and select Dolby Digital Output and make sure it’s Off
Another thing that might cause the problem is if your use a sound receiver that doesn’t support Dolby Digital Plus+. To check if that’s the case, simply unplug your sound receiver from the FireStick and check if the sound is back on from the TV itself.
Check if TV Audio is Muted
Check if, by chance, you or someone in your household has muted the TV. An inattentive mistake like this can be a source of your no sound problem. Unmute your TV and FireStick using their remotes. Find and press the Mute button. Depending on the TV model, you also might have the setting option of turning the TV speaker On or Off. To check if, by chance, your TV internal speaker is turned off, do the following pathway:
- Go to Settings or Menu on your TV
- Look for the Audio section and open it
- Find Internal Speaker (or Internal Audio) and make sure that it’s ON
In case you have external speakers system connected, check that one too. Basically, make sure that all sound sources are enabled.
Test Audio Receiver
It might sound a little bit silly, but sometimes users forget that they use a sound system that needs to be separately turned on.
An AV receiver can connect external speakers with the FireStick and thus do a home theater audio system. If you have external speakers, you need to check if the AV receiver is turned on and properly plugged.
The external audio speakers can be connected in two ways:
TV is the output for the FireStick
In this case, the FireStick is connected to the HDMI port of the audio system. That HDMI signal is sent to the TV through the audio system. So, in a way, the audio receiver is the mediator between the TV and the FireStick.
This doesn’t work if the audio receiver doesn’t have HDMI output ports.
Audio system is the output for the FireStick
In this situation, the FireStick is connected to the TV, but there is an audio-out wire that connects the TV to the audio receiver. There are three common cable types: the RCA cable with red and white plug ends; the optical audio cable and the 3.5mm jack audio cable; With the use of the TV remote control, check if the Enable Audio Output on the TV is ON. You may also find it under the name External Audio, in the TV’s Audio Settings menu.
You can check if the receiver works by looking at the power switch light. If everything is in order, continue to check if these previously mentioned ways of connection are done properly. Also, check that you haven’t muted your AV receiver, just in case.
Some users that use an audio receiver report that using an optical audio cable has solved their sound problem. This is especially true if your no sound problem seems to come out of nowhere and suddenly go back to normal. If that’s the case, we might be talking about a faulty cable or jack on the Audio receiver. If nothing works, it might be best to simply use the TV audio. It might not be that cinematic, but at least it will work at all times.
Restart FireStick
The next option is to restart the FireStick. As with other devices, when you have a problem, the simple solution is to restart the device and see if that solves the problem.
If you want to do a restart, follow these steps:
- Go to the Home menu
- Next, navigate to Settings
- Find My Fire TV
- Click Restart
- Wait until the restart performs and then play something to see if the problem is fixed
Test HDMI Connections and Compatibility
The no sound on FireStick problem can sometimes be due to loose or defective HDMI connections. Or furthermore, you might have plugged your Fire TV Stick into an HDMI port that doesn’t support audio at all. This is especially possible if you just started using a FireStick and from the very start, you don’t have any sound on it.
To ensure that the problem doesn’t lay there, test the connections in the following way:
- Unplug all HDMI connections, the power adapter included
- Wait for half a minute and plug them back in
- Restart the Fire TV Stick
- Select the HDMI input on your TV
- Check if the sound is back
- Also, you can try and change the port or change the cable you’re using
Disconnect Echo Dot
After Echo Dot and FireStick TV got linked, a lot of users reported having problems with their sound. So, if they are connected in your home too, try disconnecting them in order to fix the no sound problem. Follow these steps to disconnect Echo from FireStick:
- Say “Alexa, disconnect from Fire TV.”
- Wait a few seconds
- Once the devices disconnect, check if the sound problem is fixed
Conclusion
Having no sound on FireStick is like having mac and cheese, without the cheese. We know how frustrating it can be, so we made this article to guide you while you try and figure out how to fix your FireStick sound.
The problem might come from different software or hardware disfunction, from your TV or AV receiver, a faulty connection of cables or HDMI ports, or newly installed gadgets. We provided a way to check and try to solve the problem for each of these causes. If nothing works, it might be best for you to turn to a professional – be it your tinkering uncle or an Amazon Customer Support professional.
Recommended articles:
HOW TO INSTALL THE ROKU CHANNEL ON FIRESTICK?
