How To Update Kodi App On Firestick

We've had a lot of questions from people about their Amazon Firestick just not working anymore. Why did my Firestick stop working? How do I fix my Fire TV Stick? It's probably not your Firestick. You probably need to update. Luckily, it's easy. Follow the instructions below on how to update Kodi on your Firestick, and you can be back to binging in less time than it takes to get pizza delivered.

(*Obviously we can't guarantee everyone will fix it faster than getting pizza delivered. Some lucky people live right next to pizza places.)

Why It's Important to Update Kodi Regularly

Not everybody is nice on the internet. Some people, for example, try insert viruses onto your computer by exploiting weaknesses in software. Keeping everything up to date is one of the best ways to foil the hackers.

When you update Kodi, you get all the benefits of the Kodi team's experience in fixing bugs, security concerns, and updated features.

How to Tell What Version of Kodi You're Running

Before you start updating, check what version of Kodi you have. If you are updating from v.16 to v.17, do a clean install instead of an update. That will help prevent any issues you have with the new version.

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Checking your version of Kodi will also help diagnose any issues with the app crashing.

Open Kodi and click the Settings icon (the gear)
Open System Information
On the bottom right corner of your screen, there is a section titled "Version info," under that, you will find your build. It should say Kodi 17.6 if you are up to date.
If it doesn't say "Kodi 17.6," then you need to update Kodi

What to Do If Your Firestick Crashes When You Try to Open Kodi

Don't worry. This is fixable. It could be a couple of issues. You could have updated Kodi with an incompatible skin. You might have an ancient version of Kodi. Also, there could just be one of those weird software bugs that pop up occasionally.

You will need to do a clean install, regardless of the problem. Cleaning everything Kodi related off of the Firestick then reinstalling from scratch should do the trick.

How to Uninstall Kodi

Uninstalling is easy. Just follow the instructions below.

Turn on your Firestick
Scroll up until you get to the options menu at the very top, click Settings
Go to Applications -> Manage Installed Applications
Scroll down until you find Kodi if you are curious about whether it was an updating issue look at the version number on the right sidebar.
Scroll down and select Uninstall

Once you finish the uninstall, your Fire TV or Firestick should be clear of everything Kodi. This will leave you with a clean slate to reinstall Kodi and start over with a working copy. (If you are still frustrated with your Kodi experience, you could switch to something else like Terrarium TV.)

How to Update Kodi on Firestick

There are a few ways to update Kodi. Which one you choose will depend on what you need to do. For example, if you are changing from Kodi 17.6 Krypton to Kodi v18 Leia, it would be smart to do a clean install. If you are updating from 17.5 to 17.6, you can just update the software in one of the following ways.

How to Update Through a Clean Install

If you are updating major versions (i.e., v16 Jarvis to v17 Krypton), then it'd be smart to do a clean installation of Kodi on your Firestick. After following the instructions above to remove your old version of Kodi, use the following steps:

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Scroll to the top of your menu bar and open Settings -> Device -> Developer Options
Ensure that "Unknown Sources" is enabled
Go to the Amazon App Store
Search "Downloader" (if you already Downloader from your previous Kodi download skip these steps)
Install Downloader
It'll ask you for some permissions (it needs them to help you sideload apps like Kodi)
Open the Downloader app on your Firestick, then enter "https://kodi.tv/download" in the search bar
Scroll down to the "Choose Your Weapon" section -> click Android -> click ARMV7A
Once this downloads and installs, it'll show up in your recently added section where you can move Kodi to the section of your choice.
Now you'll need to reinstall your favorite add-ons. (This is an excellent way to keep your system clean of old, outdated, and unused add-ons.)

Check out some of our favorite Kodi add-ons if you are in need of new inspiration.

How to Update Kodi From Within Kodi

One internet hero created an app that lets you keep Kodi up to date without going through most of the steps you needed to install it in the first place. It's super easy.

Open Kodi
Go to Add-ons on the side menu
In the Add-ons screen, click the open cardboard box icon (upper left)
Select "Install from repository"
Select "Kodi Add-on repository"
In the Program add-ons, scroll down to Kodi Android Installer
Install it
Go back to Program Add-ons -> Open Kodi Android Installer
Click Releases
Choose "arm"
Update to Kodi 17.6 (newest stable version)

Typically, this will be the easiest way to update. Except that the next update that the Kodi team is working on is v.18 Leia. You could update this way, but a clean install between versions keeps everything working smoothly.

Updating through Kodi Android Installer lets you keep all your add-ons. So you won't have to go back and reinstall everything like you would with a clean install.

How to Update Kodi Using Downloader

Updating Kodi through Downloader is almost the same as downloading Kodi for Firestick with a clean installation. If you already have Downloader installed from when initially added Kodi to your Fire TV, then skip to Step 5.

Turn on your Firestick or Fire TV then go to settings -> Device -> Developer Options
Ensure Apps from Unknown Sources is turned on
Open the Amazon App Store -> search "Downloader"
Download and install Downloader
Open downloader and enter "https://kodi.tv/download"
Under "Choose Your Weapon" choose Android -> ARM (ARM7 if it gives you options)
Click install if it doesn't automatically pop up with the prompt
Kodi should recognize the new software and use it to update itself instead of reinstalling. That way you can keep all your add-ons and settings the same.

How to Update Kodi Add-ons?

Before you go on an add-on update rampage, make sure you have add-ons you trust. Automatically updating everything can leave your system open to viruses and exploitation (bitcoin miners for example.)

Updating your add-ons from within Kodi it easy.

Open Kodi, then go to Add-ons
Hold your click on the add-on you want to update
That will open an info screen with options at the bottom, choose Update

Updating your add-ons from within the add-on itself in Kodi ensures that you are updating from the source you trusted to download the add-on from in the first place.

Table of Contents

1 Why It's Important to Update Kodi Regularly
2 How to Tell What Version of Kodi You're Running
3 What to Do If Your Firestick Crashes When You Try to Open Kodi
4 How to Uninstall Kodi
5 How to Update Kodi on Firestick
- 5.1 How to Update Through a Clean Install
- 5.2 How to Update Kodi From Within Kodi
- 5.3 How to Update Kodi Using Downloader
6 How to Update Kodi Add-ons?