As an owner of a Firestick device, I know all too well the frustration of experiencing sound but no video. After many hours of searching for a solution and testing out different methods, I’m here to share what I found out and provide other potential solutions.
In this blog post, I will discuss the various causes of this issue and how to fix it. So if you’re having trouble getting your Firestick to show video, keep reading to find out what might be the cause and what you can do to fix it.
This problem could be caused by a few issues with the HDMI connection or a mismatch between the set resolution and internet speed. It’s also possible that your device is running out of storage space.
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| HDMI Connection Issues | 1. Check if the Firestick is securely connected to the TV’s HDMI port.<br>2. Try connecting the Firestick to a different HDMI port on your TV.<br>3. Unplug the HDMI extender and connect the Firestick directly to your TV.<br>4. Ensure your TV is set to the corresponding HDMI input. |
| Incompatible Resolution | 1. Press the Up and Rewind buttons on the Firestick remote simultaneously.<br>2. Wait for 5 seconds for the system to display available resolutions.<br>3. Observe the screen as it cycles through each resolution, pausing for 10 seconds on each option.<br>4. Select “Use Current Resolution” if the video is restored at a specific resolution. |
| Full Storage | 1. Clear Cache: Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications, then pick any app and choose “Clear Cache”.<br>2. Delete Apps: Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications, pick the app you want to delete and choose “Uninstall”.<br>3. Remove APK Installers: Download the ES File Explorer app, open it, navigate to User Apps > All APKs, hold down the Home button to pick an APK file, select all APK files, and choose “Delete”. |
| Troubleshooting Methods | 1. Inspect HDMI Connection<br>2. Adjust Resolution<br>3. Restart Firestick: Press the Home button, go to Settings > My Fire TV > Restart.<br>4. Free up Space: Clear Cache, Delete Apps, and Remove APK Installers. |
| Conclusion | To fix the issue of sound but no video on a Firestick, you can check the HDMI connection, adjust the resolution, restart the Firestick, or free up space. If all else fails, you can perform a factory reset on your Firestick to resolve lingering issues, but this will erase all your data on the device. |
Table of Contents
3 Reasons Why Your Firestick Has Sound but No Video
We’ll go over three of the most likely causes why the Firestick isn’t displaying visuals even though there’s sound playing:
- HDMI Connection Issues
The first potential cause is a problem with the HDMI connection. For example, if the Firestick is loosely plugged into the TV’s HDMI port, the audio or video may become distorted or disappear.
There’s also a chance that the HDMI port or the HDMI extender included with the Firestick has been damaged. In that case, the Firestick might only play sound and not video.
- Incompatible Resolution
Sometimes it’s just a matter of resolution compatibility. By the way, this is one of the reasons why a Firestick displays a black screen with no sound or video.
It could be due to a mismatch between the internet speed and the resolution selected. Alternatively, the resolution you chose may not be supported by your TV.
- Full Storage
Here’s the thing, all Firestick models have 8 GB of built-in storage space. After accounting for the space used by operating system software, you’re left with about 5.5 GB to work with.
Aside from limiting your downloads, when the storage is full or nearly full, the Firestick may experience technical difficulties. They can appear as sound without visuals, stuttering, or other glitches.
Besides, apps may not have sufficient storage to function or update properly, which can impact their performance. Thus, you can either add storage to the Firestick via an external USB or simply free it up, as we’ll explain below.
How to Fix a Firestick That Plays Sound but Not Video
Moving on to the four tried-and-true troubleshooting methods for getting your Firestick’s video streaming back to normal:
- Inspect HDMI Connection
The first thing to check is that the Firestick is securely connected to the TV’s HDMI port. If you found that it is, try plugging the device into a different HDMI port on your TV.
If that doesn’t work, unplug the HDMI extender and connect the Firestick directly to your TV. This is primarily to determine whether or not the problem is caused by the HDMI cable.
If not, reconnect the Firestick to the HDMI cable because attaching it directly to the TV can cause it to overheat.
Finally, double-check that your TV is set to the corresponding HDMI input to which the Firestick is connected.
- Adjust Resolution
Here’s how to tell if the resolution incompatibility is the source of your problem:
- Press the Up and Rewind buttons on the Firestick remote simultaneously
- Wait for about 5 seconds for the system to display the available resolutions
- Keep an eye on the screen as it cycles through each resolution, pausing for 10 seconds on each option
- Select “Use Current Resolution” if the video was restored at a specific resolution
- Restart Firestick
Restarting the Firestick is a simple yet effective method for resolving most of its common technical issues. Here’s how to do it:
- Press the Home button
- Go to Settings
- Select My Fire TV
- Choose Restart
- Free up Space
The following three simple steps can help you free up storage on your Firestick:
- Clear Cache
Clearing the cache can free up a lot more storage than you think, especially if you have several apps. Here’s how to get rid of it:
- Press the Home button
- Select Settings
- Go to Applications
- Navigate to Manage Installed Applications
- Pick any app
- Choose Clear Cache
- Keep clearing the cache on all apps
- Delete Apps
Now is the time to uninstall any apps you’ve been holding onto but are no longer using:
- Press the Home button
- Navigate to Settings
- Select Applications
- Go over to Manage Installed Applications
- Pick the app you want to delete
- Choose Uninstall
- Remove APK Installers
You should always delete APK files as soon as you download any app as they take up a lot of storage space. Here are the steps to removing them from your Firestick:
- Press the Home button
- Move to Search
- Enter ES File Explorer on the virtual keyboard
- Download the ES File Explorer app
- Open the app and allow it to access your Firestick device
- Navigate to User Apps
- Scroll down to All APKs
- Hold down the Home button to pick an APK file
- Continue to select all APK files
- Select Delete
Wrapping Up
This concludes our look at the causes of why the Firestick has sound but no video and how to fix them. Hopefully, one of the troubleshooting methods we’ve listed will help you.
If all else fails, you can try to factory reset your Firestick. Although all of your data on the device will be erased, this should resolve any lingering issues.
