Will installing Android on a cheap Fire tablet make Youtube work better?

November 30, 2015 5:42 PM

I got one of those $50 FireOS tablets, and it works okay... EXCEPT for Youtube videos. Sometimes it's okay, but most of the time it just hangs without playing a Youtube video. I assume this spotty performance is because it's not using an official Google-YouTube app? Anyone else have this problem? If I try to put Android on it, will YouTube actually work any better? (I don't want to brick this thing if it wouldn't help anyway.)
posted by mhh5 to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Before trying to flash the device, you should look into 'sideloading' the youtube app onto the Fire.
posted by demiurge at 6:03 PM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

There's also the option of installing Google Play Store on the device, to try out various players.
posted by quinndexter at 8:24 PM on November 30, 2015 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I have an older Fire tablet. I use the Firefox Android browser and watch Youtube video via the browser. The cache needs to be cleared on occasion. After trying several Apps that hung and crashed repeatedly, I just use the browser.
posted by JujuB at 8:40 PM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: JuJuB, Firefox worked, thanks! And Youtube works much better now.

for anyone else, this is how to get Firefox because it's not in the Amazon Appstore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rsaLeGjSoU

1. go to settings (from the pull down top menu)
2. tap Personal > Security > (enter pswd) > enable Apps from Unknown Sources
3. use Silk to go to: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Platforms/Android
4. download Firefox for Android (use the FTP link)
5. Install

Looks like Mozilla is blocked from the Amazon Appstore:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/906176
posted by mhh5 at 11:04 AM on December 1, 2015