How to Use Amazon Fire Stick with Your Xbox One

Taken separately, the FireStick and the Xbox One are incredibly useful pieces of hardware. But, what if you could combine the gaming capabilities of the Xbox with FireStick’s voice-operated Alexa? How awesome would that be?

Well, read on, to find out exactly how you can make it happen.

Why Connect the Firestick to Your Xbox One?

If you have a TV that you use for gaming, you can, of course, also stream TV shows on it. Combining the two will allow you to switch between gaming and streaming in the press of a button. Even better, you can just ask Alexa to do it for you.

You can also use some useful apps that you couldn’t if you just had an Xbox alone. Using your TV will become such a smooth experience, you’ll never want to go back again.

Connecting Your Firestick

The difference between connecting your Firestick to an Xbox One instead of your TV, is where you plug your HDMI cable. Follow these steps to set them up:

1. Plug the HDMI cable into the Xbox One HDMI slot. Remember which slot as you’ll find the input channel easier in the future.
2. Open OneGuide. The Firestick app will appear as the last one on the list of HDMI channels.
3. Activate the Firestick remote by pressing any button – you have to do this or the process won’t continue.
   Note: Use your Xbox remote to set the volume on your TV.
4. If you have anything else connected to an HDMI slot, like a projector or adaptor, you should unplug them before setting up the Firestick.

Optimizing Your Setup

If you want your experience to be as smooth as possible, you should consider installing Kodi. Kodi is a free media player that lets you stream content from various online sources without any subscriptions.

You can also make split-screens, game and watch TV at the same time, among other things.

If you can afford a multitude of subscriptions to have enough content to choose from, you should skip it. But, if you can’t spend hundreds of dollars each month, then Kodi is the app for you.

Here is how to install Kodi:

Enable Apps from Unknown Sources

The Kodi app isn’t available on the Amazon Appstore. Firestick also doesn’t allow you to download apps straight from your browser. This is why you have to download the app from a third-party website.

Before you can do that, you have to set your device to allow the installation of third-party apps.

1. Open Settings.
2. Press the Device Icon. A new menu will open.
3. Press Developer options. It’s the second item in the menu.
4. Check if Enable Apps From Unknown Sources is enabled. If not, press to enable.

Amazon considers installing apps from unknown sources a security threat. This is because open source apps can be manipulated easily, and potentially contain malware.

You should think hard before installing Kodi, as you’ll potentially be replacing safety with convenience. But if your Firestick malfunctions, you can just perform a factory reset.

Get the Downloader App

There are many ways to get Kodi for your Firestick, but the most reliable one is by using the Downloader app. It’s available on Amazon’s Store, so it’s very easy to get your hands on.

1. Get the app from the Appstore.
2. Install the app.

Now you have to Enable JavaScript, as you may experience some issues without it.

3. Launch the Downloader App
4. Open the Settings. You can find it on the left bar.
5. Enable JavaScript. Just check the square on the right.
6. Press yes when the pop-up appears.

Getting Kodi

You have to manually enter the URL of the Kodi download page. The link may change, so just search for “kodi download” using your browser.

1. Choose the Kodi Android version. You should download this version because your Firestick operates on a slightly modified Android system.
2. Select either the 32-bit or 64-bit version. This depends on your device. The 32-bit version will probably work better, but see what works best for you.
3. Press Install. A screen will open showing you all the permissions Kodi requires.

Customizing Kodi

Now that you installed Kodi, you should tweak some settings to your liking. This will make using this app on your Firestick–Xbox combo a lot smoother.

Disabling RSS Feed

Do this if you want to increase your device’s performance.

1. Launch Kodi. You’ll see the apps home menu.
2. Press Settings.
3. Open the Interface Settings. This will open a new menu window.
4. Press Other.
5. Press “Show RSS News Feed.”
6. Go back to the home menu. Do this by pressing the Back button on your remote.

Changing Language and Time Zone

1. Starting from the Home menu, press Settings.
2. Open Interface Settings. This will open a new menu window.
3. Press Regional.
4. Press Language. From there you can select the language you want.

Enabling Audio

Sometimes there are some issues with the audio. Luckily, it’s an easy fix:

1. Open Settings.
2. Open System Settings.
3. Press Audio Output.
4. Set the Setting level to Standard.
5. Select the appropriate audio device.

A Match Made In Heaven

It would be amazing if you could get both devices in one package. Then you wouldn’t have to go through all this hassle. On the other hand, it is possible to combine your Firestick and Xbox, so it’s great either way.

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