Does Firestick Need Power?
By Trae Jacobs,
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The Amazon Fire TV stick is a great way to upgrade pretty much any TV. It offers streaming services, games, and a way to control your smart home.
Since the Firestick needs power, where can you plug it in? Can you use adapters? We answer all these questions and more in this quick guide.
Should I Plug My Firestick Into an Outlet?
The most common and successful way to power your Firestick is by plugging it into an outlet.
All you need to do to power up your Firestick is plug the device into the HDMI port on your device and then plug the provided cable into the Firestick and the nearest wall outlet.
If you are using a device with a USB port, you can use the cable to plug the Firestick directly into that USB port instead of an outlet.
However, your TV’s USB port isn’t always the best option for powering your Firestick. This is because the USB port isn’t designed to power devices.
What if There are No Close Outlets?
If you don’t have any outlets available to power your Firestick, you can plug it into a surge protector or power adapter; however, these can also reduce the quality of your experience with the Firestick.
How Much Power Does Firestick Use?
The Amazon Firestick uses about 5 volts of power to run. A standard domestic outlet allows up to 120 volts of power, but a USB charging port only allows up to 5 volts.
While you can technically use a USB port to power your Firestick, you may experience some buffering and slower load times than if you opt for a traditional power outlet as the energy source.
The bottom line: If there is an outlet nearby, use it!
Does Firestick Need a Smart TV for Power?
You do not need a smart TV to use an Amazon Firestick. The only thing your television needs to support the device is an HDMI port; most televisions, even older models, have at least one.
Can I Use a Laptop to Power the Firestick?
Not only can you plug in the Firestick to your laptop’s HDMI port to stream movies and TV shows, but you can also use a laptop as the power source for the device.
The USB port on a laptop offers 5 volts of energy, so you can plug the Firestick into your TV and laptop to watch it on the big screen. Or you can plug it into the laptop’s HDMI and USB ports while you’re on the go to enjoy your Amazon Firestick.
Can I Use My Firestick During a Power Outage?
You cannot use your Firestick during a power outage.
Even if you are getting the Firestick’s power source from a USB port on your laptop, the Firestick will not function without a WiFi network. Trying to use the Firestick without WiFi could mess with its updates.
Just remember, there are two things the Firestick needs to work: A power supply from either a wall outlet or a USB port and a working WiFi network.
Can you Turn Off a Firestick?
There aren’t any really easy ways to turn off a Firestick. They don’t have a power button, and it’s better to just put it to sleep by pressing and holding the home button on your Firestick remote.
The only way to turn off a Firestick is to remove it from its power source and unplug it from your TV.
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