Amazon has shared on its developer blog that it has released Fire OS 16, the newest version of the Android-based OS for Fire TVs. AFTV News first spotted the update.
As AFTV News points out, the release of Fire OS 16 comes just two months after the launch of the first products using Fire OS 14, much quicker than the normal two to three years between updates.
In April 2025, it was reported that Amazon would be launching Fire TVs with its own Vega OS, but Amazon had already confirmed that a new Android 14-based operating system would be used for future Fire TV models. We then learned that the company would exclusively be using Vega for its Fire TV streaming sticks. Amazon specifically mentioned Fire TV Sticks, which could mean that other devices, including the Fire TV Cube, could continue running on a Fire OS. The Fire TV Stick HD launched in April 2026 and the new device ran on Vega.
There was some pushback with Vega OS, including limited app support compared to the Android-based OS and the inability to sideload apps on devices using Vega. Some longtime users posted on social media and message boards that they would be switching to Android TV and Google TV devices as a result.
Based on previous timelines with OS releases and product launches, we’re likely to see devices running on Fire OS 16 next year. That could include TVs, as well as streaming devices other than Fire TV Sticks.
