How to Fix “Home is Currently Unavailable” on Firestick in 2024

by
Frederik Lipfert
Dr. Frederik Lipfert Founder, vpncheck
Updated on 25 Apr 2022

What to do When the Surprise Error Message Shows up on Your Firestick

After a long day, sitting down to enjoy the newest TV shows and movies sounds like an ideal kind of night. Surely, settling down with your favorite snack, propping your feet up, and powering your Amazon Firestick on is the only thing that’s on your mind. But imagine this: your movie just…stops.

Try not to scream the moment your TV reads “Home is currently unavailable. A network error has occurred.” This means that all the content on your Firestick is inaccessible until you’ve found a solution. Luckily, this guide was made specifically for you! Here are the reasons why this problem may occur with your Firestick and the ways how to fix them.

It’s Most Likely Not Your Fault

Despite getting constant updates, Amazon Firestick users will still experience bugs and glitches. The “Home is currently unavailable” problem is widely known to create frustration and confusion among users because they aren’t aware of what could be causing it. 

The origin of this issue varies and can either be dependent on something entirely separate from the Firestick or stem from the media streaming device itself. Whether it’s your router, old software, or problems with registration, we’ve got a solution.

HDMI Port Problems

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is used to connect your Firestick to your TV. The “Home is currently unavailable” situation may arise from an HDMI port problem.

There are instances where there’s something wrong with your HDMI port. It can result in issues that affect any kind of audio or video service that relies on being connected to the television through that port.

Registration Issues

As a proud owner of a Fire TVStick , you must first register your device before you can watch anything. This allows you access to the most recent software and features that are available on the Firestick. Establishing your account is a crucial step to enjoying your living room entertainment. 

Without registering or registering correctly, you can’t install software updates, which is necessary for enjoying the benefits of the device.  Your Firestick will eventually show the “Home is currently unavailable” message.

Internet Connection

Every Amazon Firestick owner knows the effects of a slow or faulty internet connection. This problem can lead to video buffering, which dampens your viewing experience. If your internet is unreliable, it will affect your Firestick and give you a headache.

You may also want to look out for glitches that can heavily impact the connectivity of your Firestick. Software bugs have the power to disable some functionalities. At times, you can’t even run the app. This is most likely when the “Home is currently unavailable” error will appear.

Used and Abused Software

Something that many users love and appreciate about this media streaming device is how often it updates with new and improved software and features. Because they are always working towards being better, Amazon updates are usually put out to address problems such as crashing and the occurrence of bugs and glitches. 

If you are not staying on top of the software updates, you will most likely face all of these problems, which can lead to a lack of performance from your device. This has been a reported cause for the “Home is currently unavailable” error as well.  

Too Many Apps, Too Little Space

If there are too many apps on your Amazon Firestick, it can lead to problems. Disappointing, right? Remember that there is 8 GB of storage on your Firestick. Installing too many apps can use up your storage space, eventually causing errors.

Eight gigabytes isn’t much. If there’s little space left, your device is going to lag and won’t perform optimally. Sooner or later you see the words, “Home is currently unavailable,” on your screen.  

Have No Fear, Solutions are Here

Although it may feel like there are so many reasons why your Amazon Firestick starts acting up at any given time, all these problems have corresponding solutions. The “Home is currently unavailable” message isn’t a new issue. It can be easily fixed when you follow our suggested procedures below.

But before we get into that, you may want to try the most basic troubleshooting, which works across all devices. If you’re met with the dreaded message, try unplugging the Amazon Firestick, waiting for a minute, and then plugging it back in. If this doesn’t solve the problem, proceed to the steps provided.

Switch the HDMI Port

By changing the HDMI port, you can possibly find that it was the perpetrator all along. The “Home is currently unavailable” message may come from a damaged port, so switching that port to another one can solve all your problems. The error will be solved, and you will have a brand-new HDMI port for all your viewing pleasure.

Revisit your Network Connection Settings

You’ve learned that your internet connection might be the one that’s causing the issue. The “Home is currently unavailable” will appear if the device isn’t connected to the internet. First, check if you are still connected and revisit this article once completed.

If the issue does come from internet connectivity, you must check on your network settings to find the problem. Then, you can fix the settings and revert them back to how they should be in order to continue your entertainment experience. If this still isn’t solving all your problems, don’t worry. It could be another problem.

Resetting Your Device

Similar to the unplug-plug method, resetting your Amazon Firestick may be the key to finally getting rid of that annoying error message. By doing this, you will be able to clear the cache of your device while it also reboots the RAM. Both clearing the cache and rebooting the RAM are necessary for improving the performance of your device and troubleshooting when the user runs into any problems. 

To restart your Firestick, all you have to do is simultaneously press the Play/Pause button as well as the Select button on your remote control. Hold the two buttons for a few seconds before releasing them at the same time.

How to Reset Amazon Firestick

Your Firestick will come back to life with improved functionality after the reset. But if the error is still present, you may want to move on to these other solutions.

Router Restart

If you are still convinced that the reason for the error message has something to do with your network or internet connectivity, restarting your router may be exactly the solution you need. By restarting the internet router, you will be giving it the opportunity to refresh its functions and stimulate its memory once again. This is particularly effective when it comes to older routers that may need to be restarted when they are on for too long.  

Follow these steps to restart your router:

  1. Unplug both the router and modem along with any connections between the router and modem such as network switches and cables. Once you have done this, wait for a few minutes so that the technology can get to work in improving its functionality. 
  2. If your router and modem come separately, plug the modem back in first. Wait for a few seconds so that it can power on, and if it doesn’t on its own, you can press the power button.
  3. Wait for another minute. The internet service provider (ISP) will take this time to authenticate your modem and give it its required IP address.
  4. Plug the router back in and press the power button yourself if it does not turn on automatically. After this, wait a few more minutes so that the router refreshes itself. 
  5. Once the router and modem have restarted, you can now check to see if the “Home is currently unavailable” message is gone.

If you still have not solved the problem, try these next solutions. 

Redo the Registration

As mentioned before, your Firestick needs to be registered correctly to effectively work in the way that you want it to. Re-registering may be the necessary step to take if you’ve run into problems. This, though, involves deregistering and then registering it again. Here is how you do that.

Deregistering involves:

  1. Select Settings on the home screen.Open Settings
  2. Go to My Account or Account & Profile SettingsFirestick account and profile settings option
  3. Go to your Amazon Account, which should read ‘Hello” and your full name.Select Amazon Account screen
  4. Select Deregister.Deregister option on Firestick
  5. Confirm your deregistration by clicking the Deregister button again.Confirm Deregister option on Firestick

After deregistering, unplug your Firestick from the HDMI port. Wait for a minute, and plug it back in. This will lead to registering your Firestick again. Once you’ve done that, make sure that the “Home is currently unavailable” problem has been solved.

New and Improved Software

By making sure your Firestick software is up to date, you can prevent many problems that result from bugs and glitches. Here is how you update your device software.

  1. Hold the Home button for a few seconds to go to Settings.Open Settings
  2. Click My Fire TV.Amazon Firestick Settings menu with My Fire TV highlighted
  3. Go to Check for System Update or Check for Updates.My Fire TV Check for Updates highlighted
  4. If there is an update available, download it immediately.My Fire TV Downloading Updates highlighted
  5. Once the update is complete, click Install System Update.My Fire TV Install Updates highlighted

Factory Reset

If none of the above solutions have worked for you, a factory reset may be necessary. This option, though, causes you to lose every app, media, preference, and account setting on your Firestick. It typically takes five minutes to complete, but do not panic if it takes longer for you. 

  1. Hold the home button for a few seconds to go to Settings.Open Settings
  2. Select My FireTV.Amazon Firestick Settings menu with My Fire TV highlighted
  3. Scroll to the Reset to Factory Defaults option and click it.My Fire TV menu highlighting the option Reset to Factory Defaults with a dialogue indicating to Remove all personal data and downloaded content from your Amazon Fire TV Cube
  4. A warning will show and hit Reset to begin the factory reset process. Firestick Reset to factory default 

If All Else Fails, Contact Customer Support

There’s a chance that even after attempting each solution included in this comprehensive list, none of them have helped with your specific situation. If you find that this is the situation that you are in, we encourage you to contact customer service to further explore exactly why nothing else has worked out. 

To get in contact with customer service, all you have to do is log in to your Amazon account and navigate to the Customer Support Center. This is the place where you will be able to present your particular case and problem, including all the details necessary to help them find a solution. Once you have done this, you must wait for a response and continue from there.

Conclusion

Suddenly finding the words “Home is currently unavailable” across your screen is a problem that a lot of people tend to face. Know that you’re not alone in this. There is a solution for each issue you may face. By following this guide step-by-step, you’ll most likely solve it.

The Amazon Firestick is a great source of entertainment, but there is still the occasional hiccup that you may face. With this guide, you can get back to viewing the shows you like in no time.