How to Set Up NordVPN on Amazon Fire Stick: 2024 Guide

Ahmed Khaled Writer

I love that I can take my Fire Stick device with me anywhere. It makes my trips more enjoyable by allowing me to turn almost any TV in my accommodation into a Fire TV device.

But I hate leaving myself unsecured while I travel. Hackers can be lurking on any network, and without the right protection, there’s no way to stop them from learning your IP address while you’re trying to use your Fire Stick.

Luckily, a VPN helps you solve that issue. It’s an online app that changes your IP address and encrypts your data. So, you can use it to safely stream locally available content anywhere in the world.

I decided to go with NordVPN — it’s one of the top VPNs on the market, it’s fast and secure, and it has a dedicated Amazon Fire Stick app. I also decided to put together this NordVPN Fire Stick setup guide. The process is super easy — all you have to do is follow my instructions below.

Try NordVPN for Amazon Fire Stick

What Are the Benefits of Setting Up NordVPN on Your Amazon Fire Stick?

• Access to a wide server network. NordVPN has 6,371 servers in 111 countries, so you can easily pick a location near your current location. For example, if you’re from the US and you travel abroad, you can connect to a server in the country you’re visiting — NordVPN will then give you an IP address that matches that server location, and you should be able to use your Fire Stick with high speeds while protecting your data.
• Streaming support for multiple platforms. NordVPN has excellent streaming support, as customer support confirms it works with 10+ popular streaming sites, including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN+, Crunchyroll, and RTÉ Player. NordVPN also uses a SmartPlay feature, which combines VPN technology with a smart DNS, making your connection even more secure.
• Secure connections. NordVPN’s Fire Stick app comes with top-notch security features that ensure secure connections while streaming. It has industry-standard VPN security features like AES-256 encryption and a kill switch, which disconnects you from the internet when your connection to the VPN server drops to prevent data leaks. NordVPN also has advanced security features like RAM-only servers (wipe all data when rebooted), full leak protection, and perfect forward secrecy, which changes your encryption key for each VPN connection.
• Fast speeds. NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs on the market. In my tests, all HD videos loaded instantly, 4K videos took around 2–3 seconds to load, and there was no buffering, even when I skipped through all videos.
• Easy to use. NordVPN’s Fire Stick app is very easy to navigate. You can connect to the fastest server with the quick-connect option or connect to any server location from NordVPN’s server list in 111 countries via the search function. Plus, NordVPN lets you customize the app so it can automatically connect you to a server when you connect to a certain network.

Which Amazon Fire Sticks Allow You to Install NordVPN?

You can still watch your favorite content on a 1st Gen Fire Stick with NordVPN, but you’ll have to perform a manual setup to configure NordVPN on your router instead. This way, every device that’s connected to the router will be protected by the VPN. Manual setups aren’t exactly beginner-friendly, but the good news is NordVPN offers a lot of helpful tutorials on how to do that.

How to Install NordVPN on an Amazon Fire Stick (Step-By-Step Guides)

To get NordVPN on your Fire Stick, you’ll first need to buy a subscription. NordVPN offers affordable plans starting at just $2.99 / month. NordVPN also has a 30-money-back guarantee on all plans, so you can try it risk-free.

NordVPN has a dedicated Fire Stick app that’s really easy to download and install. Keep in mind that first-generation Fire Stick devices don’t support VPNs, so you can only install the NordVPN app on your Fire Stick if you have a second-generation or later version of the device.

1. Download and Install NordVPN on Your Amazon Fire Stick

Doing this is pretty straightforward — it only took me about 1–2 minutes to get the app on my device. To find the NordVPN app, go to the Amazon Appstore and search for “NordVPN” in the search bar, choose Get, select the app from the list of results, and select Download. Your Fire Stick device will automatically install the NordVPN after it downloads. Once that’s done, you’ll see an Open button. Use it to open the NordVPN app on your Fire Stick.

2. Sign Into Your NordVPN Account

When the NordVPN app loads, you’ll see 2 options: Sign up and Log in.

If you don’t have a NordVPN subscription, choose Sign up. Note that you can’t sign up for a NordVPN account on your Fire Stick directly. The app will generate a QR code that you need to scan with your smartphone, which will lead you to the NordVPN account page, where you can register an account and purchase a subscription. The entire process is hassle-free and should only take you a couple of minutes.

If you already have an account, select Log in. Then, you’ll be taken to a page where you need to enter your NordVPN login credentials (your username/email and password).

3. Connect to a Server

Connecting to a server once you’re in your account is really easy. You can pick Connect Now and let NordVPN pick the fastest server for you based on your location or go to the server list under All countries and choose a location from here.

You might need to give the NordVPN app permission to connect you to its servers if this is your first time using the app on your Fire Stick. You’ll also need to add a VPN profile to your device. This won’t take more than 1–2 minutes — just follow the on-screen instructions.

4. Access the Web

And you’re done. Now that you’re connected to NordVPN on your Fire Stick, you can securely browse websites in the Amazon Silk browser and stream securely.

Tried Installing NordVPN on Your Amazon Fire Stick, But It’s Not Working? Try These Troubleshooting Steps

Check Your Internet Connection

Your NordVPN app won’t work if you’re not connected to the internet. You can get disconnected from the internet for a number of reasons, so the first thing you should do is check your web connection.

If your internet connection is weak or unstable, NordVPN may not work properly. You can check your connection by running a speed test on your Fire Stick or on another device connected to the same network. If the speed test results indicate a weak connection, NordVPN may regularly disconnect from the server or struggle to maintain a stable connection. In this case, try moving your Fire Stick closer to your Wi-Fi router or get a Wi-Fi range extender to boost the strength of the network’s signal.

Restart Your Fire Stick and Router

Restarting your Fire Stick and router can help fix connectivity issues as it clears the cache and resets their network settings. This can resolve any temporary glitches that may be causing connectivity issues, such as conflicts with other devices on the network.

The steps to restart your Fire Stick and router are pretty easy to follow — unplug your Fire Stick and your router from the power source and wait a few minutes before you plug them back in.

You can also restart your Fire Stick by going to Settings > My Fire TV > Restart.

Make Sure Your NordVPN App is Updated

An outdated VPN app can cause all kinds of issues. It may be buggy and it might not be able to connect to a server because it may no longer be compatible with the updated servers. To avoid this, you can enable the auto-download feature in the Amazon Appstore. This way, your NordVPN app will download all updates automatically.

Check Your NordVPN Subscription

If your subscription has expired, you won’t be able to use NordVPN on your Fire Stick. NordVPN usually sends an email to remind you that your subscription is ending or has ended, but it’s easy to miss or forget about it.

You can check your NordVPN subscription status in your account. You’ll have to log in on the NordVPN website via a web browser on a computer or mobile device. Once you’re logged in, you should be able to see the status of your subscription and its expiration date. If it’s expired, just renew it to solve this issue.

Connect to a Different Server

You might not be able to connect to a server if it’s experiencing issues. Connecting to a different one will usually solve the problem.

Reset Your Fire Stick to Factory Settings

Resetting your Fire Stick to its factory settings can resolve any software issues, which might prevent NordVPN from working properly. When you reset the device, it essentially wipes it clean and restores it to its original state when it was first purchased.

Restoring your Fire Stick device to factory settings will erase all of your data, so make sure to back up any important files beforehand. To reset your Fire Stick, go to Settings > My Fire TV > Reset to Factory Defaults. After resetting the device, you can reinstall NordVPN and try using it again to see if the issue has been resolved.

Clear the NordVPN App Cache

The cache is a temporary storage location used by the app to store data, such as login credentials and server configurations, to make subsequent logins faster and smoother. However, if the cache becomes corrupted or outdated, it can cause connectivity issues or prevent the app from functioning correctly.

Clearing the cache might help by removing old or corrupted data, forcing the app to retrieve the updated data from the server. To clear the cache, go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > NordVPN > Clear Cache.

Reinstall the NordVPN App

Reinstalling the NordVPN app will reset all settings to default (some changes to the app settings may cause connectivity issues). It will also refresh the app’s permissions — if you’ve made changes to the app’s permission, it might not be able to correctly access your device’s network settings and prevent the app from working properly.

To reinstall the app, you first need to uninstall it. From the home screen, go to Settings and then Applications. Select Manage Installed Applications, click on the NordVPN app from the list, and then click on Uninstall.

After that, you can download and reinstall the app from the Amazon Appstore. Once the app is installed, open it, log into your account, and connect to a server.

Contact NordVPN Support

NordVPN has excellent customer support, including extensive troubleshooting guides, email support, and 24/7 live chat. NordVPN’s support articles are split into different categories, so it’s really easy to find what you’re looking for, and there’s a search function that can help you find the article you need.

NordVPN’s live chat support is quick and knowledgeable, with a connection to a representative in under 10 seconds during my test. Their email support is also responsive, providing a helpful response within around 6 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use NordVPN on multiple Fire Sticks with one subscription?

Yes, as NordVPN allows 6 simultaneous connections. So, if you take your Fire Stick with you when traveling abroad on a business trip, your family back home can still use NordVPN on their Fire Stick devices.

Does NordVPN slow down my Fire Stick internet connection?

Yes, but you’re unlikely to notice any serious slowdowns. When you use a VPN, your internet traffic is encrypted and routed through a VPN server, which slows down your connection (you can read more about this in our full VPN guide). However, the extent to which this affects your Fire Stick’s internet connection speeds depends on several factors, including the distance between the VPN server and your Fire Stick, the server’s load, and your internet speed.

Plus, NordVPN is a really fast VPN — in my tests, all HD videos on my Fire Stick loaded instantly and I didn’t experience any buffering, and 4K videos loaded in less than 3 seconds.

Can I use NordVPN on a jailbroken Fire Stick?

It’s possible to use NordVPN on a jailbroken Fire Stick, but I don’t recommend it as it can compromise your online security and privacy. Jailbreaking a Fire Stick removes its built-in security features, making it more susceptible to security threats.

NordVPN can provide online security, but it can’t secure a jailbroken Fire Stick. For optimal security and performance, it is best to use NordVPN on a standard, non-jailbroken Fire Stick.

Can I use NordVPN for free on Fire Stick?

No, NordVPN doesn’t offer a free plan for Fire Stick. However, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free.

I don’t recommend using free VPNs on your Fire Stick anyway. Most free VPNs don’t have Fire Stick apps. And out of the ones that do, many have slow speeds, lack streaming support, and limit how much data you can use.

Does NordVPN work on a 1st generation Fire Stick?

No, you can’t install the NordVPN app on a 1st generation Fire Stick, because it doesn’t support VPNs due to its limited processing power and memory. The 1st generation Fire Stick only has 1 GB of RAM and a dual-core processor, which isn’t enough to handle the encryption and decryption processes required by a VPN.

Still, you can use NordVPN on a 1st generation Fire Stick by setting it up on your router. NordVPN has router support and will protect every device that’s connected to the router once you set it up.

Can I use NordVPN on my Amazon Fire Stick without a router?

NordVPN has a dedicated app for Amazon Fire Stick, so if you have a 2nd generation Fire Stick or any of the later versions, you can install the NordVPN app directly on your Fire Stick device. However, you might need to set up NordVPN on your router if you have a 1st generation Fire Stick device because it doesn’t support VPN apps.

Read more about NordVPN in our full review