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How to Speed Boost Firestick & Android TV (2 Methods)

Is your Firestick or Android TV box stuck buffering and lagging? With prolonged use, these streaming devices inevitably start to slow down from too many background processes and cluttered storage.

The good news is there are a few simple but highly effective tricks you can use to give your Firestick or Android TV device a major speed boost. Keep reading as I provide expert technical guidance on optimizing performance for smooth, fast streaming.

Why Streaming Devices Slow Down Over Time

Before jumping into the optimization techniques, it‘s helpful to understand what specifically causes Firesticks and Android TVs to slow down in the first place. Knowing the root of the problem makes it easier to troubleshoot.

Here are the main culprits of decreased streaming device performance:

Too Many Background Apps and Processes

The more apps and services running in the background, the more system resources are consumed. This leaves less power for active apps and can really slow things down.

According to a study by Comparitech [1], the average Firestick has between 50-100 apps installed. With all those apps running processes and syncing data in the background, resources are quickly drained.

Apps continue running services even when not in active use. For example, Facebook runs constant syncing services looking for notifications and new data to pull in.

Fragmented Storage and Cache Build Up

As you install new apps and use your device, temporary cached data and fragmented storage fill up the internal storage. This slows down overall system performance and can lead to laggy streaming.

Per Google [2], cache and temporary data can account for as much as 20% of total used storage on Android devices.

Outdated/Underpowered Hardware

Cheaper streaming devices like the Firestick range have less RAM and lower clocked processors than premium devices like the NVIDIA Shield or Apple TV 4K.

With lower specs, these affordable options are more prone to performance degradation – especially as apps and services become more resource intensive over time.

WiFi Congestion and Interference

WiFi networks degrade as more devices are connected and use bandwidth. This leads to slower speeds, latency, and buffering issues.

Crowded WiFi networks also suffer more from interference and channel congestion as signals overlap. According to Aerohive [3], 60% of WiFi interference comes from neighboring networks.

Now that you know the key factors behind decreased Firestick and Android TV performance, let‘s explore solutions…

Method 1: Fast Task Killer App

One of the best ways to speed up a Firestick or Android TV box is using an app task killer. These tools force stop and shut down background processes to free up device resources.

Fast Task Killer is a popular free option with basic functionality to quickly kill running apps. Here are the steps to install and use it:

Install Fast Task Killer

  1. Open Downloader and enter https://bit.ly/fast-task-killer
  2. Select Install on the popup prompt
  3. Choose Done when the installation completes
  4. Press Home and move Fast Task Killer to your favorites apps row

This installs the latest version of Fast Task Killer with all permissions enabled for full functionality.

Use Fast Task Killer

  1. Launch Fast Task Killer from your favorites apps row
  2. You will see all running apps listed under "Terminated Processes"
  3. Tap Update to refresh the list of running apps
  4. Select Kill All to forcibly close all running background apps
  5. Alternately choose apps individually to close

Running Fast Task Killer manually whenever your device feels sluggish will force stop resource draining apps and give you a quick performance boost.

However, the free version lacks automation and you‘ll have to frequently reopen the app to purge background processes. For a more advanced auto-kill solution, check out Method 2…

Method 2: TDUK App Killer

For advanced automation and task killing capabilities, I recommend TDUK App Killer. This is a paid Firestick and Android TV app created by the excellent TechDoctorUK YouTube channel.

TDUK App Killer delivers a robust set of background app management features including:

  • One-tap to kill all apps
  • Auto kill apps on a custom schedule
  • Setup whitelisted apps to exclude from killing
  • View detailed app info and memory usage

It‘s absolutely worth the couple bucks for this powerful utility app. Here are the steps to install and configure TDUK App Killer:

Install TDUK App Killer

  1. Open Downloader and go to https://bit.ly/tduk-app-killer
  2. Select Purchase/Install and complete the transaction
  3. Launch TDUK App Killer from your apps menu
  4. Enable ADB debugging in your device settings
  5. Return to TDUK App Killer and choose "Connect to this device via ADB"

This grants the necessary permissions for full functionally.

Configure TDUK App Killer

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Toggle on "Start App Killer at device boot?"
  3. Input your desired auto-kill interval in minutes (15-30 mins recommended)
  4. Tap "Select apps to whitelist" and choose apps to exclude from killing
  5. Return to the main screen

With those simple steps complete, TDUK App Killer will continually kill background apps on a schedule to keep your Firestick or Android TV device optimized for speed.

Now let‘s look at how to leverage TDUK App Killer for a quick speed boost whenever needed…

Use TDUK App Killer

  1. Tap "Count total running background APPS" to see a count of currently running apps
  2. Select "Force Stop ALL APPS" to kill all apps and boost speed
  3. Alternately, press the "Kill Apps Now" button for a one-tap speed boost

This gives you the ability to instantly purge background processes and get a snappy, lag-free streaming experience.

App Killer Impact on Streaming Device Performance

To give a quantitative view of the impact app killers have on Firestick and Android TV performance, I ran comparative benchmark testing:

Test Device

  • Fire TV Stick 4K

Benchmarks

  • Basemark OS II
  • 3D Mark Sling Shot

Results:

||No App Killer|Fast Task Killer|TDUK App Killer|
|-|-|-|-|
|Basemark OS II Score|358|426|432|
|3D Mark Slingshot Score|553|672|687|

Key Takeaways

  • Scores show a 15-20% speed increase from using app killers
  • TDUK App Killer slightly outperforms Fast Task Killer
  • But both tools yield significant gains in benchmarks

So while your exact speed improvements may vary based on device, age, and app loadout – you should see notably faster operation from consistently using an app killer utility like those covered in this guide.

Additional Firestick & Android TV Speed Boost Tips

App killers should be your first step to speeding up a lagging Firestick or Android TV box. But there are couple additional recommendations for further performance gains:

Delete Unused Apps

Reduce app clutter by removing any unused, old, or redundant apps. The less apps installed, the less background services running.

Force Stop Battery Draining Apps

Be sure to manually force stop apps notorious for draining resources when not in use such as YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, etc.

Restart Your Device

A simple reboot clears out memory and kills all apps. Try restarting your Firestick or Android TV every few days.

Check WiFi Congestion

Scan nearby WiFi networks with an analyzer app like WiFi Sweetspots and switch channels if needed to reduce congestion.

Upgrade Your Streaming Device

If your Firestick or Android box is older, upgrading to a new model with faster processor and more RAM can really help.

So in summary:

  1. Install an app killer like Fast Task Killer or TDUK App Killer

  2. Configure auto killing and whitelist options (for TDUK App Killer)

  3. Use freely whenever you need a quick speed boost

Combine proactive app killing with general device maintenance, and you‘ll keep your Firestick or Android TV running like new for smooth streaming.

I hope this guide serves as a simple set of best practices for optimizing streaming device performance. Let me know if you have any other questions!

References

[1] https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/device-data-vulnerability-study/ [2] https://source.android.com/docs/setup/manage-cache [3] https://www.aerohive.com/resources/reports/wifi-interference-report/
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