Amazon is blaming malware for killing sideloading on new Fire Sticks. The company stopped releasing devices that support installing apps from outside its Appstore back in April.
New Fire Sticks run Vega OS — Amazon’s own Linux-based system. Old ones ran Fire OS, an Android fork that let you sideload whatever you wanted. That is gone now.
Aidan Marcuss, Amazon’s VP of Fire TV, told Cord Busters that "apps that facilitate piracy, and other apps, can carry malware." He said there is "a good amount of evidence" that sideloaded apps contain unwanted code.
He did not give specific examples of users getting hurt. Though Amazon did blacklist four streaming apps in 2025 for malicious behavior — two were residential proxy services, two had virus-flagged APKs.
The real picture is messier. Sideloading became synonymous with streaming piracy, especially for live sports. A 2025 Enders Analysis report said Fire Sticks enabled billions of dollars in piracy. Sports leagues like the Premier League and DAZN have been complaining for years.
Running its own OS also gives Amazon more control. Users cannot bypass ads. Amazon can push Alexa+ and manage app support without dealing with Android fragmentation.
For tinkerers who used sideloading for legitimate purposes — like installing the Google Play Store — this stings. But Amazon is betting that closing the ecosystem is worth the backlash.
If you want sideloading, hold onto your old Fire Stick. The new ones are locked down.
