Amazon has rolled out a software update that re-enables virtual private network support on the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, which is the first of its Fire TV models to run on the new Linux-based Vega OS. The catch: only two VPN apps are currently on offer, which means some household-name providers have yet to add their own mobile versions to the store.
What’s Different On Fire TV Stick 4K Select
At release, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select came pre-rooted and without any working VPN apps since Vega OS is not compatible with Android app support, which Lo kept confusingly referring to as mode two. That broke a common use case of many Fire TV owners who depend on VPNs for privacy and location-shifting. The new update also introduces native API hooks for Vega OS, allowing app builders to develop software tailored to the platform.
Amazon’s move is significant because it suggests that the company is filling in some of the early gaps between Vega OS and Fire OS, a variant of Android. According to Amazon’s previous disclosures, it has sold more than 200 million Fire TV devices globally, so even modest differences in capabilities can have outsized implications across a large user population.
Which VPNs Work, and Which Miss the Mark
It took until today for NordVPN and IPVanish to be the first ones off the block with Vega OS-compatible apps for the Fire TV Stick 4K Select. That leaves buyers with two solid options that both have streaming-friendly servers, kill switches, and remote-friendly interfaces designed to be viewed on a TV.
But there are a handful of popular providers who still haven’t made it here. Without preloaded support for Fire OS’s most common VPN apps, including ExpressVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, Proton VPN, and Private Internet Access in particular — all widely recognized Fire Stick and Fire TV brands — the Vega OS certainly looks to be a promising option. While this was a workaround for older Fire TV models via sideloading Android APKs, Vega OS requires native ports, so the only realistic way forward for most users is to wait for official app support.
It should be noted that this gap only impacts the Fire TV Stick 4K Select. Other Fire TV models running Fire OS still have access to the full range of Android VPN apps, many of which feature a dedicated version optimized for Fire TV sticks in their support pages.
Why VPN Support Is Important On A Streaming Stick
Most people use a VPN in their living room to address one of two popular needs: bypassing geographic content restrictions and enhancing privacy. Country licensing frequently fractures catalogs; change your apparent location and you may have access to a different library (on services that enable viewing while traveling). When it comes to privacy, encrypting traffic and obfuscating an IP can prevent some amount of profiling by networks and middlemen on shared home connections.
The demand is not niche. According to NordVPN, there are tens of millions of users spread across the globe who use the service, and streaming is continually at or near the top of use cases for those customers. With cord-cutting on the rise and live sports rights still divided into regional silos, increases in VPN usage often correspond with specific events — anecdotal trends content delivery networks and ISPs have been noting for years.
Buyer decision processes are also influenced by platform support. Android TV and Google TV boast robust VPN catalogs in the Play Store, while native VPN apps for Roku are few and far between, all but necessitating router-level configurations. Amazon regaining VPN functionality on Vega OS can serve to close this gap, as long as the app list begins to expand — keeping 4K Select competitively priced within its bracket.
How To Update And What Owners Should Do Now
Owners can look for the update by going to Settings, selecting My Fire TV, then About, and finally choosing Check for Updates. After it is installed, you can find NordVPN and IPVanish in the Appstore on your device.
And if you already subscribe to one of the supported services, the process is quite straightforward: sign in, select a nearby or favorite region, and test playback on your usual apps.
If your provider is not yet there, consider whether you really want to switch — or wait and see if your app gets ported. Workarounds like router-based VPNs are effective, but they can be complicated and may impact all of your devices on the whole network. Another easy way to get around all of this is streaming from a Fire OS device such as the Fire TV Stick 4K Max that still has support for more VPNs.
What To Expect Next For VPNs On Fire TV Stick 4K Select
The next threshold is up to developers. Porting will require engineering resources, testing on the new video pipeline, and making a TV interface that is remote-friendly. With the Fire TV audience already being so enormous and the living room screen such a commercial jewel, it would be reasonable to expect that more VPN brands will be joining them soon — however, at different timescales.
For the moment, though, at least Amazon has fixed a glaring omission on its latest stick. The move brings the Fire TV Stick 4K Select closer to its Fire OS siblings, in other words, even if many of the most familiar VPN apps aren’t here — yet.