How to Check the Actual Streaming Resolution on Fire TV Stick

Sometimes you are watching a movie or show on your Fire TV Stick the streaming quality gets slightly reduced. The effect is minimal but if you look closely then you will find pixelation and blurring on your screen. This is where you want to know whether your Fire TV Stick is streaming content at 4K, 1080p, or 720p. Sadly, streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video, HBO, etc. don’t allow you to see advanced metrics such as resolution, bitrate, frame rate, and more. So if you are looking for a way to check the actual streaming resolution on Fire TV Stick then here is what you need to do.

Check the Actual Streaming Resolution on Fire TV Stick (2021)

1. First and foremost, press and hold the “Alexa” button on the remote and say “Developer Tools Menu“. It will take you to the installation page. Click on “Download” to install the app on your Fire TV Stick.

Check the Actual Streaming Resolution on Fire TV Stick (2021)

2. In case, Developer Tools Menu is not showing up on your Fire TV Stick then you can install the app through the web as well. Open this link and click on “Deliver”. You will have to sign in to your Amazon account. This will remotely install the app on your Fire TV Stick.

developer tools menu

3. Once the app is installed, you will find it under Appstore -> All Your Apps. Now, open it.

Check the Actual Streaming Resolution on Fire TV Stick (2021)

4. Here, enable the “Advanced Options” toggle and a screen overlay will appear on the top-right corner.

Check the Actual Streaming Resolution on Fire TV Stick (2021)

5. Next, open “Launch Configuration Panel“.

developer options tool

6. Here, scroll down and disable “Audio Focus Stack“.

Check the Actual Streaming Resolution on Fire TV Stick (2021)

7. Now, go back and play a video on any app. On the screen overlay, you will find “Resolution” which is the actual streaming resolution being played on your Fire TV Stick. If it shows 1920×1080 then it means the resolution is FHD, similarly, 3840×2160 means 4K and 1280×720 means HD. Keep in mind, this is not the upscaled resolution but the actual one.

Check the Actual Streaming Resolution on Fire TV Stick (2021)

8. If you want to turn off the display overlay then open the Developer Tools Menu and disable “Advanced Options”. That’s it.

developer tools menu

Check Streaming Resolution of Netflix, HBO, Disney+ on Fire TV Stick

So that is how you can tell if Netflix, HBO, or any other streaming app is playing 4K content or not. The best part about this method is that even if your TV has upscaled 1080p content to 4K, it will still show you the real resolution i.e. 1080p. So whenever you are in doubt that you are not getting the best visual experience, make sure to check the real streaming resolution on your Fire TV Stick.

Anyway, that is all from us. Fore more Fire TV tips like side-loading apps on Fire TV, remapping app buttons on Fire TV remote, accessing Google Play Store on Fire TV, and more, go through our linked guides. And if you found the article helpful then do let us know in the comment section below.

comment Comments 4
  • Tony says:

    This tool may help me to gain peace of mind as to whether i am watching a program in 4k. So far even though I am watching a football game with 2019 Samsung Ultra 4k tv, on Amazon fire with FUBOTV and fiberoptic super fast internet the picture, to me, looks no better that old 1080p to me.

  • Kumar says:

    Fantastic information. Just checked the quality of Netfix

    • Charles says:

      Just whai I was looking for. I would never have found this on my own. Thanks.

  • Marshall Purifoy says:

    This is a good thing to know, especially if you want to stream at a better quality resolution. A few steps and you you have better picture and in FHD OR HD. No guessing!

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