What to Know
How to Navigate the Fire Interface
Open the Settings app and visit Profiles & Family Library to add new family members to your device. This includes child accounts with limited access, which have parental controls. This is also where you can configure parental controls for each of those child accounts.
How to Add Apps
Similar to other tablets, if you swipe down from the top of the tablet screen, you’ll see Quick Settings icons that let you enable or disable certain tablet features. These include brightness, wireless, airplane mode, blue shade (night mode), do not disturb, Bluetooth, low power mode, auto-rotate, Alexa hands-free, and show mode.
Accessing the Settings app, you’ll be able to configure most aspects of the tablet’s features. For example, you can connect to Wi-Fi networks and the Internet, or add Bluetooth devices. You can adjust sound or device settings, adjust Alexa settings, and more.
How to Use the Web Browser
None of these utilities are anywhere near as feature-filled as similar Google or Apple apps.
Just tap the app you want and select the GET button to install that app.
Keep in mind that even popular apps like Facebook or Twitter are vastly scaled-back versions of the same app you might be used to using on other mobile devices. These are very simple and often miss basic features. For example, the Google Drive app lacks the ability to create new folders or files—only viewing is available.
Tap Silk Browser on the Home screen to launch the Silk browser.
Select Settings to configure the browser.
Settings options include saving payment details, adjusting browser security settings, saving passwords, and setting the default search engine.
For newer versions of Fire tablets, you can delete all of its data by going to Settings > Device Options > Reset to Factory Defaults > Reset. If you have an older Fire, select the Settings gear and then go to More > Device > Reset to Factory Defaults > Erase everything.
Normally, you can’t install Google Play on a Fire tablet, but you can do a workaround if you’re running FireOS 5.3.1.1 or later and aren’t squeamish about installing files to your tablet. First, go to Settings > Security & Privacy and activate Apps from Unknown Sources. Then, download and install Google Account Manager APK, Google Services Framework APK, Google Play Services APK11.5.0.9(230), and Google Play Store APK using your Fire’s web browser. Once you load these files, the Play Store will appear on your home page.
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