Amazon's Fire TV mobile app is finally doing more than being a backup remote

Amazon has started rolling out a redesigned Fire TV mobile app that does more than just replace a lost remote. The updated app now lets users browse content, manage a watchlist, and start playback on a Fire TV device from their phone, which is a much more useful pitch than the stripped-down remote experience the app was known for before.

That shift matters because Amazon is clearly trying to make Fire TV better at discovery, not just control. In its announcement, the company said the refreshed app is meant to act as a “second screen,” letting users save a recommendation or look for something new to watch even when they are away from the TV.

The redesign matches Amazon’s broader Fire TV refresh

The new mobile app is part of a wider Fire TV overhaul Amazon unveiled alongside a redesigned Fire TV interface. Amazon says the broader UI update is cleaner, faster, and better organized, with dedicated destinations for different types of content and code-level changes that can deliver speed gains of up to 20% to 30% in some cases.

For the mobile side, the important part is consistency. Amazon says the app now has a look and feel that matches the updated Fire TV interface on televisions and streaming devices, which suggests the company wants the phone app to feel like an extension of the TV experience rather than a separate utility.

Rollout has started, but Amazon is staggering availability

Amazon says the redesigned Fire TV mobile app started rolling out first in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and India, with broader availability in those markets and additional countries set to follow over the coming weeks.

The bigger takeaway is that Amazon is treating the Fire TV app more like a streaming companion than a simple accessory.