All About the Era of Online Streaming(2021): How to Use a Firestick and Top Apps for the Best Experience

Fire TV Stick, popularly known as Fire Stick is a powerful streaming device by Amazon which can be plugged into your HDTV, and with a stable internet connection, you can access unlimited media content including movies, news, TV shows, games, and various apps. This small device looks like a large pen drive, but inside the shell, it has a quad-core processor and hardware built to support fast Wi-Fi. A voice remote comes along with the Fire Stick which understands Hindi and English languages for Indian users, so you can easily search for your favourite programs by simple voice command. Fire TV stick, HD with voice remote is available for Rs. 2,999 on Amazon.

To start streaming content on your Fire Stick, you need an Amazon account registered with your device. If you don’t have an account, then you can create one during the setup process. Now connect the power adaptor to the Fire Stick and plug the other end of the device into the HDMI port of your HDTV. Once you see the Fire Stick logo on the loading screen, pair the remote with your device, and follow the instructions to connect your device with the internet via Wi-Fi.

Though there are numerous apps that can be played or used in Fire Stick, we have picked the most popular apps which are also official apps on Amazon Fire Stick.

Amazon Prime has a nice collection of movies, shows, and web-series and now they are also producing Prime Originals. You get a one-month free subscription of Amazon Prime when you purchase and start using your Fire Stick, after that, you can purchase the subscription for Rs. 129 a month or Rs. 999 a year. You also get access to ad-free music to Amazon Music and fast delivery from Amazon as a prime member of Amazon Prime membership.

Netflix was introduced to India in Jan’16 and in just four years it has gained noticeable popularity between audiences and critics alike. Netflix, with its bouquet of old classics to new movies, Netflix original movies, and top-rated web series; is one of the top apps for firestick. Netflix is also one of the oldest and popular media streaming services that can be subscribed to for Rs. 499 a month or Rs. 5,988 for a year and you can watch it on your TV, PC, tablet, or smartphone.

With over 1300 million subscribers across the planet, YouTube is undoubtedly the biggest streaming platform in the world. Your Fire Stick apps list can’t be complete without YouTube as it provides you access to unlimited content which includes movies, music, documentaries, educational videos, vocational training videos, content on spirituality, meditation, religion, lifestyle, fashion, beauty, gardening, tech updates, tips and tricks, and almost any topic under the planet you can think of. Youtube is free but to get rid of the disturbing commercials, you can get an ad-free Premium YouTube subscription at Rs. 129 a month.

ZEE5 offers a lot of free content including TV serials from Zee network, shows, and few news channels. However, to watch Bollywood and regional movies, ZEE5 original movies, short films, and web series, etc, in 12 regional languages, you need to subscribe to the premium plan which costs Rs. 99 a month, Rs. 299 for 3 months, Rs. 599 for 6 months or Rs.999 for 1 year.

SonyLiv is an online streaming app by Sony Entertainment Television Network and you can watch shows of Sony group channels, classic movies, and sports, free on this app. However, to watch the latest movies in English, Hindi, and regional languages, you need to subscribe to the premium category. SonyLiv premium is available for Rs. 299 monthly, Rs. 699 for 6 months, while the annual subscription fee is Rs.999.

Hotstar was originally owned by the Star Network, but after Disney took over Star Group, now it’s called Disney Hotstar. And what makes it more attractive is that now the app has content from both Hotstar as well as the Disney Group. With more than 10,000 hours of entertainment and infotainment available in 8 languages from 15 TV channels, Disney Hotstar will never be out of new programs, movies, and shows. While limited content is free for users, the premium subscription will lighten your pocket by Rs. 299 a month or Rs. 999 per year.

JioCinema is a free app by Reliance Jio where you watch movies, news, TV serials, shows, originals, music videos, and web originals in ten regional languages apart from Hindi and English. You can watch your favorite movies in different genres like action, adventure, comedy, romance, crime, animation, and biography, etc. They also have kid’s shows, star interviews, MTV shows, and popular reality shows in their kitty, everything free.

A video-on-demand platform of Viacom18 group, Voot was launched in 2016 and it provides all the content of Network 18 group channels including shows from Colors Hindi, Colors Infinity, Colors Tamil, Colors Marathi, Colors Kannada, Colors Gujarati, Colors Telugu, Colors Bangla, MTV, and Comedy Central. By upgrading to Voot premium, you get an ad-free access to Voot Select Originals, live events, International content, and watch reality shows 24 hours before it’s broadcasted on TV. The monthly subscription fee is Rs.99 and the annual plan is for Rs. 499.

Apart from the official apps mentioned above, there are many third-party apps where you can enjoy thousands of movies, channels, games, and other online content. A few of the popular and useful third-party apps are – Cinema HD, TVTap, Tea TV, Kodi, BeeTV, Crunchyroll, OneBox HD, and Mouse Toggle, etc.

To sideload the third-party apps on your Fire Stick, you have to enable them in your settings.

Now you have to find the APK installers of the apps you want to load either from your mobile phone, from the web by browsing through your Fire Stick or you can also load them from a cloud storage service.