How to Install Android on Kindle Fire

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: November 8, 2023 Fact Checked

This wikiHow teaches you how to replace your Kindle Fire tablet's operating system with a more flexible version of Android. While the Fire OS that comes with your Kindle Fire is technically a version of Android, replacing it will allow you to do things like download apps from the Google Play Store and install custom themes. You will need to wipe your Kindle Fire and void its warranty to do this, so proceed at your own risk.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Preparing to Install Android

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1
Make sure your Kindle Fire is rootable. Kindle Fires running FireOS 5.3.1 and older can be rooted. To check your Kindle Fire's operating system, swipe down from the top of the screen, tap Settings, tap Device Options, tap System Updates, and review the operating system number to the right of the "Your device is running Fire OS" heading.^{[1]
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- If your Kindle Fire is running a newer operating system, you cannot root your Kindle Fire and thus cannot install Android on it.
- You will not be able to install Android on a 2017 generation of Kindle Fire.
Since you'll be wiping your Kindle Fire, make sure you have any photos, files, or other work backed up either to your Amazon account or to a computer.^{[2]
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3
Download the SuperTool ZIP. On a Windows or Mac computer, do the following:
- Go to https://rootjunkysdl.com/?dir=Amazon%20Fire%205th%20gen/SuperTool in your computer's web browser.
- Click AmazonFire5thGenSuperTool.zip in the "File" section.
4
Install Android Studio on your computer. You can install Android Studio, which installs the command line "adb" option, on both Windows and Mac computers:
- Go to https://developer.android.com/studio/ in your computer's web browser.
- Check the "I have read and agree..." box, then click the blue DOWNLOAD button.
- Double-click the downloaded file.
- Follow the on-screen setup prompts.
- Open Android Studio, then follow any on-screen prompts.
5
Enable debugging on your Kindle Fire. This will allow you to access the Kindle Fire on your computer:
- Swipe down from the top of the screen, then tap Settings.
- Tap Device Options.
- Enable Developer Options by tapping the Build number heading seven times.
- Tap Developer Options.
- Tap USB computer connection.
- Tap Camera (PTP).
- Go back one page, then tap the "Enable ADB" switch.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Rooting Your Kindle Fire

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Plug one end of your Kindle Fire's USB cable into your computer, then plug the other end of the cable into the Kindle Fire's charging port.
2
Extract the SuperTool ZIP folder. Double-click the downloaded SuperTool ZIP folder, then click Extract at the top of the window, click Extract all in the toolbar, and click Extract. The extracted folder will open when the extraction is complete.
- On a Mac, just double-click the downloaded SuperTool ZIP folder and wait for it to extract.
3
Add the SuperTool files to your Windows ADB directory. Skip this step on a Mac. To add these files to the ADB installation directory, do the following:
- Open the extracted folder, then open the "AmazonFire5thGenSuperTool" folder.
- Press Ctrl+A to select all the folders and files inside this folder, then press Ctrl+C to copy them.
- Go to the folder in which you installed ADB (in most cases, this will be the "C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools" path).
- Paste in your copied files by pressing Ctrl+V.
4
Open SuperTool. If you're on Windows, this is as simple as double-clicking the 1-Amazon-Fire-5th-gen file in the ADB directory. Mac users should do the following:
- Open the "_MACOSX" folder in the extracted SuperTool window.
- Open Terminal (type terminal into Spotlight, then double-click Terminal).
- Type in chmod 755 sh and press the spacebar.
- Drag the "._3-Amazon-Fire-5th-gen-linux-mac.sh" file from the "_MACOSX" folder into the Terminal window. If you don't see this file, open the "AmazonFire5thGenSuperTool" inside of the "_MACOSX" folder to find it.
- Press ⏎ Return.
5
Run the "Root device" option. Press the 2 key on your computer, then press ↵ Enter and follow any on-screen prompts.^{[3]
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- This process can take over an hour to complete.
Press the 1 key on your computer, then press ↵ Enter and follow the on-screen prompts if necessary.
This app will allow you to install a custom ROM onto your Kindle Fire. To do so, press the 6 key, then press ↵ Enter and follow the on-screen instructions.^{[4]
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Eject and remove your Android. Once you're done installing the various packages onto your Kindle Fire, it should be rooted; at this point, you can remove it from your computer and download the required installation files.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Downloading the Installation Files

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You'll need to download two ZIP folders from different pages: the Google Apps package, and the Android operating system ROM.
Go to https://opengapps.org/ in your Kindle Fire's web browser.
It's in the "Android" column. This is the operating system used by the ROM you'll download.
This is in the "Variant" column. Doing so ensures that you won't end up with more than the necessary apps, which is important given the Kindle Fire's often limited storage capacity.
Tap the "Download"
button. It's an orange-and-white button at the bottom of the page.
Go to https://androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=48493 in your Kindle Fire's web browser.
7
Scroll down to the most recent version. It's the last ROM title on the page.
- As of September 2018, the most recent version is entitled "lp-fire-nexus-rom-ford-standalone-20180602.zip".
It's to the right of the ROM title.
This green button is in the middle of the page. The ROM ZIP file will download onto your Kindle Fire.
Once both folders have downloaded into your Kindle Fire's "Downloads" folder, you can proceed with actually installing Android.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Installing Android

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For optimal results, your Kindle Fire should be charged to 100 percent and plugged into a wall charger before you attempt to install Android.
Tap the FlashFire app icon, which resembles a white lightning bolt on a red background.
Tap
. It's in the lower-right side of the screen. A menu will appear.
This is in the menu. Doing so prompts a pop-up menu.
5
Check the necessary boxes. You'll need to check each of the following boxes if they aren't already checked and uncheck any other boxes on the page:
- System data
- 3rd party apps
- Dalvik cache
Tap
. It's in the top-right corner of the pop-up menu.
Tap
again, then tap Flash ZIP or OTA. It's in the menu. A file tree will open.
8
Select the ROM's ZIP folder. Go to the location into which you downloaded the ROM ZIP folder, then tap the ZIP folder to select it.
- You may have to tap Choose or OK to select this folder.
- You'll usually find the ROM in the "Download" folder.
Uncheck the "Auto-mount" and "Mount /system read/write" boxes, then tap
.^{[5]
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Tap
again, then tap Flash ZIP or OTA. The file tree will re-open.
Go to the location into which you downloaded the GApps folder and select it there.
It's in the menu.
This option is in the menu. Unlike with the ROM folder, this option must be checked.
Tap
. It's in the top-right corner of the screen. You should now be back at the FlashFire main page.
15
Drag the Wipe option to the top of the list. This will ensure that your tablet is wiped before the other menu items take place.^{[6]
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- You may have to tap
  before you can drag up Wipe.
It's in the middle of the page. This will prompt your Android ROM to begin installing onto your Kindle Fire.
This can take anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour, so leave your Kindle Fire plugged into its charger until it finishes. Once you see the Android lock screen, you can begin using your Kindle Fire as an Android tablet.

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Question

Would I then be able to run Android apps and not Amazon apps?

Josias Allestad

Community Answer

Yes, but you could still run Amazon apps by installing Amazing Underground for Android.

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Now that the CyanogenMod website is unreachable, how can I do this?

Community Answer

CyanogenMod has been forked into LineageOS, so you can just go to LineageOS's website.

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How do I know if I already have it?

Jesse

Community Answer

Download ES File Explorer. It can show all the files that are on your system, even apps and stuff. You'll find it in the folder named "Android."

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Tips

Always backup the data and archive the books you have on your Kindle Fire first before installing a ROM. Flashing wipes out all the data on your device’s storage memory.

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Warnings

Attempting to downgrade your Kindle Fire's operating system will brick your Kindle Fire, rendering it completely inoperable.

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This article is for demonstration and instructional purposes only. Flashing, or changing, the ROM of your Kindle Fire is against the terms and agreements, and will void Amazon’s warranty on your Kindle Fire.

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