[How-To] Block OTA Updates Without Root (or a router) on Fire OS 5

[LakituLives]

With the new Fire OS 5 update we can use the Debloater tool to disable APKs/services responsible for automatic updating. This was not previously possibly due to Fire OS 3 being built on Android 4.2.2 and the Debloater process needing Android 4.4.x+. No more worrying if your router is blocking everything properly. And of course... no root needed!

Disable Update w/o Root Steps:
1. Enable USB Debugging on your Fire TV (or TV Stick) (how-to here)
2. Setup adbFire on your computer and establish a connection to your Fire TV[Stick] (how-to here)
3. Setup Debloater tool (how-to here)
4A. In the Debloater tool, check off the APK below then hit the "Apply" button:

• DeviceSoftwareOTA.apk (com.amazon.device.software.ota)

4B. Instead of using Debloater Tool you can just send the following ADB command:

adb shell pm hide com.amazon.device.software.ota

Unlike the pm disable command, hide disables the apk without root.

After hiding the apk your Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick will no longer get OTA updates.
If you go into Settings > System > About you can no longer check for updates... yay.
To undo the block you can simply "unhide" each apk using the Debloater tool or run:

adb shell pm unhide com.amazon.device.software.ota

Be careful if you try to disable other system apps. If you disable something important and the device won't start up.. you'll have to perform a factory reset to fix the issue (not sure if possible with stick?). Have more apks to disable to reduce unneeded system processes? please share.

TL;DR
You gotta update to Fire OS 5.x in order to block updates without root (or router).
I know this defeats the purpose of blocking updates since you want to stay on old fw/sw... but science!
This may not work on all future Fire OS 5.x+ builds. Tested on FireTV Stick with Early Developer 5.0.3 build.

 

[doblecero]

Thank you for this info.

 

[slybas]

Can anybody confirm this is working ? I have not received my AFTV2 yet.

 

[tball78]

Does this survive reboot?

 

[slybas]

Received my Firetv 2 and I can confirm it works, it even survives a reboot. To me this is the best method of blocking the Amazon updates.
Thanks mister LakituLives for writing this up

 

[thenewguy1979]

Does this work on the Firetv 1? Or only on the 4K fire TV. When I try to run debloater on the firetv 1 it keep saying unsupported. Thanks.

 

[Calibaan]

I assume you´re not running Fire OS 5 on the aTV 1. With Fire OS 3 this can´t be done this way.

 

[zeroepoch]

Received my Firetv 2 and I can confirm it works, it even survives a reboot. To me this is the best method of blocking the Amazon updates.
Thanks mister LakituLives for writing this up

Can you run "pm list packages -d" from adb shell and paste the output? Does it do what @LakituLives describes which is give an error or otherwise not function as normal when you check for updates on the AFTV2?

 

[fcisco13]

I have done this and when i check for updates i get an error, don't know if it is working correctly.

 

[slybas]

Can you run "pm list packages -d" from adb shell and paste the output? Does it do what @LakituLives describes which is give an error or otherwise not function as normal when you check for updates on the AFTV2?

Glad to help. The pm list packages -d (disabled packages) is empty because debloater hides the packages and not disables them.

shell@sloane:/ $ pm list packages -d
pm list packages -d
shell@sloane:/ $

There is nothing to see.

1|shell@sloane:/ $ pm list packages | grep dcp
pm list packages | grep dcp
1|shell@sloane:/ $ pm list packages | grep pico
pm list packages | grep pico
package:com.svox.pico
shell@sloane:/ $

My version is now 5.0.3.1 because I unhid the packages and updated the machine, now the packages are hidden again and System --> About --> "installed Date" and "Last Checked" are both "Checking now......" and if I select Check for System Update I get an Update error. Perfect !

 

[zeroepoch]

My version is now 5.0.3.1 because I unhide the packages and updated the machine, now the packages are hidden again and System --> About --> "installed Date" and "Last Checked" are both "Checking now......" and if I select Check for System Update I get an Update error. Perfect !

I get the same error now as well after running (as root):

pm disable com.amazon.device.software.ota

No idea if this actually blocks updates or just the checking. I guess we'll have to wait until the next update.

 

[mifran]

With the new Fire OS 5 update we can use the Debloater tool to disable APKs/services responsible for automatic updating. This was not previously possibly due to Fire OS 3 being built on Android 4.2.2 and the Debloater process needing Android 4.4.x+. No more worrying if your router is blocking everything properly. And of course... no root needed!



After hitting apply the Debloater tool should take a moment then show all apks "hidden" and your Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick will no longer get OTA updates.
If you go into Settings > System > About you can no longer check for updates... yay.
You can simply "unhide" each apk using the Debloater tool if you should ever want to reverse this process.

Be careful if you try to disable other system apps. If you disable something important and the device won't start up.. you'll have to perform a factory reset to fix the issue (not sure if possible with stick?). Have more apks to disable to reduce unneeded system processes? please share.

TL;DR
You gotta update to block updates (without router or root).
I know this defeats the purpose of blocking updates since you want to stay on old fw/sw... but science!
And yes, Fire OS 5 makes the possibility of root even harder now that selinux is enabled.

Hi my firestick is running version 54.1.2.3_user_123067020 and it says it is not rooted and does not support block mode I have the latest version of deblocker and adbfire . windows 10

 

[Ludacrisvp]

Hi my firestick is running version 54.1.2.3_user_123067020 and it says it is not rooted and does not support block mode I have the latest version of deblocker and adbfire . windows 10

You haven't updated to FireOS 5 which is required to use this.

 

[ImCoKeMaN]

Hmm, so fire tv stick didn't seem to get any root love other than soldering and man that stick is tiny for soldering. I'm debating if I want to let an update to latest then block. Anyone have any thoughts on if fire TV stick will ever get a software root?

 

[mifran]

You haven't updated to FireOS 5 which is required to use this.

OK thanks I realised this now would updating to 5 mean re-installing kodi and firestarter and losing all the addons

 

[mifran]

Just chucked and there is no update for the UK version I have the latest installed

Sent from my Blade S6 using Tapatalk

 

[Ludacrisvp]

OK thanks I realised this now would updating to 5 mean re-installing kodi and firestarter and losing all the addons

I didn't lose anything in my update from FireOS 3. If you revert from 5 to 3 then you have to lose everything.

Just chucked and there is no update for the UK version I have the latest installed

You have to opt-in for FireOS 5 from the Amazon developer account (free).

 

[mifran]

Thanks for the info will check it out

Sent from my Blade S6 using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted member 5149701]

I don't know if adbFire is connected, last night I was able to install FireStarter. This morning, I don't know if adbFire is connecting and Debloater isn't showing anything, or do I need to use USB to USB to do this?

 

[Lol.]

Does this work on the Fire Stick? Also, what's the benefit of this method? I can't think of a reason to do this, unless you had a Fire TV on the old OS and hadn't a chance to root it yet?