FAQ says
How does one keep their Fire tablet up to date with OS updates?
It happens whenever I have it running and connect my Fire tablet, so yes, probably an issue with FTB. Also, it looks like there has been no update since then, so it will keep happening.FYI, I use it on windows 11 with no issues. So possibly not an issue with ftb.
Thanks for your input.
The cable is working, at least another non-amazon-device is getting detected by windows.
USB debugging is enabled.
If I switch to this page, all radio buttons are greyed out.
View attachment 5504019
I don't have a Fire Devices in my Device Manager.
View attachment 5504017
I use Windows 10, so normally it should handle the driver issue for me (and it did so a year ago when I first used fire toolbox; so normally the driver should still be there?)
Please advice me how to fix this.
€dit: I installed the drivers manually, but that doesn't change anything.
Thank you! Ran the commands and after a reboot Goodreads is working as expected.You need to enable "Shop Amazon" and "Device Setup",
Open the " ADB Shell" tool and run these commands:
Code:pm enable --user 0 com.amazon.kindle.otter.oobe pm enable --user 0 com.amazon.windowshop
Ah ok, so I have to have a second Amazon Account for the second user for it to be persistent?If your not signed into the device with your Amazon account then all users execpt the main user disappear when you reboot,
Unless you find a workaround (like you did) to keep the user, but a Kids user is much more restricted so apps not working after reboot isnt very surprising.
Try downloading/installing Google Play Games. (No idea why it works, but reportedly it does.)I can install apps from the Google store but the ones I've paid for (specifically driving theory test) don't open, any solution?
yes, definitely on 7.3.2.2Try running this command in the "ADB Shell" tool:
Code:pm disable-user --user 0 com.amazon.firelauncher
If you get a error that its a protected package then your on FireOS 7.3.2.2 and need to use the "Re-route Homekey" method provided by the "Custom Launcher" tool.
I've cleared the storage as instructed, and can happily report the update is goneSo, I did some research, and it looks like the updates are stored in: /data/ota-package/. Might not be able to delete the update due to not having the proper permissions. Perhaps, a factory reset is the best way to go in this situation...
EDIT: Hmm, maybe we don't want to factory reset either... if the update hasn't installed already, it's waiting for the user to manually start the update due to automatic updates being disabled. A factory reset may enable automatic updates and starting installing the update... hmmm...
Maybe try clearing the Storage for System Updates (both entries in Settings), DeviceSoftwareOTA, and also for Download Manager.
That's awesome! So glad to hear!I've cleared the storage as instructed, and can happily report the update is gone
Thanks again for your help!
Wait, how did I miss this?5-03-2022
What to do about F/W v. 7.3.2.2
So your Fire tablet has the latest firmware update on it (v7.3.2.2) and Fire Toolbox won't do what it's supposed to. All is not lost. I've collected some workarounds that will keep Amazon at bay. The three main problems are:
1) You can't stop Automatic updates.
2) You can't get rid of the lockscreen ads.
3) You hate the Amazon Launcher, but Amazon won't let you change it permanently.
Once those three problems are addressed, you pretty much have your tablet back. The Toolbox will still work for all the other things you want modify. First, get your tablet set up with Toolbox, install Google Services, and install the launcher you want. (Make sure to select "Enable Widget Support".) We'll take care of the Amazon Launcher later. So let's get started taking care of the big 3 problems.
1) Automatic updates.
We need to stop the tablet from contacting Amazon to update it's firmware. We can no longer disable the service that does this, BUT, we can interfere with it's ability to contact the server from which it gets its updates. On a computer, we would modify the hosts file and block the addresses of the update servers. On an Android device, we need root access to do that, but there is an alternate way of adding things to the hosts file - with a VPN. We'll use a free and open source ad blocking VPN app to do this. The app is called DNS66 and it's available through F-Droid. You need to make sure this is always running to be protected from updates. Luckily, android has a feature to assist us in this. It's called "Always On VPN" and we need another app to access the hidden setting for this. We'll use "Activity Launcher" to get to this setting. Activity Launcher is available from Google's Play Store.
Download DNS66 to your computer from f-droid.org or from the attached file, copy it to your tablet and install it. Also go to the Play Store and install Activity Launcher. Finally, get the Amzn_Blcklist.txt that's attached to this post and copy that to your tablet. The blocklist file must remain on your tablet, so put it somewhere where it won't get deleted. I suggest in the root of your internal storage. (/storage/emulated/0)
Open DNS66. There are a couple settings that must be changed. On the Start tab, turn on "Watch Connection". (All 3 switches should now be on.)
View attachment 5603483
Now go to the Hosts tab. Tap the "+" in the lower-right. Under Title, type "Amazon Blocklist". Tap the paper clip on the next line. Navigate to the Amzn_Blocklist.txt file you downloaded earlier and select it. Now tap "Done" in the upper-right. You should now have the first and last entry on the displayed list selected.
View attachment 5603487
Now go to the Apps tab. Turn on "Show System Apps". Tap the gear under the Show System Apps switch and select "No Apps". All the switches below that should now be off.
View attachment 5603489
You can optionally set your own DNS servers on the next screen if you'd like. I like to turn on Custom DNS Servers, deselect the German ones that are pre-selected, and then turn on the last two servers (CloudFlare).
View attachment 5603491
This can also be done with Toolbox making this step unnecessary. Now go back to the Start tab. Tap "Start". It will notify you that it wants to connect to a VPN. Tap Yes or OK and allow it. You're almost done. Now Launch Activity Launcher. Tap the magnifying glass in the upper-right. Enter "VPN". One setting should appear called "VPN".
View attachment 5603495
Tap it. Tap the gear on the end of the DNS66 line. Turn on Always-on VPN. Turning on the other switch makes Google Services think you are disconnected, so leave that one off. Step one accomplished.
Notes:
DNS66 takes several seconds before it gets started when you first boot, so it is possible that the tablet will make a DNS query for the update server or the lockscreen ad server before it loads. Best practice is to turn off WiFi before you power down or reboot.
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2) Lockscreen Ads.
It turns out, that blocking those update servers also blocks your tablet from getting any lockscreen ads! No further action is needed. I stopped investigating this because I chose to disable the lockscreen completely. If you want to do that, you can do it in Toolbox, or in Activity Launcher that you just installed. Launch Activity Launcher. Tap the magnifying glass. Type in "screenlock". Now tap the last item (.password.ScreenLockSuggestionActivity). Select None and you're done.
Notes:
It has come to my attention that when disabling your PIN, it may still ask you for a PIN by Parental Controls for some settings or activities. I would suggest if you're going to disable your PIN, to first set it to something simple like 0000, reboot it, and then disable the PIN. That way you'll know what PIN you set if it suddenly asks you next month for your PIN.
Another way to disable lockscreen ads is detailed Here.
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3) Amazon Launcher.
The way we're going to get rid of the Amazon Launcher is by not calling it! We're going to replace the Home button with another button that we can map to any launcher we'd like. This isn't a perfect solution, but it is FREE. If you're willing to spend a couple bucks, you can purchase a more configurable gesture navigation app with more features, but this is FREE, so maybe you can accept it's shortcomings. I'll keep this post updated with other navbar replacements that people suggest.
Go to the Play Store. Get and install "One Button Navigation". Launch it. It will want you to turn on Accessability Service for it. Follow the on-screen instructions and turn on "One Button Navigation Bar". You'll see your new nav button at the bottom of the screen. I like to adjust the width down to a dot, like the button it's replacing, but that's up to you. I also like to make the background black and the botton bright yellow so that I'm reminded it's running. Set up the background and button colors as you like them. Yeah, I know the ads in this are obtrusive, but you'll never see them once it's set up. Also DNS66 will block the ads if you install that first.
View attachment 5603497
Next tap the Action tab. Tap "Single Click". Scroll down and select "Launch Application...". Select the launcher that you installed with Toolbox here. In my case, it was Nova 7. (Google updated the Nova version that Toolbox installed.) Now you can set any other actions you'd like for the new button.
View attachment 5603499
I didn't want anything additional, so I made the gestures similar to the original buttons. This is all up to you. You can reverse them or set additional functionality to the button. I ended up with a navbar that covers the original navbar (the one with the home button that brings the Amazon Launcher). I have a button that when pressed, takes me to my launcher. When I swipe it left, it goes back a screen. When I swipe it right, it shows the recents. I spent a lot of time with other navbar replacements and this is the minimalist replacement that works best for me. YMMV. Before someone complains that it doesn't work in landscape mode, I'm not the developer. You should rate it and leave a comment for him! This is the best I could find that does what I want for FREE.
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I'll edit this post with your suggestions for better solutions to these problems and keep a list of navbar replacements that people suggest at the end so you can find what works best for you.
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Some Suggested Navigation Bar replacements:
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One Button Navigation Bar by Nu-Kob (PlayStore)
Pie Control by coolAce (PlayStore)
Simple Control by coolAce (PlayStore)
The DNS66 file is from F-Droid.org dated March 26, 2021
The Activity Launcher is from APKMirror.com dated March 21,2022
I like this navbar, it can hide itself or stay on and the buttons can be customised however you want, including the launching of an app like a custom launcher, works well for me with the default navbar hidden by the toolbox on my son's Kindle Fire HD 7. There's lots of other customisation options too and it's a free app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ace.jun.simplecontrolYeah, the tablet arrived on schedule, and I allowed it to update to the latest firmware, although it was already on 7.3.2.2. I wanted to start with the worst case scenario that a new person would encounter. Boy, they put a lot more restrictions on it. I've got the update problem solved, and I've got the lockscreen ads solved - both with the same method. I've got 5 URL's blocked that solve both problems. You can do it with an open source VPN type ad blocker that lets you add your own lists to it's hosts file. It's now time to move on to the launcher problem and how to make a free replacement navbar behave like the original navbar and assign the home button to a new launcher. So far I've downloaded and run quite a few free ones, but they all want money to remap the home button. I'm still fooling around with several more before I give up and just use a gesture navbar replacement. I'm also starting to write up my experience to post for anyone that wants to explore this further.
It's taking longer than expected because I can only work on it for an hour or two a day before my head feels like it's going to explode!Give me a little more time. When I'm done, I think it will be worth the wait. Thanks for being patient.
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I've cleared the storage as instructed, and can happily report the update is goneSo, I did some research, and it looks like the updates are stored in: /data/ota-package/. Might not be able to delete the update due to not having the proper permissions. Perhaps, a factory reset is the best way to go in this situation...
EDIT: Hmm, maybe we don't want to factory reset either... if the update hasn't installed already, it's waiting for the user to manually start the update due to automatic updates being disabled. A factory reset may enable automatic updates and starting installing the update... hmmm...
Maybe try clearing the Storage for System Updates (both entries in Settings), DeviceSoftwareOTA, and also for Download Manager.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING FIREOS 7.3.2.2+ AND THE TOOLBOX (PLEASE READ)
If your tablet is running FireOS 7.3.2.2 or above please note that some functions of the Toolbox may not work due to new restrictions in the new firmware. The following tools either do not work or have limited functionality:
• Custom Launcher - Launchers can no longer be set as default, and the homekey re-route method must be reapplied after rebooting or shutting down the device.
• OTA Updates - OTAs can no longer be disabled.
• Lockscreen Ads Remover - Ads can no longer be removed from the lockscreen.
• Manage Amazon Apps - Some system apps can no longer be disabled.
We're looking into workarounds to the issues detailed above. Please keep an eye on the forum for further development.
Device Name: | Generation: |
Amazon Fire 10/10+ (2021) | 11 |
Amazon Fire 8/8+ (2020) | 10 |
Amazon Fire 10 (2019) | 9 |
Amazon Fire 7 (2019) | 9 |
Amazon Fire 8 (2018) | 8 |
Amazon Fire 10 (2017) | 7 |
Amazon Fire 8 (2017) | 7 |
Amazon Fire 7 (2017) | 7 |
Amazon Fire HD8 (2016) | 6 |
Amazon Fire HD10 (2015) | 5 |
Amazon Fire HD8 (2015) | 5 |
Amazon Fire HD7 (2015) | 5 |
Amazon Fire HD7 (2014) | 4 |
Amazon Fire HD6 (2014) | 4 |
Resource | Resource Link | Applicable Tools |
Custom Navigation Bar Icons | Navigation Bar Modifier | |
Toolbox Changelogs | N/A |
Version | Installer (.exe) | Portable (.zip) | Update Post | VirusTotal |
V26.1 | Post | Link | ||
V25.2 | Post | Link | ||
V24.0 | Download | Post | Link | |
*Halloween Edition | Download | *Bug Fix | Link | |
V23.0 | Download | Post | Link | |
V22.0 | Download | Post | Link | |
V21.0 | Download | Post | Link | |
V20.0 | Download | Post | Link | |
V19.0 | Download | Post | Link | |
V18.0 | Download | Post | Link | |
V17.0 | Download | Post | Link | |
V16.0 | Post | Link | ||
v15.0 | Post | Link | ||
V13.0 | Post | Link | ||
V12.0 | Post | Link | ||
V11.1 | Post | Link | ||
V11.0 | Post | Link | ||
V10.2 | Post | Link | ||
V10.1 | Post | Link | ||
V10.0 | Post | Link | ||
V9.2 | Post | Link | ||
V9.1 | Post | Link | ||
V9.0 | Post | Link | ||
V8.2 | Post | Link | ||
V8.1 | Post | Link | ||
V7.2.1 | Download | Post | Link | |
V7.1 | Post | Link | ||
V7.0 | Post | Link | ||
V6.56 | Post | Link | ||
V6.55 | Post | Link | ||
V6.54 | Download | Post | Link |
How can I run the Toolbox on Linux?The Toolbox is currently being developed for Linux systems in the Python programming language. If you'd like to see the progress of the port, you can do so at this link.Please be patient with me as the Linux port is being developed in my spare time and may take some time to complete. However, as the port progresses some builds will be released to those who'd like to help test alpha builds. More information on this later down the line. However, at the moment, the best way to run the Toolbox on Linux is to use VMWare and emulate Windows.
How can I remove a Google Account from my tablet?Because of the missing accounts section in the Settings app it will be a little more difficult to remove Google Accounts directly from the tablet. The easiest way that I've found is to visit this page: https://myaccount.google.com/security, sign-in to your Google Account, scroll down to "Your Devices" and click the "Manage devices" button. From the list of devices find your tablet and in the upper right-corner click the 3-dot icon and from the list select "Sign out".
Can the Toolbox be used to root my tablet?Primarly, rooting a Fire Tablet requires the user to open the back of the device and short out a certain point on the motherboard. The Toolbox has been designed for folks who'd rather not bark down this alley. It uses the power of ADB to make changes, and is meant to be an alternative to rooting. In summery, the Toolbox isn't designed to root.
The Toolbox is being marked as a virus?This is likely because the Toolbox (and it's installer) aren't signed with a software license. This freaks Windows out because it sees that there is no publisher, and as a result it displays a warning (smartscreen). In addition, some anti-viruses might also flag the Toolbox as a virus simply because the build is relatively new and there is no record of it in the anti-viruses database, resulting in a false positve.As always, I take your security and privacy VERY seriously! If you do not feel safe with installing the Toolbox due to virus concerns, I respect and support your decision. It is always up to the user and their judgment!
Google Family Link won't work on my tablet?Unfortuently, no matter how hard we try, we still haven't been able to get Family Link to work correctly on the tablets. The Family Link app fails to install, and the Child account refuses to login. No matter what we tried, we couldn't get a Child account to work on the tablets.We believe this has to do with missing dependecies, and the tablets not being certified through Google's Play Protect platform. We're still activly looking into getting the issue resolved. Until then, it's recommended that you use an alternative such as Amazon's FreeTime, Eyezy, or another third-party family managing software.
Version 26.0 - Changelog
[Welcome Screen]
[Device Information]
- Updated the user interface.
- Added better installation detection to the Installation Management subtool.
- You can now specify what directory the Installation Management subtool will scan to detect installations.
- Improved the look of the Theme Selector.
- Fixed a bug causing the Startup Tour to not load tools correctly.
[Theme Selector]
- Fixed chipset information not displaying for some tablets due to a renamed string in getprop.
[Custom Launcher]
- Moved the Theme Selector to the Welcome Screen.
[Modify System Settings]
- Improved the UI.
- Made significant improvements to the code, and fixed various bugs/issues.
- Added Re-route Homekey option for tablets running FireOS 7.3.2.2+.
[Lockscreen Management]
- Added the ability to change the "Display Timeout" to the General tab.
- You can now set a custom Display Timeout of up to 24 hours.
[Hybrid Apps]
- Improved the warning regarding the Pattern security type.
[Manage Amazon Apps]
- Updated Disney+, and Netflix to the latest versions.
- When restoring from a debloat list, it now displays the proper header and message.