Amazon announced Thursday that it has begun rolling out its redesigned Fire TV mobile app to customers. Previously, the app could only be used as a backup remote, but the updated experience lets you browse and search content directly from your phone, manage your watchlist on the go, and play titles on your TV through the mobile app.
“The updated app turns your smartphone into a second screen for searching for what to watch next, making it easy to add show recommendations from friends to your watchlist even when you’re not at home,” Amazon wrote in an email to TechCrunch. “Seamless integration between mobile and TV provides Fire TV customers with a more flexible and convenient viewing experience where they can quickly find the content they want to watch.”
The app is currently launching in the US, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and the UK.
Amazon says the refreshed design is consistent with the new Fire TV user interface it launched last month. The interface is designed to simplify navigation while focusing more on content. The updated user interface introduces rounded corners, different gradients, consistent typography, increased spacing between content, and provides more space for pinned apps.
The top navigation bar has been simplified into categories with clear icons for Movies, TV, Live TV, Sports, and News. The Search button is easier to access on the left side of the Home tab.
Within this tab, Fire TV displays content you’re already watching along with recommendations from services you subscribe to, organized into a row labeled “For You.” The tab also includes free movies, popular movies and shows, and other paid content you might like.
The changes to the app and user interface follow the surge in streaming content. This has made it more difficult to track what’s available on each service, forcing platforms like Fire TV to act more as discovery hubs rather than simply a place to launch streaming apps.
