

If you’re setting up a new Fire TV and want to root, it’s important to know which software version the Fire TV is running before completing the initial setup. There is no way to know exactly which software version the Fire TV is running without checking the Settings menu, but you can figure out roughly where you stand on the first setup screen where you’re asked to press Play.

Connect your Fire TV to your TV and power it on WITHOUT an ethernet connection. Wait until it boots up and gets to the “Press (►∥∥) to start” screen seen above. Leave it on this screen and do not press play for several seconds. If the text on the screen switches back and forth between English and German “Drücken Sie (►∥∥), um loszulegen”, then your Fire TV is running version 51.1.3.0_user_513011520 or newer and is currently unrootable. If the text remains English, then your Fire TV is running version 51.1.1.0_user_511070220 or older and is rootable.

If your Fire TV is running version 51.1.3.0_user_513011520 or newer…

You can try blocking the software update which occurs during the initial setup using my guide, but you likely will not be able to skip or block the update. You will then have to remove any domains blocked by your router, allow the Fire TV to update, then block the update domains and complete the initial setup. At this time, there is no way to root your Fire TV. All you can do is stay on the oldest software version you can and hope a new rooting method is released in the future.

If your Fire TV is running version 51.1.1.0_user_511070220 or older…

You can root your Fire TV. It is important that you follow my initial setup guide to ensure that your Fire TV does not update to an unrootable version during the initial setup.

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