How to Fix Fire Stick Audio Delays

This guide will walk you through all of the proven solutions for fixing Amazon Fire TV Stick audio sync and sound delay issues. These fixes can correct audio delay problems experienced when watching media files, using specific apps, and watching movies or shows in multiple apps.

How to Fix Fire Stick Audio Delays

Here are the best solutions for Amazon Fire TV Stick audio sync issues. It’s best to work through these in the order shown below as we listed them from easiest and fastest to more complex.

1. Select the film's original language. There's a growing number of foreign language films available on Fire Stick streaming apps, and most of them will play the English dub version by default. Naturally, the dubbed English voices will not match the original actor's movements. You can fix this by selecting the original language from the Audio, Sound, or Language setting after you've paused the show.
   

2. Fast forward and rewind. Skipping ahead and back can force the streaming app to rematch the audio with the image.
   

3. Restart the show or movie. A streaming issue is often the cause of audio delays when watching a film or episode on an Amazon Fire TV Stick app. Return to the app’s main menu and then start watching it again.
   

4. Try a different show or film. The content you’re watching may have an error that’s causing the audio sync issue. Try playing something else in the same app to see if it’s the media or the app as a whole that has the problem.
   

5. Force stop the Fire Stick app. Select Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > the app name > Force stop and then open the app and try watching the media again.
   

6. Restart your Fire Stick. On your remote, press Select and Play until your Fire Stick turns off. It should restart after a few seconds.
   

7. Try a different app. Watch something on your Fire Stick in another app to check if the audio sync problem affects every app or just the one you’re using. If it’s just the one app with the issue, the issue could be caused by the associated company’s servers.
   

8. Update the Fire Stick app. If you’re only experiencing sound delays with one specific Fire Stick app, it may need to be updated.
   

9. Update your Fire TV Stick. Downloading and installing the latest Fire TV Stick update can fix many issues, including audio that’s out of sync with the image on the screen. To do this, select Settings > My Fire TV > Install Update.
   

10. Try a different media app. If you’re experiencing audio sync issues while watching a personal video, try opening the file in another app such as VLC.
    

11. Clear the Fire Stick app’s cache. Refreshing the app’s cache can fix many problems and help it run better.
    

12. Open the file locally on the Fire Stick. Casting a media file or website to a Fire Stick from another device can often result in audio delays. Try opening the website locally via a Fire Stick web browser app or transferring the file to a USB stick and connecting a USB drive to your Fire Stick.
    

13. Run the AV Sync Tuning tool. Select Settings > Display & Sounds > Audio > AV Sync Tuning to run a built-in tool that will walk you through some steps to help you sync the Fire Stick’s audio and video.
    

14. Choose Stereo over Dolby Digital. The Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus sound options can cause audio delays for some users. Select Settings > Display and Sounds > Audio > Surround Sound > Stereo.
    

15. Disable Dolby Digital Plus. You may also need to disable Dolby Digital Plus fully. To do this, select Settings > Display and Sounds > Audio > Dolby Digital Output > Dolby Digital Plus Off.
    

16. Disable Dialogue Enhancer and Volume Leveler. Select Settings > Display & Sounds and select both Dialogue Enhancer and Volume Leveler so that Off appears under each setting.
    

17. Connect the Fire Stick directly to your TV. Plugging the Fire Stick into a secondary device such as a video game console or Blu-ray player can cause audio delays as the data needs to be sent through more hardware to get to your TV. Plug your Fire Stick streaming stick directly into one of your TV’s HDMI ports.
    

18. Reset your Fire TV Stick. If nothing else works, you may want to try resetting your Fire TV Stick to its default settings. This process will undo all of the changes you’ve made since you initially set it up and could fix the audio issues you’re experiencing.
    

Causes of a Sound Delay on the Fire Stick

Fire TV Stick audio delays can be caused by a minor glitch in the media, the app you're using, or the streaming service itself. The Fire Stick's Dolby Digital setting has also been known to cause sound sync problems, as have out-of-date apps and older Fire Stick operating systems.

Connecting an Amazon Fire TV Stick to a secondary device and wirelessly casting content can also cause sound delays.