An Amazon® Fire TV Stick™ is one of the easiest ways to stream your favorite movies and shows. Just plug it into your TV, connect to Wi-Fi, and press play. But what about when you’re not on the couch? Is it possible to connect your Fire Stick to your laptop?
At Asurion, our experts receive questions like this every day. They help millions of customers troubleshoot their devices and get the most out of their favorite technology, from finding ways to make a refrigerator last longer to cleaning a TV screen without damaging it. Here are his tips on how to view Fire Stick on a laptop.
Can you use a Fire Stick on a laptop?
The short answer is yes, if you have the right equipment . . But it’s a bit complicated. We’ll dive into a deeper explanation of what you’ll need to use a Fire TV Stick on your laptop or computer monitor later in this article. If you’re just looking for ways to stream your laptop to your Fire Stick so you can see what’s on your laptop on a bigger screen, we’ll go over those steps first.
How to mirror a laptop to your Fire Stick Fire Stick
You can also easily mirror your computer screen to a TV using your Fire Stick. Your Windows™ laptop can also do this. Just follow these steps:
On your Fire Stick:
- Hold down the Home button.
- Select Mirroring from the menu, then select Turn on screen mirroring.
On your Windows™ PC or laptop:
Note: Make sure your desktop PC has a wireless adapter, otherwise you will not be able to connect to the Fire Stick.
- On the right side of the taskbar, click the Notification icon. li>
- Click Connect, then select your Fire Stick from the list.
- Go to Settings > System > Display to change the screen resolution and scaling.
Got a Mac?
You can use a third-party app like AirScreen™ to mirror your MacBook® to your TV using a Fire Stick or other Fire TV™ devices.
How to connect a Fire Stick to a computer laptop
As we mentioned earlier, you can see a Fire Stick on your laptop, but it requires a few extra steps and possibly some additional equipment.
Using HDMI
Most laptops have HDMI ports similar to the ones on your TV, although they work in different ways. Laptops can only send video signals using their HDMI output ports. This allows them to connect to external monitors and televisions and mirror their screen. The Fire Stick also uses an HDMI streaming output to stream content. So a laptop and a Fire Stick are essentially designed to do the same thing.
Using Video Capture
If your laptop doesn’t have an HDMI input port , you will need an HDMI video capture device to connect your Fire Stick. This device converts your Fire Stick’s video output to a format your computer can recognize, and also allows you to bypass your HDMI port and instead connect using a USB 3.0 port.
Certain capture devices video clips let you simply plug in your Fire Stick, then plug it into your laptop’s USB 3.0 port to start watching. Others may not support encrypted video output on a Fire Stick, so you’ll need to connect the Fire Stick to an HDMI splitter first, and then to your video capture device.
Some devices video capture require special streaming software to display the Fire Stick on your laptop. OBS Studio is a free program that you can download that allows you to stream easily. Simply connect your device, set it up in OBS Studio, and you’re ready to go.
Remember, your Fire Stick is designed for a TV, so if the above methods don’t work as intended, use your web browser to sign in to your favorite streaming apps.
How to Connect a Fire Stick to a Computer Monitor
Want to use your Fire Stick on a computer monitor? Unlike a laptop, connecting your streaming device to an external monitor is simple. Just plug it into an available HDMI port on your monitor, or use a VGA adapter to connect your Fire Stick to your monitor. But keep in mind that not all external monitors have built-in speakers, so you may need to connect a pair of external monitors or headphones to hear the audio. If you opt for a VGA adapter, be sure to get one with audio output.
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