Amazon Announces Firefox, Silk Browsers for Fire TV, as YouTube Cutoff Looms

Amazon didn’t mention Google Chrome or YouTube, which Google has blocked from access on Amazon's Echo Show and Fire TV. An Amazon spokeswoman said: “We are open to other browsers. But today we are launching Firefox and Silk on Fire TV.” On whether Amazon is still telling Fire TV owners when they go to YouTube that the channel won’t be available come Jan. 1, she said, “We hope to resolve this with Google as soon as possible.” Google didn’t respond to questions.

The companies have gone back and forth for months denying customers access to the other’s products. TechCrunch reported this month that Google wasn’t happy with Amazon’s implementation of YouTube on the Show.

Amazon doesn’t sell Google’s Chromecast streaming stick that competes with Amazon Fire TV, for instance. We were surprised that a search on Amazon for Chromecast brought up a Roku player and media players from obscure companies rather than directing customers to Amazon’s own Fire TV devices. We did see an older generation Chromecast model listed for $9.99 with three stars out of five in the reviews section, but a look at the three most recent reviews from November and December show the product was a charger, not a media player. “Rip off,” said Tom Hynes, a verified purchaser. “It is a micro usb charger, has nothing to do with Chromecast.” Comments from last summer indicated customers knew the listed item was a charger, not a player.

Published reports said Amazon also yanked Google’s Nest thermostat from its virtual shelves, but that’s a trickier line for Amazon to navigate. We found the third-generation Nest Wednesday, sold by Brand Connection and fulfilled by Amazon, available for Prime shipping for Friday delivery. That Nest thermostat, with a 4 1/2-star rating from more than 16,000 reviews, is controllable via Alexa, a feature Amazon prominently displayed in the listing.

Amazon said its Silk browser has been optimized for Fire TV by designing “for a true television viewing experience that is best enjoyed from the couch.” Its “intuitive” browsing approach makes it easy for viewers to discover websites, launch bookmarks, use the Fire TV remote buttons to navigate pages or search for specific content with the Fire TV remote, said the company.

On how Amazon ensures its users’ security when they use the browsers, the spokeswoman said Fire TV doesn’t allow downloads. Fire TV devices’ “PIN protect app launches” and "PIN protect purchases" features, available on all Fire TV devices, offer parental controls that prevent downloading new apps and launching existing apps, she said. Silk on Fire TV prevents malicious sites from loading, and the browser warns customers about a threat if customers choose to proceed. The browser receives security updates about every two months, she said.

Silk and Firefox “both respect user privacy,” said the spokeswoman, and browsing history is kept “private and secure.” Neither stores personal identifiable information data, she said.

Responding to our question on the level of consumer interest in taking web browsing from mobile devices to the less-agile TV experience, the spokeswoman said, “Customers have expressed a desire for web browsing on Fire TV and we’re always looking for ways to improve the experience and offer more content.” She cited on-screen video controls that make watching video on the web “just as natural as watching from an app.”

Users who want to use Alexa have to toggle between voice and the Fire TV remote. During playback, viewers use the Fire TV remote for play, pause, fast forward and rewind functions, said the spokeswoman. They can use Alexa to dictate typing within the Firefox and Silk apps, she said.