Insignia Fire TVs run Amazon’s ad platform directly on the home screen. Banner ads, autoplay video promos, and screensaver ad loops all come with the OS — not from an app you installed. Some of these switch off in two minutes inside Settings. Others need a DNS-level fix or a sideloaded app. This guide covers four working methods ranked by effort, so you can pick the one that fits your setup and start today. If you’ve run into other odd Insignia behavior, this Insignia Fire TV troubleshooting guide covers common hardware and software problems too.
Why Insignia Fire TV Shows So Many Ads
Insignia Runs Amazon’s Fire TV OS
Insignia is Best Buy’s house brand. Since 2021, Insignia smart TVs have shipped with Amazon’s Fire TV OS instead of a generic smart TV platform. That switch matters because Fire TV OS is built around Amazon’s ad revenue model.
Amazon sells paid placements directly on the home screen. The “Featured” row at the top, screensaver images and videos, and autoplay content previews are all ad inventory. They are built into the OS itself — not third-party bloatware you can uninstall.
What Types of Ads Appear
- Home screen banner ads — the Featured row and sponsored content tiles
- Screensaver ads — promotional images and video clips that play during idle time
- Autoplay video promos — short clips that trigger automatically when you scroll over certain rows
- In-app ads — ads inside free streaming apps like Tubi or Pluto TV (these require a different approach)
Understanding which category each ad belongs to helps you choose the right method. Home screen and screensaver ads are the easiest to eliminate. In-app ads are the hardest.
Method 1 — Turn Off Ads in Fire TV Settings (Free, 2 Minutes)
This won’t remove every ad from the platform, but it disables personalized targeting and clears the screensaver ad loop. No tools, no installs, no technical knowledge required.
Disable Interest-Based Ads
- Press the Home button on your remote
- Go to Settings (gear icon, top-right)
- Select Preferences
- Choose Privacy Settings
- Select Interest-Based Ads
- Toggle it OFF
This stops Amazon from using your viewing history to serve targeted ads. You’ll still see ads, but they won’t be personalized to your behavior.
Turn Off Screensaver Ads
The screensaver defaults to Amazon’s “Artwork” feed, which is promotional content paid for by advertisers.
- Go to Settings → Display → Screensaver
- Change the screensaver source from Artwork to Clock or your own photos via Slideshow
- Under When to Start, you can set a longer idle time or turn the screensaver off entirely
Stop Autoplay Video Ads on the Home Screen
These video clips play automatically as you scroll. They consume data and feel intrusive.
- Go to Settings → Preferences → Featured Content
- Turn off Allow Video Autoplay
- Turn off Allow Audio Autoplay
These three settings together remove the most visible ad layer on the home screen without touching the underlying system.
While you’re in Settings, this is also a good time to handle other Insignia-specific tweaks — like turning off closed captions on your Insignia TV if those have been a nuisance too.
Method 2 — Block Ads with DNS Filtering (Network-Level)
DNS filtering intercepts ad requests before they reach your TV. It works at the network level, which means it can block home screen banner ads and autoplay content that the settings menu can’t touch.
Option A — NextDNS (Cloud-Based, Easiest Setup)
NextDNS is a cloud-hosted DNS resolver that filters ad and tracker domains. Free tier covers up to 300,000 queries per month — enough for home use.
- Go to nextdns.io and create a free account
- You’ll receive a custom DNS address (format:
45.90.28.xxx) - On your Insignia Fire TV, go to Settings → Network
- Select your Wi-Fi network and tap the Menu button (three horizontal lines) on your remote
- Choose Advanced options
- Switch to a Static IP configuration
- Enter the NextDNS IP in the DNS 1 and DNS 2 fields
- Save and reconnect
In your NextDNS dashboard, enable the AdGuard DNS Filter and EasyList blocklists. Those two cover the majority of Fire TV ad domains.
Option B — Pi-hole (Self-Hosted, Most Thorough)
Pi-hole is a self-hosted DNS server that runs on a Raspberry Pi or any Linux machine on your local network. It filters ads for every device on your Wi-Fi automatically — not just the TV.
Setup requires:
- A Raspberry Pi (or spare computer running Linux)
- Installing Pi-hole:
curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash - Pointing your router’s DNS server to the Pi-hole IP address
Once running, Pi-hole blocks DNS queries to known ad domains. Fire TV users consistently report that Pi-hole removes most home screen banner ads and autoplay promotional content. It’s the most thorough method available.
How to Change DNS on Insignia Fire TV
Fire TV OS doesn’t offer a direct DNS setting. The workaround is switching to a static IP:
- Settings → Network → [Your Wi-Fi Network]
- Press the Menu button on your remote for advanced options
- Select Forget Network, then reconnect manually
- During reconnection, choose to enter IP settings manually
- Enter your DNS addresses in the DNS 1 and DNS 2 fields
This applies whether you’re using NextDNS or Pi-hole.
Method 3 — Sideload Blokada on Your Fire TV
Blokada is a free, open-source ad blocker that runs directly on Android-based devices. Since Fire TV OS is built on Android, it installs and runs on Insignia Fire TVs without modification.
Enable Apps from Unknown Sources
- Go to Settings → My Fire TV → Developer Options
- Turn on Apps from Unknown Sources
- Optionally enable ADB Debugging for more control
Install Blokada Using the Downloader App
The Downloader app (by AFTVnews) is the standard sideloading tool for Fire TV. It’s available in the Amazon App Store at no cost.
- Search for Downloader in the Fire TV app store and install it
- Open Downloader and enter the Blokada APK URL:
blokada.org/dmn/apk - Download and install the APK file when prompted
- Open Blokada, tap Activate, and grant VPN permission
Blokada runs a local VPN on the device. It intercepts DNS requests and drops connections to ad domains before they load.
What Blokada Blocks and What It Misses
Blokada handles DNS-based ad requests well — home screen banners, most tracking calls, and autoplay promos in many apps. It does not block server-side ad insertion, which is how Hulu, Peacock Free, and similar services deliver their ads (same domain as the stream). Those require a paid subscription upgrade to remove.
Blokada 5 is currently the recommended version for Fire TV. Blokada 6 uses a subscription-based model and has a more limited free tier. Download Blokada 5 directly if the current APK defaults to v6 on their site.
For other sideloading use cases on Fire TV, the same Downloader method works — you can use it for things like keeping Kodi updated on your Fire Stick as well.
Method 4 — Use a VPN with Built-In Ad Blocking
Some VPNs include DNS-level ad filtering as part of their service. If you’re already considering a VPN for privacy or streaming, the ad-blocking feature comes included.
VPNs That Block Ads on Fire TV
- NordVPN includes Threat Protection Lite, which blocks ad trackers and malicious domains at the DNS level. Native Fire TV app available in the Amazon App Store.
- ProtonVPN includes NetShield, a DNS filter that blocks ads, trackers, and malware domains. Native Fire TV app available.
- ExpressVPN does not include DNS-level ad blocking. Strong VPN, wrong tool for this specific need.
Both NordVPN and ProtonVPN install directly from the Fire TV app store — no sideloading required. If you’re also interested in unblocking region-restricted streaming content, the guide on accessing geo-blocked streaming apps on Android devices covers that use case in detail.
Tradeoffs to Know Before Using a VPN for This
VPNs add latency. Streaming HD content through a VPN server can slow buffering if your base connection is under 50 Mbps. Test your VPN server speed before committing.
The ad blocking from a VPN is also less thorough than Pi-hole. It blocks tracker domains, not Amazon’s full ad delivery network. You’ll notice a reduction in tracking-based ads, but not the full home screen overhaul that Pi-hole delivers.
Cost matters here. NordVPN runs approximately $3.99/month on a 2-year plan. ProtonVPN has a free tier limited to one device at slower speeds. If you want ad blocking with no subscription cost, NextDNS or Blokada are better suited. Use the Cord-Cutting Savings Calculator to see how adding or removing subscriptions like a VPN affects your monthly streaming budget.
What You Cannot Block on Insignia Fire TV
No method eliminates every ad from the Fire TV experience. Knowing the limits saves frustration.
You cannot fully block:
- Amazon Prime Video embedded ads — if you’re on an ad-supported Prime tier, those ads are inserted server-side. DNS blockers cannot separate ad content from the stream.
- In-app ads from free streaming services — Tubi, Pluto TV, Peacock Free, and similar platforms serve ads from their own CDN or via server-side insertion. DNS blocking is only partially effective.
- The “Featured” home screen row entirely — DNS blocking reduces what populates it, but the row structure itself requires ADB commands to hide (advanced technique, not covered here).
- Sponsored search results — Amazon-native placements inside the search bar are not DNS-addressable.
If ads inside free streaming apps are the primary irritation, you have a few options: subscribe to the ad-free tier of that specific service, or explore ad-free alternatives. The Free Streaming Channel Finder can help you locate channels that don’t rely on ad-supported models.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Method | Effort | Effectiveness | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire TV Settings | Low — 2 min | Moderate — removes personalization + screensaver ads | Free |
| NextDNS | Medium — 15 min | High — blocks most home screen ads | Free / $1.99/mo |
| Pi-hole | High — 1–2 hrs | Very High — network-wide blocking | ~$35 hardware |
| Blokada (sideload) | Medium — 20 min | High — device-level DNS blocking | Free |
| VPN with ad blocking | Low–Medium | Moderate — tracker blocking, partial ad removal | $3–5/mo |
For most people: Run through Method 1 (settings) right now — it takes two minutes and costs nothing. Then add NextDNS or Blokada if the remaining ads are still bothering you. That combination handles 70–80% of Fire TV ads with no subscription required.
If you manage a home network: Pi-hole is the most thorough option available. Set it up once and it filters ads across every device on your Wi-Fi — phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs alike.
If you already pay for a VPN: Check whether it includes DNS ad blocking. NordVPN and ProtonVPN both do. Enable it — no extra cost.
If something goes wrong during any of these steps and your Fire TV starts behaving strangely, the guide on fixing a Fire TV black screen and the steps for resetting your Insignia Fire TV will get you back to a working state.