Amazon tells us what we already knew: It ditched Android because of piracy

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Credit: Amazon


TL;DR

• Amazon has revealed it created a new OS for its Fire TV Stick 4K Select to counter piracy.
• The new Vega OS prevents users from installing unauthorized apps on their TV Sticks.
• While Fire TV OS has traditionally been based on Android, the new OS is based on Linux to prevent sideloading of piracy-related apps.

Update: Nov 14, 2025 (12:35 AM ET): After the story was published, Amazon reached out to Android Authority, stating that Vega OS “expands — not replaces —” its OS strategy. The following statement was shared by an Amazon spokesperson with us:

We’re a multi-OS company, and Fire OS isn’t going anywhere. Vega OS gives us the flexibility to create premium experiences at every price point—notably on smaller, more affordable devices that run on low memory footprints, but also on larger devices running complex AI programs such as Alexa+. Creating and managing our own operating system lets us innovate across the whole tech stack within our devices where we need it.

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