* (See the LATER guide for How to install Flash on Kindle Fire HD and HDX Yr2013-2014 Kindle Fire tablets.) *
This blog article (originally Oct. 22, 2012 and updated Nov 27, Dec 5-6, 2013, Apr 26, December 22-27, 2014, and January 3-9, 2015, is a companion article to How to Install non-Amazon apps on Kindle Fire HD and HDX tablets.
The following works best for Kindle Fires before November 2013.
WORKAROUND and Step-by-Step GUIDE, for Yr2012 Kindle Fire tablets for sites that need the Flash-player workaround, to function as expected (show videos, do customized Flash routines).
For these older models
Per Amazon's Kindle Forum discussions, Kindle Fire HD and HDX owners are using, as needed, three files that provide a good workaround, the same 3 files that Google Nexus owners need to get Flash video on Youtube since the Adobe Flash (Non)Support travails.
Re those three files, linked below, FIRST do the following:
STEPS: (based on *~*Pineapple*~*'s guide from the forums:
Do the following on the Kindle Fire HD or Kindle Fire HDX tablets:Installation files end in ".apk" ...
- Go to the 'Home' screen.
- Swipe down (lightly pressing and pulling down) from the top of the screen.
- That gets you the Quick Settings Menu.
- Click on "More" at the top right.
- Go down the Settings list to "Device" and click on that.
- Choose to "Allow Installation of Applications From unknown sources."
Then download and tap to install, to your Kindle Fire 2/HD, the files at the following links, with your new Kindle Fire HD or HDX tablet:
the free file manager app, ES File Explorer
[An EASIER alternative file-manager app for just installing app files (*.apk files) is Easy Installer, which does a search for install-files on your tablet and then shows them to you so that you can just choose which one to install without searching in file folders.
The first time you use Easy Installer -- be sure to tap its top-right Menu: (3 vertically-aligned squares)
Tap on 'Setting' and check the 'Scan Hidden Directories' box so that it can find hidden apk files.
So, if preferring an easier experience when just installing new apps downloaded from non-Amazon stores, use THIS file manager instead of ES Explorer where that is mentioned here.]
Most recommend ES Explorer, which drops files into the usual "Download" folder, because you can control a lot more in connection with your files if you use it regularly, but it can be more than some care to see for just an app-install job. I use the Easy Installer for app-installs and ES Explorer for other file management functions.
- the specific Adobe Flash file offered at XDA Developers Forum
Please read recommended alternate source just below.
The XDA Developers Forum file links for the Year 2012 file now lead to strange ad-crazy pages, one of which asks for your credit card info and one of which promises racy pictures.
So, since the actual recommended file uploaded by XDA forum's "Recognized Contributor" stempox is the Flash File version that ends with ".27" and that file is directly available at Adobe's Archives with no download fuss:
Here is the general Adobe Archive page for Flash Player files, and, more to the point, here's the direct Adobe link to that same (unmodified) file (Flash Player 11.1.for Android 4.0 (11.1.115.27) in Adobe's own archives.
Also:- Here's the Dolphin browser (v8.5.1), identified in the forum post as "APK Download," which supports that specific Adobe Flash Player file.
(I've, in the past, used the most recent Dolphin browser HD (v10.0.3), with the earlier Yr 2012 Kindle HD as that had worked well for me with the older special Adobe Flash Player file.)
HOWEVER, on the HDX 8.9" tablet I have, the older v8.5.1 Dolphin browser file, linked to above, works more smoothly with the current recommended Adobe Flash Player file.
(If you want the the latest Dolphin browser despite that, you can get it from 1mobile -- To use any android appstore, you just download its store app, which will work like the Amazon store app). The Dolphin makers continue to update that browser; HOWEVER, the one file that's recommended at the Amazon Kindle forum is the v8.5.1 linked to above, so it's better to just get v8.5.1 linked above to be sure, especially with the HDX tablet)
When you receive notification that the Adobe Flash Player is downloaded, run either the ES File Explorer (files will be in the "Download" folder usually) OR the Easy Installer app to find and install it.
Tap the filename to install the file (in both cases).
Dolphin HD Browser settings
When you've launched the browser, the usual Android Menu icon (it's square and looks like an air conditioner or a washboard) can be tapped to bring up several options.
ALSO, make sure Javascript setting, just below Flash, is On or Enabled.
- Tap on "More" (it has 3 lines).
- Then tap on the 3rd option, which is "Settings."
- Go down to "Web Content" and tap "Flash Player" -- the choices are:
- Always on (videos will auto-run - easiest but it'll slow down some page loads and sometimes Flash routines will cause crashes, one reason Steve Jobs hated it).
- On Demand (You'll tap a blank rectangle -- or one with a down-arrow in it -- to have it run only when you want that.)
- Off (I see no reason to use this.)
- Other settings - ones I use, in case you wonder what might work:
. Auto-fit Pages: ON
. Default Zoom: 200% (Close up)
. Open Pages in Overview: ON
Very interesting additional Dolphin setting:
Getting back to the Main Settings page list, the FIRST one is "User Agent." I tend to use "Desktop" there because I don't like oversimplified mobile-device optimized pages, which are built for small smartphones.
But more important, the webpages you visit with the tablet will tend to know you're a visiting Android, or Android device :-) and sometimes will not run Flash as a result.
For example, SOME TV video pages will actually NOT allow videos to run on Android devices but will allow them to run for "Desktop" devices or on iPads. This is where you can camouflage your device as a a 'Desktop' or iPad :-)
Remember to change it back when needing to use the Android setting though.
Then, after installing the app files and making sure that the Flash setting is set to run Flash either Always or On Demand, you'll be able to switch to the Dolphin HD browser app when needing to see a video requiring Flash.
Troubleshooting. Restarts - I had an HD Youtube video close on me one night in October 2012 after a few seconds. Twice, after I'd been running the browser with many tabs open. When quite a bit has been run on a tablet, sometimes memory gets fragmented and there's not enough to hold what's needed in 'contiguous' mode and then an app will close.
In case that might be the reason, I just powered off the device from the Home page, which will clean up the memory the same way our computers do upon power-off or restart. After doing that, I had no problems with that same 9-minute Youtube High Definition video and played it full-screen a few times, using the Dolphin browser and the Adobe Flash Player file that members of the Kindle forums recommend.
Other app stores that are recommended when Amazon does not have a particular app Besides 1mobile.com, popular ones are androiddrawer.com, m.getjar.com, slideme.org, handango.com, and others. As with any appstore, you can search for an app and download it to the tablet. This is because Amazon has always allowed the option of installing appication files "from unknown sources" despite what you'll read on large tech sites (for reasons I don't understand, since they spend space talking about 'rooting' the tablets or doing 'modifications' on them and the normal mode requires none of that. Just a checkmark on a box.
I always recommend though that people wait a few days before getting apps from any other sites, to see if anyone is having problems with malware (even at Google Play market, when Google allows access, but Google doesn't acknowledge Kindle Fire devices). Google doesn't take as much time to vet apps as Amazon does, to test for both malware or incompatability.
Amazon's appstore has been growing fast the last year. Of course, if Amazon carries the app, it's definitely best to get it from Amazon because Amazon does a strong vetting of the apps they offer and because it's the way they make revenue from (now the highest-quality hardware) tablets sold at closer to cost.
They also keep for you a copy of each Amazon appstore app you download, in your Amazon Cloud area, which is useful when you are getting another Kindle tablet or if you just need to re-install the file. I think it's important to support the Amazon Android appstore, but I also think it's important that Amazon make more good and updated apps available to us at a faster pace, and maybe they should have a suggestion box for the more popular requests.
Amazon Prime Instant Video setting needing a change for tablet-viewing
NOTE - The April 26 2014 blog update added info on a setting for those on viewing Amazon Prime Instant Video and who, for some reason, don't see a Flash option on their tablet screens.
The Amazon Instant Video setting for Web Player Preferences if viewing on mobile devices should be set to "Adobe Flash" rather than "Silverlight,: which is for desktop computers.
I imagine that Kindle Fire tablets are optimized for Amazon's own Instant Video feature or vice versa.
HBO GO was added for FireTV in December.
See the updated info for the HBO Go app below. HBO GO has been available for some time with the Kindle Fire tablets, and until now, if you also had a FireTV and wanted HBO Go on that, you'd have to use the tablet to 'mirror' it to an HDTV. That' no longer necessary.
NOTE: - The December 2013 update had to do with
(1) the recommendation of an older Dolphin browser version for the HDX line + advice on downloading the specific flash app-file recommended for Kindle HD and HDX (and Nexus tablets) and with
(2) the Network TV Full Episodes being available in dedicated app form now, with the Networks favoring their own apps for mobile-device watching (probably having to do with ad statistics) and restricting mobile-device access on web video versions.
(3) On Dec 8, I added the Adobe Flash Player Non-Support History page.
Where the Dolphin web browser tends to work best on tablets with a "user agent" setting of "Desktop" mode instead of "Android" in those cases, that workaround has been hampered by some new Network processes.
One upside, of course, is that Network TV full episodes are now easily watchable via their dedicated apps, some of which are at Amazon's appstore and those that aren't can be downloaded by using 1mobile.com's appstore.
(1Mobile now has over 800,000 apps available from GooglePlay, athough you'd search there for the NBC TV or CBS TV apps having the usual network logos and showing the highest number of downloads -- or you can just view and match their icons, app names and version #'s with the apps that are listed on GooglePlay itself.)
TIP2: Amazon's own browser currently handles Youtube well by taking you to the mobile version of that site, showing you a smaller version of the video selected from a search and, when you click on one, shows you a full screen version of it in decent quality w/o your needing to change (via a long-press) the Youtube video gear-wheel setting at the right-bottom of a video, to change the video quality.
Youtube's mobile area was completely re-written by Youtube to use HTML5 rather than Flash and in the recent past sometimes had a somewhat smaller selection of videos, but they are very similar now. Amazon works with the HTML5 via their new experimental Flash-replacement streamer, which will be described further below.
Acorn.tv
Silk CAN handle Acorn.TV (British TV shows) well in 'Automatic' reading-view setting.
With the Flash file recommended here, it is more reliable. but that file is not necessary for the 'mobile' reading-view setting, though the 'automatic' setting is recommended.
The current Chrome Beta browser at 1mobile appstore also runs acorn.tv with the current recommended Flash file, as long as you don't click the Chrome browser menu setting for "Request desktop site. Oddly, the Dolphin combo recommended here does not run acorn.tv videos.
NOTE: The quality of streaming will be affected by the speed of your Internet connection.
Providers of DSL home Internet access usually use a default, first-tier lower speed that's often about 1/6th the speed of cablemodem speeds, so if you love to watch Internet streamed material via WiFi network connections in your home, I do recommend cablemodem access like Comcast's.
Apps already carried at Amazon's appstore:
WatchABC, which includes viewing of LIVE ABC programs rather than just after the fact, is quite a boon and is much more stable now after some updates. (I think that CBS app (available at 1mobile.com) requires a 5-day delay.)
Amazon's appstore also carries PBS, Smithsonian TV apps, and other TV apps. If you Search the Amazon store for "TV" you'll also see apps for Discovery; History; WatchESPN; RAI; and several others.
In December 2014, Amazon added HBO GO to the Fire TV. It won't be ready for the Fire TV Stick until the Spring. It's been available for the Kindle Fire tablets for some time though, which means you can use the "mirroring" display feature in the Yr2013 HD and HDX tablets to watch HBO Go on the HDTV if you're an HBO subscriber and have a Yr 2013 or later Kindle Fire tablet.
Amazon's own Instant Prime Viewing
And then there's always Amazon Instant Prime viewing, which now includes downloadable files for watching offline, and Amazon keeps adding exclusive material on that feature while providing optional X-Ray background info on actors in the scene you're watching.
TIP 3: - Amazon's new HDX tablets provide what has been described by major tech-site reviewers as the fastest and smoothest experience on tablets today. If multmedia files are your focus and you want them accessible on your device to play offline, get a device with more storage than 16 GB though.
I didn't want to pay a few hundred dollars for a multimedia tablet (also, magazines are huge) and wind up feeling constrained, since I also have a lot of photos on mine, so I got the 64GB one and love the freedom from worrying about space, Cloud or no Cloud.
I think of it as a built-in SD card space. Still, a 32GB tablet will be enough for most users.
When shopping different makers and models and analyzing costs, note that a key competing tablet will cost an additional $100 to get to each higher level of storage space - to 32 and to 64GB - and that one does not play Flash on web sites created with Flash.
ADOBE and Flash Support
In October 2012, Youtube and other Flash video no longer worked on newer Android devices like the Nexus tablet line and the Android-based Kindle HD's because Adobe stopped supporting Flash on later models of mobile devices.
The workaround has been to use a web browser that supports an Adobe flash player file that works with later mobile devices. (Since all this No-Flash drama happened, Amazon has been working on its own workaround, at Youtube and with a growing number of web sites.)
Many of us are able to view, using Amazon's own default Silk web browser, some of the main Flash-playing sites, even for network TV full episodes now, as mentioned, as Kindle Team has been working on Amazon's Experimental Streaming Viewer which works with a limited number of sites, but they are large, popular ones, and Amazon is expanding the number of websites that will be able to work with it.
Here's my earlier introduction to the Experimental Streaming Viewer, with some initial tips that will help, though there may be some added web-browser setting changes needed via the browser menu for some.
A KEY step is to enable "Accelerate page loading" setting in the Silk web browser menu (it's now the default setting on the HDX tablets), which automatically turns 'ON' the Advenced Setting of "Prompt for experimental streaming viewer."
Amazon has now been able to improve Experimental Streaming Viewer so that Youtube videos can be viewed without any special work on the part of the user, using Youtube's mobile version of the site.
(Just be sure to look at your Silk browser's web menu Settings option and choose to use that experimental feature with a check mark on that box.)
The Alternative Flash Support File, when needed
For needed Flash support otherwise (to be used with the Dolphin browser instead), the Amazon Kindle Forum regulars have relied on the XDA Developer Site for the latest working files to be tested by knowledgeable XDA forum members and offered for download for use with given device models. That's the source of these two files for the Yr 2012 Kindle Fires.
***The actual ADOBE statement on Flash Player support (or not)
for types of tablets and the Android versions involved
is now part of the Adobe Flash Player History page.
RELATED posts on Kindle Fire HDs which are useful also for the
(Descriptions of Kindle 7" features will apply to the 8.9" models also.)
. Getting non-Amazon apps on Kindle Fires
(The basic models of each Kindle Fire tablet line
have storage space limitations though.)
. Google Maps, Street View and other apps on my Kindle Fire,
via enabling one device setting
. How to play Flash on Year 2013-2014 Kindle Fire tablets
. Downloading and playing YouTube videos on Kindle Fire HD.
Also, TubeMate app for Youtube will download videos to play on your Kindle Fire,
and BSPlayer app will play almost ANY video format.
. Using the camera and Video, Panorama mode, Time Lapses
. Add Wi-Drive pocketable disk/stream'g for Kindle models
and for other tablet or phone devices,
or, Portable wireless 320G Patriot Gauntlet drive/stream'g for 7" & 8.9" devices.
. App for WiFi file transfers w/o cable.
For reference, here is the Current Global Listing of available Kindle devices.
According to Amazon forum posts, Youtube is working again this morning on the Amazon browsers.
ReplyDeleteLVH, For some reason your mment wound up in the spam folder, where I just found it after seeing a copy in email.
DeleteIt's already 8:30pm PDT and I tried Silk in the afternoon but it wasn't working at the time - also reported by others. Will check. Thanks very much for reporting in and am just sorry I didn't see this in the pending area.
Pleeeeeeeease help me. I'm so technically illiterate. I just be. What am I doing wrong. I've got es file, I've got the adobe flash player. And I have dolphin . But when n I try to watch netflix, or youtube it's not working. Youtube plays sound, but it's a blank screen? What do you think I can be doing wrong? :(
DeleteIf you have any advice, thanks you so much
Jamie
Jamie, Amazon's Kindle Fires can now do Youtube through the "Web" (also called 'Silk') browser but, depending on which model you have, you need to have the We browser-menu settings allow javascript and also allow the experimental streaming viewer, to run Youtube.
Delete-- The other 99% sure way to get Youtube working is to get the 'tubemate' app which you can get at the Amazon Android App store at http://amzn.to/tubemate-app.
-- I wrote about how to use this (but it's fairly self-explanatory) at http://bit.ly/kwt0220
As for Netflix, that is a separate app you can download also at the Amazon store. It works only if you have a streaming account at Netflix already and if you do, you just log in and can run it. Netflix is available at http://amzn.to/1dvlu1J.
Sorry for the delay in responding, Jamie.
Jamie -- a typo. I meant to say "...you need to have the *Web* browser-menu settings allow javascript ... etc., not 'We browser' ......
DeleteThanks for posting this very HELPFUL step-by-step for getting Flash. I just got my Kindle HD Fire and saw your post on a TL's review. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah Andrys,
DeleteThanks a lot,your info was very,very helpful. My girlfriend just bought her kindle HD about two months ago and she was really freaking out cause it was not showing no youtube videos. She was already talking bout regrets..Now it's all smiles on her face,she can now watch and download all her favourite videos.."I think am going to get some serious loving tonight." Lol
Thanks again
A.jack
A.jack,
DeleteGreat to read! Yes, I think you will become rather beloved ;-) One other thing, Silk Web browser had something put back into it. Under Web Menu's settings there is a box to 'enable javascript' and that will let more websites work without unnecessary problems even thougn javascript routines (including many log-ins) can make websites a bit slower.
Thanks for taking the time to let us know! Very appreciated.
Alex575,
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know you found it helpful -- if you have any questions on it, let me know.
I'll probably revise this (although adding info will tend to make a how-to even more confusing) to add that Amazon's own 'Silk' browser will work on all Youtube-specific videos if the SILK web browser's "Requested website view" is set to "Automatic" rather than 'desktop' because it'll use 'mobile' for Youtube and that'll do the trick.
BUT it leaves you on 'mobile' for too many sites and I dislike that mode on a 7" tablet as it leaves out a lot of website info.
The combo of Dolphin browser with the right older Flash player as described in this blog article will allow flash video on ANY website to work and be a lot less frustrating until all the websites switch to HTML5 methods, which will probably take a couple of years.
A tip:
When viewing web pages with Dolphin browser, double-tapping on an article's text will put it into a good size. Double-tap again to go to the smaller text.
What I like about Amazon's own Silk browser is the ability to choose "Article view" from the menu (or you can tap on the eyeglasses-icon when it's there) to choose Amazon's excellent special layout of text from an article that omits the surrounding ads etc, and is in more readable font sizes.
Enjoy the new HD !
I tried the steps that you and other people suggested. I got as far as "allow installation of applications from unknown sources on my new kindle fire hd. And could go no farther than this message. It is turned on and nothing!!! My iPad 2 is so much easier to use. I cannot set up my email or read it if I go to the web. Help! I have spent hours and hours on this device. Thanks Cml
Deletewhen I go through all of the steps for my kindle fire it says it can't open what am I doing wrong?
DeleteAnonymous,
DeleteWhen you check the "allow installation of applications from unknown sources" but can't go further -- that checking-the-box just 'allows' it but you haven't mentioned trying to install an app after that.
After checking the box, you should click left-arrow to go "back" or even press Home icon. Then you're ready to start, to get an app you want.
Re Kindle Fire Email.
I set up email to go from my Yahoo website but I don't want email coming to my Kindle Fire, so I said NOT to "sync" it as I don't want to use it on the Kindle Fire itself, preferring to do it on the Web from anywhere and on any device, so I'm limited here. I use it only to SEND pictures or webpages I like, to friends, using my Yahoo address, while I am on the Kindle Fire.
I haven't looked at most of the Kindle Fire books, but the one that was free until December 26 midnight is now $2.99 and is probably worth it to help you with this question.
There is also a help button on your Kindle Fire when you swipe-down the top toolbar and choose "More" or "+" to get "Settings" ...
The FIRST item under that is "Help & Feedback" .
Also, whenever you have questions you can get them more easily and quickly from the Kindle Community forums where, 24/7, there are other owners who know a lot and enjoy answering questions as soon as they can.
let me know how you do with this.
Confused,
DeleteDo you mean you've found an app and then downloaded it and CAN install it, but it says it can't be opened?
I'd press Home icon. Then maybe Power Off for a few seconds. Then Power it back On (just by pressing the power button in both cases) and then go to "Apps" at the top and click on "Device" option and sort "By Recent" and it should be the first App showing.
At that point click on that app. Will it open? Let me know.
Great advice, finally got flash working for kindle fire had on Bbc websites. The xda developers specific flash apk is the only one that that seems to work.
ReplyDeleteSaintsFan, glad that helped! Thanks for letting us know. Yes, that XDA Developers forum found and offers for download the only Adobe flash apk that consistently works for devices on Android v4.x ... The one that has the most trouble is v4.1 - Jelly Bean (Google Nexus is using that). Supposedly, there is a bit less difficulty for those on v4.0.x and the new Kindle Fires are on v4.0.3...
DeleteHi sounds a great work around, problem I have is that I live in Brazil and Amazon does not allow me to download Easy Installer or a number of other apps. any suggestions to get around this?
Deletemikesp,
ReplyDeleteTake a look at what a compatriot of yours in Brazil said at http://bit.ly/kwt1123.
Let us know if that works for you too.
yeah it worked great thanks very much!
DeleteI don't suppose you know where or how I can get Brazilian Portuguese for kindle fire hd keyboard or text import?
mikesp, I read that Portuguese is supported, but I don't know to what extent, but I don't know any more than that. Here's a search I shortcutted for you: http://bit.ly/kindle-and-portuguese.
DeleteHi My husband is getting me the Kindle Fire HD for xmas and I live in the UK, so will your step by step guide work for people in the UK as well.
ReplyDeleteit does but I had to download some did the apps from the app store rather than through the links - easy installer for one.
Deleteyassharrar,
ReplyDeleteYes, those steps will work in the UK as well, except that any of the Amazon store apps you get would be from your UK Amazon android apps store.
If anything is unavailable, download the 1mobile store-app from 1mobile.com and use that store among others that also provide apps that are originally uploaded at google play.
Someone in Brazil recently was able to install and run the apps he needed that way.
You'll really wait until Dec 25 to open it ? :-)
Just got a Kindle Fire HD for my wife and while setting it up for her I discovered my inability to view videos. This blog helped a lot! Thank you for sharing! Dr Tim
ReplyDeleteDr. Tim, thanks for letting me know that it did help! I hope your wife will enjoy the new KFire as much as I do.
Delete8:40 pm CST and still no luck getting on YouTube from Silk. But this workaround did the trick. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - thanks to you also, for taking the time to let me know the workaround was successful.
DeleteAs I mention further on down in the article, putting the Silk Settings / General /
"Requested website view" as "automatic" instead of "Desktop" will work for Youtube
videos. BUT, it will put too many good website pages into that ugly simple mobile-device oriented type of page that looks like old DOS -- and this simplicity was meant for small smartphones on which you can hardly see anything.
Using a Flash player and a browser such as Dolphin that supports the old Flash player means you can play Flash on all the websites that use it still and will for another 2 years. That includes network TV where you can watch full episodes of shows missed during the week, and entire sites done with flash. News videos, even Amazon samples, from what I experienced one day on Silk.
I meant to do a blog article on Tubemate (and other apps) as that is just great for Youtube, letting you download the videos to watch offline and I should also mention a wonderful free video player that plays just about any format too, on the Kindle Fire...
Thanks so much for this blog! I've spent several hours today following false trails while trying to get Flash working on a Kindle Fire HD, and this was the site that gave me the most practical and confident instructions. I would just add one thing. Here in the UK I found I could not download ES File Explorer from Amazon sites, and eventually I just downloaded it direct from the publisher at www.estrongs.com/en/download.html. And after following everything else, Flash with Dolphin works perfectly!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, thanks much for adding your experience with this and the excellent tip too.
ReplyDeleteRight now I tend to get almost any file that Amazon doesn't have yet (or which people can't get from Amazon when they're in another country w/ the odd digital-rights situation), from an assortment of appstores -- 1mobile.com, apknew.com, getjar.com, slideme.org, handango.com and others.
Thanks for reminding us of the app creator's site! No better source! Will definitely include that info in the the how-to's later.
Thank you for this blog. I installed everything as suggested but now I cannot access amazon prime videos directly on my kindle fire HD like I did before. (I can still watch flash videos on the dolphin browser. HOWEVER I was wondering if there was a way to watch amazon prime videos directly like I did before I installed flash and the dolphin browser?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, the Amazon Prime Instant Video should be showing. What message do you get? I'll be leaving for some hours but will check back.
DeleteIn the meantime, power off your tablet and then power it back up. It should right itself. Probably a momentary confusion.
I just tried mine again to see if Jan 2013 was different but it's still running Amazon Prime videos. I am using Dolphin though. No reason Silk shouldn't work however!
Good luck. Hope to hear from you later. If powering off doesn't work then try a long-press on the power button for 25 seconds. Then let it rest for about 3 minutes and Power On.
followed all steps. when i try to open it states that file cannot be opened. i shut down and restarted kindle fire 2 and still no success. what an i doing wrong.
ReplyDeletesanevavz, it depends on which steps you followed. Could you list the steps you actually did? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDone everything but when I tried to play my Facebook game it shuts down the browser I restarted my kindle but it doesn't help
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, mine crashes when I try it though I'd never tried it before and threads online show that this is how it is. There's some kind of incompatability with the Facebook games.
DeleteWith BubbleBuster, people play it from the BubbleBuster app instead.
Facebook's Farmville I've seen no solution for so far... Sorry I don't have more on this...
thanks so much, works great!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, thanks for letting us know this worked for you! I know the feeling when it finally does :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you! The 1mobile app is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI think it's disgraceful that Amazon prevents access to the Dolphin browser, as has been my experience, along with none of the videos playing AT ALL in the Silk browser no matter how many fixes I attempted.
Thank you, again!
Glamoura,
DeleteMy full blog entry explains that the silk browser and ANY Android 4.x browser cannot do Flash because of Adobe's decision to drop support on flash players for mobile devices with Android 4x or above. Nothing to do with Amazon. As I say, it affects the Google Nexus pure Android tablets too.
In fact, Amazon gives us the check box where WE can "allow" installs from "unknown sources" which is how you were able to install Dolphin.
Barnes and Noble omits that feature from the Nook because they want people to only be able to install their own apps. Amazon allows us to install other apps.
The Silk browser will in fact play videos on Youtube and other sites that present videos in the newish HTML5 if you set Silk's web settings to "automatic" in which case it switches to 'mobile' at Youtube and Youtube serves HTML5 instead of flash and then the videos run.
So, Amazon allows access to Dolphin and several other browsers I use if I just look at settings and check the box they wisely gave us to allow installs from unknown sources. They made it that easy.
Glad it's all working for you (I hope). 1mobile and several other sites are very helpful! Thanks for writing!
I was so excited. All three downloads appeared ( I did have to go to the web to get ES File- wouldn't install from amazon. Now ES explorer is installed and the other two say "can't install" HELP! any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - Are you outside the U.S.? That's the only reason for it not to install from Amazon's appstore, normally.
DeleteAs I say in my step-by-step guide, you should get Easy Installer, as that finds the apk files. Have you tried that? I'm a bit worried you didn't try that first. It's also at the Amazon store and at other app stores.
Did you do the step that tells the device that you DO allow installation of files from "unknown sources" ?
Where did you get ES Explorer? It's available from the vendor's own page at estrongs.com.
I am in the US. I didn't try easy installer. I "purchased" ES file explorer from Amazon. Amazon thanked me for my purchase but I never got the app. So I got it from the official ESstrong site as another reader suggested. The allow installation app is open. Should I try downloading easy installer?
ReplyDeleteIf you "purchased" ES File Explorer from Amazon on the webpage (where I send people for info on the app), then they put it in the Cloud. You need to Click on Apps, then Cloud and then click on the app so it comes down to your device.
DeleteAnd, of course, since I highly recommend Easy Installer (still free) because its only job is to find the app after you download it (they can land in the oddest places), yes, please get it. For just installations it's the easiest way.
The allow installation app is 'open' ? It's supposed to be checked to 'allow' installation of apps from 'unknown sources' ...
Maybe that's the main problem. But since you say you never got the ES File Explorer app, there's that too. (Easy Installer will find it.)
Whoa. Good luck. You should be okay, with a few more steps.
Thank you! I'll let you know if it works
ReplyDeletePlease do. In any event, it will -eventually- work! :-)
Deletethank you thank you thank you! it seems that the easy installer was crucial not optional at least for my device. it works beautifully now. as a luddite who has never used a touch screen before it was a scary but rewarding process. thank you for all of your help! Lynne
DeleteLynne, SO glad that it did work for you!
DeleteI've tried to let people know, on Kindle forums, that Easy Installer IS the way to go rather than just the mantra of the ultra-useful ES Explorer (for other reasons) when it comes to installing Flash. ES Explorer can be confusing for the first-time user of that app, though it's a delight what it can do when we've time to explore it.
What Easy Installer does is make sure a person always can see the apk install file, which for reasons unknown to me does not always arrive in the right place on the tablet!
Thanks for taking the time to let us know this did finally work for you. I had faith in that, but nothing beats getting a real report. You've done more than well hunting down these added steps and making them work for you. No "Luddite" you !
Thank you again for all of your help!
ReplyDeleteLynne
Hi Andrys
ReplyDeleteany thoughts about security apps especially with a Kindle open to outside installations? Necessary? Recommendations? Thank You!
Lynne
Lynne, Yes, and I was going to do a blog article on it soon. My current recommendations, based on my reading, are Avast (free) and Lookup (also free, but may slow down your Kindle somewhat or use battery more than wanted) -- both are available at the Amazon apps store. Good thinking!
DeleteLynne, I just looked them up again, and Avast gives SOME people with Kindle Fires problems with not updating apps info and seeing all apps as problematical. But far more people have no problems, so I guess it's a matter of trying it out, since it's free.
DeleteLookout (not Lookup) still does slow some down. But it has higher ratings and has some good features.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI followed your instructions and downloaded both dolphin browser and flash player, however, every time i go to open it in the downloads folder, it wants to reinstall every time prior to opening. I cannot figure out how to get an icon to appear in my scrollbar so i can just tap and open it without it wanting to install again...
Meghan, I missed seeing your question half a year ago. There was an easy answer but I don't know if you found it soonafter writing. Let me know if you need any help on it now. In your case once you installed an app, you wouldn't open it from Downloads anymore but as a straight app. But I won't continue since you've probably found out what to do. Apologies for missing your note.
DeleteWhy do I get a "parse error" when I try opening the dolphin browser? This whole mess of trying to get flash player is making me crazy!!!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous on August 6 - No idea - you don't say which Kindle Fire you have nor what version software your device is.
Delete(Swipe down from top bar, tap "More" and scroll down to "Device" and tap on "About"
to see the version number.)
If it starts with 7.4.5 or 8.4.5 or 10.4.5, then you received an over the air update that has been having glitches with Flash use. They're coming out soon with a version x.4.6 eventually after tests with customers have shown the glitches are fixed with this.
OR it could be that all you need to do is turn OFF the Kindle Fire and then turn it back on.
If that doesn't' work press the power button for 21 seconds and release it . Then after a few seconds, press the power button quickly to turn it back on and it'll reset memory and that MAY curb the problem.
If you continue to have problems, you can work with a Kindle customer-support rep who will go through the steps with you.
U.S. - Call 1-866-321-8851
or go to http://amzn.to/kcallme
My guess is you got the x.4.5 update though. If so, call them on that to ask when the maintenance update to fix that might be ready.
If you can, please write a follow up here, as I'm interested in what might be causing it and if you're able to resolve it..
Great. Thank you so much. It works¡
ReplyDeleteAnonymous on August 7,
DeleteThat's excellent news. Thanks for taking the time to let us know that it works for you.
Thank you very much for this. The steps were helpful. It works like a charm. And I love the browser.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous on August 17,
Deletei really appreciate your taking the time to let me know it worked for you.
Am about to release a blog article on all the excellent changes in the web browser that happened last night. You may have seen those already.
daughters happy at last , thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
DeleteHappy here to read that! Thanks, whoever you are :-)
I have a regular Kindle Fire, some videos I try to watch say I need to update Adobe Flash Player?? Does anyone know about this??
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, Aug 23 at 9:41 AM PDT
DeleteDo you have a Kindle Fire 1 ? That should play most video well as there is a licensed Adobe Player that was added during an update when it was still okay for that Android version.
The Kindle Fire 2 - that has a different Android operating system -- maybe it benefits from the steps shown here. I don't know as I have only the HD models, which have more storage space but if you have a 2nd generation Kindle Fire (released Sept 2012), then it's worth trying if the videos needing a newer Flash player are very few and the rest are working.
On 2nd gen Kindle Fires, Amazon is trying Experimental Streaming Viewer but you have to go into the web browser settings to allow acceleration of the Silk browser.
The new Silk browser menu is at top left and you can access Settings that way.
You might want to update the last part of the article to note that the current Android version on Nexus devices is now actually 4.3 rather than 4.1. Also, Flash works fine in the Dolphin Browser on Jelly Bean (4.1-4.3) devices despite Adobe's official statement that they wouldn't support versions past 4.0.x.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, Jeffrey.
DeleteThe blogger code has a bug if we use the 'ol' and 'li' html features. Anything after it ignores the rules that prevailed for the part before it, with line and paragraph breaks, blockquotes, etc. A mess. So with each small edit, I have to redo the whole thing, although I have key portions saved in little files.
I will let your comment do that work then, since readers of the actual blog page will see it along with the article.
Dolphin didn't work for some time with Jelly Bean without our substituting an older Adobe flash player that Adobe has in its archives, and XDA developer people provided a different archived flash player file last December when Nexus went to v4.3 or whatever the step was that broke it again.
Are you saying you're picking up the latest Adobe flash player and that it works with Dolphin? I think it has to be the one XDA developers have put on their site and that Adobe has archived for the Jelly Bean users to use - a flash player version that works for those OS versions. I sometimes ask people to go to Adobe archives to pick it up.
But XDA developers watch over the whole scene and pay attention to Nexus users' complaints. The latter archived files have worked, thanks to XDA, for Nexus when the problems began. As mentioned they had to have a different flash player for v4.3 ...
Hey,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much sharing this information. The steps were helpful. It works like a charm. And I love the browser!!!
Visit more info :- Youtube Technical Support
Thanks
Candy Smith
Candy Smith? This may be an example of SEO enhancement activity, but it's done with attention to the topic at hand. A good thing to teach. The steps -will- help anyone giving youtube or flash support on Android tablets.
DeleteThis seems to work on Kindle Fire HD but I recently just bought one of the new Fire HDX tablets. Everything downloaded fine but I am not able to use sites with flash player on the new HDX.
ReplyDeletelilblackmonster - Am about to revise that Flash entry, as the Flash player file linked to at XDA now is accessible only at a couple of sites that have questionable pages, one that makes you give a credit card, and one that shows porn-style pics (which some visitors won't mind). And I found that the newer Dolphin didn't work for me on the HDX as well as an earlier Dolphin version does
Delete-- HOWEVER, the Flash offerings that don't work for the HDX are pretty much the same ones that don't work for the HD now, and the ones I've encountered are the TV Full Episode channels that have put out APPS for their full episodes (which work well) and have done something to disable Flash on the Full Episode web pages when accessed with mobile devices, EVEN when we stipulate via Dolphin that we're "Desktop" users rather than Android, which worked before the special Full Episode apps were released.
-- The good thing is that the apps are availlable and work on the HDX. And these are for CBS and NBC (we're used to having WatchABC, which has been greatly improved).
-- Both are at 1mobile but you have to make sure to get the actual CBS and NBC ones -- they'll have the larger number of downloads among their groups that include imitators. ALL of these are on GooglePlay as well, so you have to sift no matter what store you download from.
Let me know if you find others that don't work on the HDX while working on the HD. The HD no longer works on the full-episode pages either. It's an intentional block of some kind -- the flash for the ADs preceding them work fine of course :-)
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI finally got it to work which is a relief. I'm actually new to the "android feel" since I am a frequent apple user and was gifter the kindle fire hd. I know this may sound odd, but is there anyway to have the dolphin browser an icon on my home screen? Or do I have to go through the es explorer? I mean I am given the option when I am using the silk browser if I want to use the dolphin to open the webpage up or not but is that the only way to?
Another question is that 1mobile app. I downloaded it from the browser on my kindle since it was not in the app store and is that too not in "app form" on my kindle home screen? I hope my questions make sense, I am still very confused on how to work this different system!
Anonymous, posting Nov 23 at 9:08 pm PST,
DeleteYour question isn't odd at all. Sorry I didn't get back for a reply sooner.
-- Yes, you can go to Apps at the top menu and sort the apps by either 'Recent' or 'Title' -- then LONG-Press the app you want and you can choose to add it to "Favorites" which you will find right under the Carousel and accessible by pressing the STAR icon on the tablet-toolbar on the right (if you're in Landscape) or on the bottom (if you're veiwing in Portrait mode).
You can press the Star on the toolbar menu at anytime -- even when reading a book or playhing a game and choose a favorite and run it and then the Kindle will return you to what you were doing when you pressed the Favorites star-icon. Few people know about this task- or app-'switching' we could do on the HD, as it is described in the User's Guide but not in marketing materials.
-- You do the same with the 1mobile app. Let me know if this was clear enough and you are able to have both showing on your Home page's hidden "Favorites" (or if it didn't work for you).
Ugh, I did all the steps as shown and now it plays sound and the wheel spins but still no video :( can you help me please?
ReplyDeleteBarbara, which model of Kindle Fire do you have, and what site are you accessing when this happens? Have you tried other websites? NBC and maybe CBS, as I mentioned, don't acknowledge the mobile Android devices since they made the special apps they want people to use. ABC was the first to make web access not work once they had a mobile app ready.
DeleteAlso, in your WEB menu, access Settings and make sure that "javascript" is turned ON and that Experimental Streaming Viewer is checked for ON as well (which is doable only if you've left ON the default to use the accelerated web processes,. another setting further up on that settings page.
I believe it's the 2nd gen fire hd. I went to lifetime and was able to see video. I'm trying to watch videos on Acorn.tv and it won't show me video only sound.
ReplyDeleteI was trying abc even though you said you need their app, is that why the dolphin browser kept closing out?
ReplyDeleteBarbara, yes. What I wrote you yesterday was "ABC was the first to make web access not work once they had a mobile app ready."
DeleteAlso, re your question about Dolphin closing in that case, I realize my blog entry is overly-verbose but would you go back to it and look up the "Troubleshooting" paragraph that is in Red (because I think it's important) and see what I recommend re the browser shutting down?
On Acorn, it is a pay website and I tried to sign in but it wanted all my info for a 'free trial' and then would want credit card info so I didn't go any further.
The fact that you can watch Lifetime (full episodes, I'm presuming) means that your Flash capability is working with Dolphin. Good job! I cannot run Lifetime with the default Silk browser, so you did get it working.
But the networks put up obstacles, especially when they have apps out. Just get WatchABC -- it's free and works better than the web version ever did, on tablets...
Let me know how you're doing on all of it..
Tara, yes, if they pop up a note saying java's required, it's not going to be something we can add components for onto our tablets.
ReplyDeleteNote that there is an official YouTube app available in the Amazon Appstore and it is directly available for Fire (at least 3rd or 4th gen, but not 1st gen). There is also one for Fire TV and Stick.
ReplyDeleteC-Span.org is another Flash video site that is unlikely to ever have an official mobile app on any platform, given that they are supported by cable companies. It also seems unlikely they'd switch to HTML5 video, even though there is no DRM concern with their content.
Medici.tv. Wonder why their app isn't available for Fire/FireTV? It's in the appstore... As you are a subscriber, it might be interesting to ask them why...
I use tubemate for youtube -- hmm, I can't remember if I put that into the bottom of the article or not. It's superb for downloading ones I like and you can choose to just play them w/o downloading them, but choice of file type and quality/size is ice and the reliability of it + the library, now easily accessible via Amazon's own Photos tab.
DeleteBut Amazon itself plays youtube fine now and maybe I should change the text title (vs link-words, which i can't change) to "flash-heavy sites" or something.
Have watched C-Span through the US-TV app, which I used for CNN a lot before CNN itself did a live CNN stream app, which is now on Amazon too.
FireTV apps need something extra. Amazon announced plans months ago with HBO for its HBO-Go on the Fire TV when it already had it available for its Kindle Fire tablets (and I just mirror'd it instead).
It took until this last week for HBO Go to be ready on the Fire TV and it won't be ready on the Stick until Spring. They put that into a PR announcement...
So medici.tv probably has to do something special that makes it work well with the Fire TV. But I WILL ask them if they ever plan to do it
. The one in the Amazon appstore is compatible only with my Samsung and not even with the Kindle Fire tablets.
It has to be done from their side. It obviously means extra work, but Amazon's crowd is now a good-sized one.
It may have something to do with their being European based that they've put lower priority on it... I should download it anyway and see how it functions on the KF tablets.
Tom, I just changed the title and the first paragraph to minimize the youtube thing, which isn't needed. Tubemate IS mentioned near the bottom and it's probably one of my top 5 favorite apps.
Delete. . . Amazing how Puffin browser does the Flash well that Foxflash can't (with medici.tv) but odd that it does not provide it for night time use on the 'free' version. I haven't found the right paid version yet.
Foxflash has UGLY ads on the bottom left... Not see with Silk or Dolphin.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete