Kindle Fire HD 6 Troubleshooting

For general repair instructions, see the Kindle Fire HD 6 Device Page.

There are a few reasons why your Kindle Fire HD 6 might fail to turn on. It's likely that the issue is either your charging port, your battery, or your motherboard.

Before purchasing any replacement components or jumping to any conclusions, ensure that

• you've tried leaving the device plugged in to charge for a few hours; and

• it's the whole device—and not just the screen—that's failing to turn on.

If your device is plugged in but the battery doesn't charge, your charging port may be broken, or its connection with the battery may be faulty.

To start, remove the battery and inspect its connection to the charging port. If you see any broken leads, solder them to restore the connection. Consult iFixit's soldering guide if you need any assistance.

Next, check whether any pins of the charging port are bent or damaged. If they are, you can try carefully bending them back into place with a pair of tweezers or needle-nosed pliers. If any of the pins are snapped, missing, or irreparably bent, you will need to purchase and install a new charging port.

If, after trying the above, your charging port appears intact and functional, the problem may lie in the battery itself. Batteries can become damaged by extreme temperatures, or if stored for an extended period of time at full charge or completely drained.

Start by removing the battery from your device. If you see any leaking battery acid, safely dispose of your battery immediately and order a new one. If you don't see any leakage, try connecting your battery to a multimeter; if there is no reading on the meter, your battery may be drained. Consider ordering a new one.

If your charging port and battery are both working, but your device won't turn on, the problem likely lies in your motherboard. If your device has been subjected to water damage or a powerful electric shock, your motherboard may be damaged.

Follow our guide to remove the motherboard and replace it with a new one. It's advisable to wait until your new motherboard arrives before removing the old one, so that it's easier to keep track of the screws and your device remains disassembled for the shortest time.

You may notice that your speaker or headphones aren't emitting sound. Start by powering your device off and then on again. Once your device reboots, make sure to double check that the volume is on and loud enough that you can tell the speaker is indeed not producing sound. Note that your speaker will not emit sound if you have headphones plugged in, so make sure to remove your headphones before testing the speaker. If the problem persists, follow these steps to diagnose and solve the problem.

If you cannot hear any sound from the headphones, your headphones may be broken. Check whether there is sound with no headphones plugged in. If there is still no sound with the headphones unplugged, skip to the next section of this page ("The speaker is broken").

If the speakers are working with no headphones plugged in, the problem is probably that your headphones are faulty. Try using a different pair of headphones. If the problem persists with new headphones, or if you can hear sound or static when you jiggle around the headphone jack, then the headphone jack is most likely the problem and will need to be replaced.

If there is no sound coming out of your speaker and you don't have any headphones plugged in, then your speaker is probably broken and will need to be replaced. See our speaker replacement guide for instructions on how to remove your old speaker and install a new one.

You may notice that your photos are blurry or tinted, or have consistent artifacts. If you experience these or similar problems, you may need to replace your camera.

If you notice that your photos are consistently blurry, you'll first want to make sure that this blurriness is not just a result of an unsteady grip. You can verify that you have a hardware problem by propping up your device, focusing the camera on a subject, and taking a photo with the self-timer enabled. If this photo is still blurry, then it's likely that there is a hardware problem.

Inspect the outside of the glass covering the camera. Look for any grease, oil, or other substances that may diffuse the incoming light. Clean this glass by rubbing it gently with a dry microfiber cloth.

If completing this procedure doesn't improve the photo quality, try cleaning the inside of the same surface. Follow our guide to remove the motherboard, which covers the camera glass, and perform the same procedure as above.

If none of these steps work, then your camera lens may be improperly constructed. Imperfections in the manufacturing process can cause the lens to focus light in front of or behind the sensor, which makes the images appear less sharp. Remove the camera, and order and install a new one.

If you notice that your photos are consistently warmer (redder) or cooler (bluer) than they should be, either the camera lens or the camera glass could be faulty. Try taking photos without the glass by removing the motherboard and then removing the glass. If your photos are clear, then you should order a new piece of glass to replace the tinted one. If the glass is fine, then the problem is likely your camera lens; you should remove the camera and order and install a new one.

If you notice miniature rainbows where two colors meet, then your camera may be subject to what's called chromatic aberration. This phenomenon occurs when the camera lens doesn't properly focus all the different colors of light. Follow our guide to remove the camera, and order and install a new one.

If there are splotches or scratches that appear in consistent locations in many photos, there's probably something on the glass covering the camera or on the lens itself. Start by simply cleaning the glass with a dry microfiber cloth. If this procedure doesn't help, try taking photos without the glass by removing the motherboard and then removing the glass. If the photos no longer exhibit these artifacts, then you should order a new piece of glass to replace the scratched one. If your photos still don't look right, then the problem is likely your camera lens; you should remove the camera and order and install a new one.

If the screen appears cracked or damaged, try wiping the screen with a dry microfiber cloth. If the crack or damage is still present, it is likely a physical problem, and could have a number of causes.

If you drop your device and it hits the ground at a certain angle, the screen can crack or shatter. If you have recently dropped your device and the screen is cracked or shattered, follow our guide to remove the screen, and then separate the screen from the front glass panel. At this point, you will be able to see if the screen or front glass panel is damaged. If either of these is cracked, remove and replace the appropriate component.

If you carry your device in a purse or backpack, the screen may become damaged if it scratches against other items. If your screen is damaged, follow our guide to remove the screen, and then separate the screen from the front glass panel. If either of these components is cracked or damaged, remove and replace the appropriate component.

You may wish to consider purchasing a screen protector or case for your device to prevent this kind of damage in the future.

If the edges of the screen have a blue or purple haze, examine the intensity of the haze. A faint blue or purple color is caused by the use of blue LED lights in the device and is considered normal by Amazon. If the haze is very noticeable, there may be a problem with your screen.

Some units of the Kindle Fire HD 6 were manufactured with a defect that causes the haze. If the haze is very noticeable, contact Amazon. Amazon will replace the device if the haze is determined to be a defect. Consult their Exchanges & Replacements Policy for more details.

If you store your device in humid environments, or in temperatures below 32°F (0°C), then condensation may build up on the inside of the screen, especially if you've recently opened up your device to repair something. This condensation may manifest itself as a haze. If you believe that your screen's haze may be caused by condensation, follow our guide to remove the screen, and then order and install a new one.

Occasionally, you may experience problems downloading content from the Internet, or syncing the contents of your Kindle or app libraries.

If your content synced to the Internet is not updating, or if files are not downloading, you may not be connected to a wireless network. Check your wireless network in your settings.

If you are connected to a network, attempt to sync your device by swiping down from the top of the screen and tapping Settings. Then, tap Sync and Check for New Items to update your synced content. If your downloads still fail, your payment method may be invalid. You can resolve this issue by navigating from Settings to Kindle Payment Settings to Edit Payment Method and updating your payment settings. You may then have to "repurchase" the content, but don't worry—you won't be charged again.

If the problem persists, the content that you're trying to download may not be supported by your device. Some third-party apps may not be supported by the Kindle Fire. You can check the app's detail page on the Amazon website to see what devices are supported.

If none of these solutions works, force-restart your device by holding the power button for 40 seconds and releasing once the device restarts. If the device does not immediately turn on, press the power button again to turn it on.

If your screen is frozen or slow, attempt to restart the device by holding the power button for 40 seconds until the device restarts. If the device does not turn on immediately, press the power button again to turn it on.

If your screen still does not work after restarting, the battery may be low. Charge your device for 30 minutes and then attempt restarting your device again. If the screen is still non-responsive or sluggish, make sure you have the latest software update for your device. Check your software version by visiting Amazon's Fire & Kindle Software Updates page and selecting your device. The screen may also be slow if you are currently downloading content, or immediately after a download has finished. If you are in the middle of such an operation, wait until the download is complete before trying the next step.

If your screen is still unresponsive after a software update, any of the following issues might be at play:

• Extreme temperature may cause the screen to lose its touch-sensitivity. If you operate your device in extreme heat or cold, the screen may become slow, and other problems may arise as well. The recommended operating temperature range is 32°F to 95°F (0°C to 35°C). If you're in an environment that falls outside this temperature range, power off your device immediately to prevent damage.
• Protective cases or screens may inhibit the touch screen. Try to use your device without added accessories to see if the problem subsides.
• Dirt or grime on the screen may inhibit the touch screen. If your screen is dirty, to clean it with a soft, damp, lint-free cloth. Do not use the device while wearing gloves, with wet hands, or right after putting on lotion.
• Applications running in the background may slow down your device in general, including the screen. Quit any apps that you're not using.

If none of the above fixes work, you can reset your device by selecting Settings, then Reset Device.

Note: Resetting your device will remove your personal information, account information, and any downloaded content. However, any content that you've downloaded is saved in the cloud, and can be re-downloaded when you register your device to your account again.