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App Updates ​

Tapboard tracks the version of the Fire TV app installed on each of your displays and tells you when one or more devices are running an older build than the latest published release. Keeping every display on the most recent version means new features and bug fixes reach the screen as soon as Amazon delivers them.

Where Update Notifications Appear ​

Notifications Bell ​

The admin header includes a bell icon in the top-right corner. When at least one of your displays is running an older Fire TV app version, a red dot appears on the bell. Hover the bell to open the notifications dropdown, which lists the active alert:

N displays running an older app version Tap to review and update them.

Clicking the notification jumps straight to the Devices page. The bell refreshes once a minute and the red dot disappears when every device has caught up.

The Fire TV app footer shows a small "Update Available" indicator on any display that is currently running an older version than the latest published build. This is visible on the screen itself, so anyone walking past the display can tell at a glance that an update is in flight.

Per-Device Status ​

Each device row on the Devices page reports its current App Version alongside the latest available version. Devices that are behind show a small green up-arrow icon next to their version — hover the icon to see both the installed and latest version numbers.

How Updates Are Delivered ​

Tapboard does not push updates directly to your Fire TV devices. Updates are distributed through the Amazon Appstore, which has auto-update enabled by default on Fire TV.

The typical timeline:

  1. A new Fire TV app build is published to the Amazon Appstore.
  2. Tapboard records the new version as the latest available build.
  3. Your dashboard and devices begin showing the update indicator within a minute or two.
  4. Each Fire TV device picks up the update from the Amazon Appstore the next time it checks for app updates (usually within 24 hours).
  5. Once the device installs and reports the new version, the indicator clears for that device.

In most cases you do not need to do anything. The update will install automatically.

Updating the Tapboard App ​

There are two ways to get a display onto the latest Tapboard build: let the Amazon Appstore update it automatically (the default), or trigger the update by hand when you don't want to wait.

Step 1 — Check which displays need updating ​

  1. Open the Devices page in the Tapboard dashboard.
  2. Look at each device's App Version. A device running an older build shows a small green up-arrow next to its version — hover it to see the installed and latest version numbers.
  3. The header bell also reads "N displays running an older app version" whenever any display is behind.

Step 2 — Update the device ​

Fire TV installs Appstore updates on its own, usually within 24 hours of a release. To confirm automatic updates are turned on for a device:

  1. On the Fire TV, open Settings from the home screen.
  2. Go to Applications > Appstore.
  3. Set Automatic Updates to On.

The device will update Tapboard the next time it checks in — there's nothing else to do.

Option B — Update now (manual) ​

To install the update immediately instead of waiting:

  1. On the Fire TV, open Settings from the home screen.
  2. Go to Applications > Appstore.
  3. Open App Updates and choose Update All, or scroll to Tapboard and update it individually.
  4. Wait for the download and install to finish. The Tapboard app reloads automatically on the new version.

Repeat for each display that needs the update.

Step 3 — Verify the update ​

  1. Back in the dashboard, open the Devices page.
  2. Within a few seconds of the update finishing, the device's App Version changes to the latest build and the green "behind" indicator disappears.
  3. The "Update Available" indicator in the Fire TV footer clears on the updated display.

What If a Device Is Stuck on an Old Version? ​

If a device continues to show "Update Available" for more than 24 hours after the release, run through these checks:

  1. Confirm the device has internet access. Updates require connectivity to the Amazon Appstore. Check the Devices page status indicator and confirm the device is Online.
  2. Check Amazon Appstore auto-update. On the Fire TV: Settings > Applications > Appstore > Automatic Updates must be On.
  3. Manually trigger the update using the steps above.
  4. Restart the device by unplugging it for ten seconds and plugging it back in. Fire TV checks for updates on boot.
  5. Reinstall the Tapboard app from the Amazon Appstore as a last resort. Your device pairing is preserved across reinstalls.

If the device still does not update, contact support@tapboard.app with the device ID (visible on the Devices page) and the version it is currently reporting.

Why This Matters ​

  • New features ship to the latest version first. Layouts, ad scheduling improvements, and rendering fixes all roll out via Fire TV app updates.
  • Stability fixes need to land on the device. Crash fixes and performance improvements only help once the device is on the new build.
  • Mixed versions across a location can cause inconsistent display. If half your TVs are on a new layout and the other half are on the old one, your displays will not match until everything updates.
  • Devices — pair, manage, and monitor your Fire TV devices.
  • Dashboard — overview of where the update badge appears.
  • Troubleshooting — additional fixes for device sync and update issues.

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