The Amazon Kindle Fire ships with a custom version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread designed to run apps and access digital media from Amazon’s content store. But users have been hacking the Kindle Fire since the day it was released, convincing the $199 tablet to run a range of software including CyanogenMod 7, MIUI, and CyanogenMod 9 based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Now you can also run Google’s latest mobile operating system on Amazon’s tablet. Developer Hashcode has ported Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to run on the Kindle Fire.

Update: There are now several different custom ROMs based on Android 4.1 for the Kindle Fire, including Jandycane,  Iced Jellybean, Alien Droid, and an SGT7 mod.

You can also install Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on Amazon’s first tablet. 

Note: These instructions are for the 1st-generation Kindle Fire. If you have a Kindle Fire 2, Kindle Fire HD, or other tablet, they won’t work. But there is work underway to port CyanogenMod to some of those tablets. 

Amazon Kindle Fire with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

The first build doesn’t support hardware video acceleration, and it can be difficult to enable WiFi. But Hashcode expects to fix both of those problems very soon.

Update: As of 7/13/2012, WiFi, HD video, and virtually everything else that you probably care about are working. 

Everything else seems to work nicely.

When running Android 4.1 based on Android Open Source Project code, the Kindle Fire uses the same 7 inch tablet user interface you get with the Google Nexus 7.

This is a sort of hybrid between the Android 4.0 smartphone and tablet user interfaces, with the home screen locked in portrait mode and the notification bar at the top of the screen instead of the bottom.

Honestly, at this point there’s almost nothing you can do with a Kindle Fire that you can’t also do with a $199 Google Nexus 7 by simply installing the Amazon Appstore, Amazon MP3, and Kindle apps. And the Nexus 7 has a higher resolution display and comes with Android 4.1 preloaded. Google’s tablet also has a built=in microphone, which you’ll need for voice commands and speech-to-text.

On the other hand, used Kindle Fire tablets sell for around $170, and if you already have a Kindle Fire, it’s pretty awesome that you can update the software for free — even if Amazon doesn’t officially support this particular update.

In order to install Android 4.1 on the Kindle Fire, you’ll need to root the tablet and install a custom recovery. You can do both of those things by downloading and running the latest version of the Kindle Fire Utility from the xda-developers forum.

Note that while it’s pretty difficult to turn a Kindle Fire into a brick while applying this sort of software update, it is possible to get stuck in fastboot mode or encounter other problems that can be tricky to get out of. Your results may vary, and Liliputing takes no responsibility if anything goes wrong — so proceed with caution (and keep the troubleshooting guide in our article on Rooting the Kindle Fire handy).

You can find a more detailed walkthrough for installing a custom ROM in our post on installing Android 4.0 on the Kindle Fire, but here are the highlights:

Installing Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Once you’ve downloaded the file to a Windows PC, unzip it to a directory on your computer and double-click the install_drivers.bat file. After that’s complete, plug your Kindle Fire into your computer with a USB cable and wait for the computer to recognize the device.

Next click the run.bat file and follow the on-screen instructions to first install permanent root on your Kindle Fire, and then install TWRP or ClockworkMod Recovery (I’d recommend TWRP). You’ll also want to install the latest FireFireFire utility — as this is what lets you boot into recovery mode.

Once that’s done you can download Hashcode’s latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean .zip file to your device, as well as the latest gApps.zip file (which contains the Play Store, Gmail, and other Google apps) to your device.

You’ll probably want to use the latest Jelly Bean gApps file, dated 7/11/2012 or later. Earlier versions may not work properly. For instance, earlier versions of the Google Play Store close as soon as you try to open them, or have difficulty installing apps.

Next, power down your tablet, then hit the power button again to start it up. When you see the boot logo, press and hold the power button for 5-10 seconds. This should tell FireFireFire to boot into TWRP instead of loading Android.

From there, you can use the on-screen commands to backup your device (highly recommended), wipe your device (not a bad idea — assuming you’ve made a backup), and flash Jelly Bean and the latest gApps.

When you reboot your device you should be running Android 4.1.

If WiFi isn’t working, you may need to install a different version of SU an the SuperUser app. You can download the latest builds from from AndroidSU.com, copy them to your Kindle Fire, and use TWRP or ClockworkMod to flash them like you would a custom ROM or gApps package.

Then you’ll need to connect your Kindle Fire to a PC with a USB cable, open a command prompt, navigate to a directory where you have adb (the tools directory from Kindle Fire Utility should work), and type the following commands:

  • adb shell
  • su
  • fix-mac.sh
  • exit

If the adb shell command doesn’t work, try unplugging your Kindle and plugging it in again. You can also try double-clicking the install_drivers.bat file again, which helped me. Or you could just wait for Hashcode to incorporate the WiFi fix into a future build.

 

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89 replies on “How to install Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on the Kindle Fire”

  1. Hey, so when using the KFU 9.9 I try and install the drivers and it says Google winusb driver failed installation… Help?

  2. I have upgraded to JB 4.2.2 with the CM 10.1.2 and all is working great except for the occasional browser crash to desktop. I think its related to JAVA but not sure.

  3. My KF says “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped.” Then it goes back to the spinning triangles. What should I do?

  4. My KF would say, “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped.” What should I do?

  5. I was good with the flashing, but now my KF is just in the spinning triangles for JB and it is sideways. Any ideas what it could be?

  6. Doesn’t work. Can install Permanent Boot With Superuser and that’s all. 1.5 hours of trying and nothing else. I followed the instructions to the letter on this site, and on other ones, but it’s no use. Maybe US Kindle Fire 2nd Gen are different from European ones.

  7. Kindle seems to be working ok on all out of the box apps. I just don’t like the fact that they took out flash. That really sucks! Is there anyway to install flash to be in a flash heavy eviroment? I know at the storefront, they have an swf flash thing. Just a pain with certain sites. Been in contact with amazon cs. Now I can’t go to the andriod app store or download lets say like the android app for wtnh.com, which is my local new station? I am primaraly just ‘thethered” to the amazonstore?

    Thanks,
    shawn

    The kindle is for my mother. Me personally, maybe a surface or wait for asus to put out a good tabletpc.

  8. Once JB was installed successful, can I re-install Kindle Fire original OS back ?

  9. Hi Brad !
    Great stuff, got a Kindle Fire for a year now (Christmas 2011) I’m pretty happy with for Amazon stuff.

    However a bit irritated that I cannot use normal Android apps I use on my Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone, especially the Google apps.
    Like to use Chrome and synchronize bookmarks. Have looked at the Google Nexus 7 as an alternative, however as I have a working KF seem to be a waste of my money. So this looks like something I like to try.

    Understand the risk and also that my Amazon Prime Video will not work as I root etc. Think ok with that.
    Also use it to read book, however as mainly read foreign (Swedish) books, using Aldiko reader, so not too much I will miss on Amazon.

    Though what I was wondering, assume I manage to root and upgrade My Kindle to Jelly Bean.
    If I want to restore to original Kindle Fire Setup, is that possible ? and if so how do I go about to do that ?
    Input appreciated

    Thanks in advance
    Happy Holidays

  10. My laptop sees my KF until I run the install_drivers.bat in the Kindle Fire Utility. Since that happens I can’t run the run.bat, any suggestions?

  11. Thanks so much for these instructions. Install worked perfectly. Is there any way to get the micro USB port to work for allowing devices to be hooked up? I ave installed the app stickmount and have a USB otg cable. Also going via a powered USB hub. Thanks,

  12. TWERP doesnt recognize any of my ROM .zip files. When I press install, it doesnt show up under where i left the file. Any suggestions?

  13. my ROM .zip file doesnt show up in TWERP! I press install and try to find my .zip file where I placed it. Help?

  14. Thanks for the great instructions. Installed JB with no problems except for a few apps that continue to have issues.

  15. I have tried using this utility and nothing happens. At all, it does not root my Kindle, it does not install any drivers. The ADB shows as offline, and if I try to run the KFU as admin I get: windows cannot find ‘toolswget’. Surprisingly after that error the KFU opens and shows ADB as online. When I try and install permanent root I get a TON of “The system cannot find the path specified” errors. I have tried 5 different version of this tool and not one of them work. How are so many people rooting their kindles fires with this tool?

  16. I’ve tried this, got Jelly Bean installed, but I can’t get back to the stock image. I had to use the utility in the Kindle Fire Utility to reboot (couldn’t boot to the image through the power button).

    Now I’m in Jelly Bean on my Kindle Fire, but when I run the Kindle Fire Utility, it says ADB Status: Offline.

    I don’t know how to boot into TWRP or re-install it from Jelly Bean so that I can boot back to the stock image.

  17. Hi I wanted to know if I can access the original OS of the kindle after installing Jellybean..

  18. I followed the instructions and when I restarted the Kindle it was stuck on the Jelly Bean’s first boot screen of the spinning triangles for several hours. After a lot of trial and error I found a fix.

    What I initially did was to use TWRP to install the two zips specified above (Jelly Bean zip and the GApps zip) one after the other. A restart resulted with the above problem.

    So I used TWRP to erase the first the attempt, then just installed Jelly Bean on it’s own and restarted the Kindle and it started up and everything worked fine. Then I restarted back into TWRP and then installed the GApps zip, restarted and everything worked fine.

    So, to summarise: don’t install Jelly Bean and GApps at the same time. Install Jelly Bean, restart and then install GApps.

      1. You boot into TWRP, select WIPE then SYSTEM. Make sure you used TWRP to backup your original Kindle installation first.

  19. This worked great! Only issue I have now is that I can’t install any of my “Kindle fire Edition” apps on JellyBean. Is there anyway to make it think it’s the kindle or is it something built into the Kindle OS?

  20. I have rooted a kindle fire and installed jelly bean 4.1.1. Very happy with everything except I can’t use voice commands. I have a good mic/earphone with three black bands that works on my HTC EVO for voice commands. Do you know if anyone has come up with a fix for this?

  21. Awesome, JB works great! Love everything about and especially the overclock option. Is there anyway to install the stock Amazon Kindle Fire interface for reading and selecting books? I downloaded the app from google play and it’s ok, just prefered the original interface a little more. Not a huge issue though…

  22. Awesome, JB works great! Love everything about and especially the overclock option. Is there anyway to install the stock Amazon Kindle Fire interface for reading and selecting books? I downloaded the app from google play and it’s ok, just prefered the original interface a little more. Not a huge issue though…

  23. all download links are down. the ROM and the latest G Apps. This is bullshit, i was really looking forward to this.

  24. Can you still get free Amazon Prime book downloads or does loading JB eliminate that? I can only DL free AP books on my KF, it doesn’t work the same way on my iPad3 or iPhone …. it’s smart enuff to know I’m using a Kindle device vs. a Kindle app, thus for the same book I have to pay on my iDevices eventhough I’m a Prime member.
    Thanks 😉

  25. This seems interesting, and I’m tempted to try it. But, what about the stock Amazon apps? Especially the video one; will it still run in JB?

  26. First of all, thanks very much for your sharing. I have installed 4.1.1 already. Everything is just fine but there is one question: the below “Home” button doesn’t work at all. Does anyone know how to fix it? Thanks very much.

  27. I successfully rooted and installed JB using the instructions above however I cant install the Kindle App from google play, I get the error “failed to install apk on device unknown error code -24”. Any ideas?

  28. hey guys, the first time when i flash this rom, i have blank screen too.then i upgrade the twrp and wipe the cache, daivik cache, factory reset, battery stats(first 4), after that finally i successfully boot in Jelly bean! i hope it will be helpful!

    1. Try going into app settings and clearing data from the Google Play Store and Google Services Framework. Then reboot your device and try using the Play Store again.

          1. I am looking at the All section, there is no Google Services Framework running. I’ve followed all the steps described in the post, flashed the Gapps and Jelly Bean is running fine on my Kindle except for the Play store server error.

          2. Whoops, you’re right. That service runs on most Android devices, and I’ve used that step to solve the problem you mentioned on other phones and tablets. But this build of Jelly Bean for the Kindle Fire doesn’t seem to have it.

            I don’t know how to help — you might want to try posing the question in the xda-developers Kindle Fire forum.

  29. Thanks Brad, I guess my question is how do I get it anyway? Googleplay will not let me download it. Surly the Nexus 7 still has flash though it is not supported by Adobe. Thanks for any suggestions. 🙂

  30. Absolutely assume job. You guys amaze me diving in and getting this stuff to work. I feel like this has transformed this fire into a real tablet. Everything seems to be working great with JB on my Kindle even netflix, except when I try to stream amazon video in a browser it prompts me to down load flash and automatically launches a window which connects to Google play with adobe flash 11 qued. That is normal, unfortunately then Google play informs me that this version is not compatible with my device.

    Is that a hardware limitation with the fire, or can I get around this somehow. I REALLY do not want to backtrack back to Gingerbread but I may have to if flash doesn’t work with JB/fire.
    Thanks, Allan

      1. Well, the Flash Player isn’t officially supported and they’re going to take it off the Google Play Store after August 15th. Though you can still get it from the version archive or make a backup before they take it off.

        However, Adobe AIR will continue to be used and they can provide apps like the SnagFilms app for streaming, just not a general purpose browser plug-in.

        Google could also decide to support Flash through their Chrome browser but it won’t be something any other Android browser could take advantage of in that case.

        While those companies who licensed Adobe Flash technology can continue to update the plug-in if they wish to, like RIM… Or web designers can use tools like Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5 to stream content to any device, including iOS.

  31. You should be aware that your instructions do not tell the reader to first root their device, which means if they follow instructions exactly as written they will install TWRP Recovery first which actually bricks the device (no root, in fastboot mode, can no longer connect via USB and stuck at Kindle Fire screen). Thanks for this, now I’m screwed…

    1. I’m updating the post to mention rooting in case it helps anyone else, but fastboot mode actually doesn’t have anything to do with root.

      If you’re stuck in fastboot mode and Kindle Fire Utility doesn’t recognize your Kindle,so you can’t get it to change your boot mode, you may need to try a few different things.

      First, try the troubleshooting method in this post:

      https://liliputing.com/2012/05/how-to-root-a-kindle-fire-with-software-version-6-3-1.html

      If that doesn’t work, you may need to use the Windows device manager to uninstall the drivers for your Kindle Fire first, reboot your computer and try again.

      It’s tough to actually brick a Kindle Fire, but getting out of fastboot mode can be a bit tricky — and there’s not always a simple solution, since it depends on the drivers that have been installed on your computer (including drivers that were installed before running Kindle Fire Utility, I believe).

      1. I appreciate the help. Unfortunately, there is no kindle device under device manager. Not surprising as the problem is that the kindle is not showing up as a disk so why would it show up under device manager? Now (without my having changed anything) this morning e kindle is now rebooting in a non stop loop while plugged in. Any ideas on where to go to help get this resolved? I’m an iOS developer, so fairly saavy but this works of android is mystifying to me…

        1. This may help:

          https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1428428

          If not, there are some good tips in this thread:

          https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1532562

          You may need to install a new adb driver. It may help to search your computer for the adb.usb.ini file and follow the steps from this article to add support for your Kindle Fire:

          https://liliputing.com/2011/11/how-to-root-an-amazon-kindle-fire.html

          Let us know if any of those things work!

          1. Ok, I should know better than to just blindly follow instructions without understanding what they do. I’ve taken some time to learn about this wacky world of Android rooting, and have now successfully installed JellyBean. Here’s how I did it, and warnings about what not to do.

            If you’re like me your KF is NOT Dead – it’s just out of juice. My problem that looked like constant rebooting is because my battery was dead. I had left it being charged overnight, but it didn’t charge – there must be something in the s/w that controls charging, because once in fastboot your KF will not charge – I bet a lot of people who spend a lengthy amount of time trying to get this working are in the same boat – things aren’t working, but really it’s just because the KF is out of power. It seems like when in fastboot the only thing to do is plug it into a wall socket using the factory charger – relying on USB charge connected to your computer won’t cut it.

            Getting Back from the Dead – if you are currently stuck then the best thing to do is to use the google tools directly. Lots of instructions on how to install these tools, but in essence go to a command line or terminal and type: /fastboot -i 0x1949 oem idme bootmode 4000. This is what got my device back from the dead. Presumably the Kindle Fire Utility will do this for you as well, but you can’t get your machine to see your KF then this won’t help you. My problem was unique because I was using a Windows Virtual Machine to run the Kindle Fire Utility. The VM *really* couldn’t see my KF so I couldn’t use the Windows based Kindle Fire Utilities, but my Mac just *looked* like it couldn’t see the KF, but running the terminal command above still told the KF to boot normally.

            To dig into this issue a bit more in case other Mac users are in the same boat. I figured I’d install a Win VM in VirtualBox to be able to run these fancy Kindle Fire Utility tools. One tip, Win8 Preview doesn’t work – something about paths has changed and so the scripts has changed from earlier Windows versions, so don’t waste your time. However, I found a better way for Mac users, so read on. But, I can confirm that the issue, at least when using VirtualBox is that once you enter fastboot mode, the way that the VM communicates USB devices changes, and so you can never get Windows to recognize the device once in fastboot. I couldn’t find a way around this, so started researching how to do this from a Mac. It turns out there is a very good Kindle Fire Utility replacement for Mac users called BreakDroid (https://northmendo.com/breakdroid/)

            I used the JellyBean ROM and GApps from the Liliputing article, but rooted and installed TWRP using BreakDroid, and am now enjoying JB on my KF. Thanks for the help guys, if I can do anything to help other folks just let me know…

        2. Now after rebooting itself for 10 minutes it now just flashes the green power light but will not even go to the kindle fire screen. I left it plugged in and off all night so I’d think it would be fully charged. Seems to be getting worse, not better, but makes no sense because I haven’t changed anything because I haven’t been able to get it to connect!

      2. i tried bricking mine not to long ago..couldnt.. i have been stuck in boot loop and other things..my best suggestion for people IS to try another computer to fix it..i have even managed to pull my brothers out of what we thought was total lock.. guys that have theres locked up.. just keep at it, google yer butt off and you should find a fix for it 😛 but the link you posted here in this post was and has been my best friend!

    2. BobaHoTep, yep I’m in the same situation now. So I ordered a Kindle Factory cable so that hopefully I can get my Kindle Fire working again. I have to admit these instructions and the instructions that come with the software are rather poor.

      Brad, unfortunately your instructions are a little late in coming for me. So I hope I can recover my device.

      1. Sorry about that. I’ve updated the post with a “this could go wrong” warning… I write so many of these posts that I sometimes forget that it’s not always clear that things could go wrong.

        You shouldn’t need the factory cable. There are ways to connect via fastboot without one — but it might require trying a half dozen different things. I’ve gotten stuck in fastboot a number of times, and I’ve had to try a number of different things to get out of it in different situations, including modifying the Kindle Fire drivers on my PC, switching PCs, etc..

        The fastboot oem idme bootmode 4000 command is key, but first you need to get your Kindle to recognize the command.

        1. Brad,

          I was actually able to fix my KF, it was stuck in fastboot mode and while one computer was not able to set it back, another one was. So at least I got my KF back and working.

          After that I tried to risk fate again, and actually got JB working on the KF. Unfortunately, none of the Amazon apps would work (they all crashed saying the Amazon App Store was not installed). I tried to install AAS, but it always failed. So I could not read a book or magazine which kinda is the purpose for this device. So as of now I have reverted back to the stock Kindle software. However, JB did look nice and responded well, and it was nice having the Google Apps on the device.

          1. Did you enable support for apps from unknown sources? I can’t think of any reason the Amazon Appstore wouldn’t work. Anyway, I’m glad you got out of fastboot!

  32. hi, i can rooted my kindle fire and installed the 4.1 jellybean. however, when i connected this rooted kindle to PC again, my PC can’t detect it as a USB storage. It shows “it is an unrecognized device” under device manager. What should I do to make it recognize? Anyone can help on this case? Thanks!

    1. Rachael,

      If you are plugging your device into a USB hub, you might try plugging it directly into the machine. I had better luck on one of my machines that way.

      Kevin

    2. did you just connect it? or did you go into twrp and mount it from there? if you need to add files, etc.. go into twrp, select “mount”, select “mount storage. and walah just connect the kindle to the pc and it should read it as an usb.. make sure to eject it from the pc first then “unmount” from the twrp when youre done

  33. I’ve got the same thing. Boots to black screen. Ive tried installing the Rom 6 times with no luck. Any ideas?

  34. DId everything as it says in the directions, upon reboot screen goes black and I have to hold the power button for ~minute to return to TWRP screen, any help?

  35. After getting 4.1 and the gapps package on my kindle fire, I cannot connect it to my computer to put the new super user package on it to get wifi working. I am stuck! Please Help!

    1. I had same problems load into recovery mode by holding down power and select recovery then mount the not using the option and copy the .zi p files to root folder then click install and choose the 2 zip packages after reboot you should be able to remote to shell and run commands

    1. Google Now seems to work for me using jandycane ROM, although it’s not much use since there’s no GPS or mic on the Kindle Fire

  36. I used KFU to install FFF and TWRP.
    I used TWRP to backup, wipe (caches+system), and install.
    After all of this, i just boot to a black screen, and am forced to hold down power-button for 10+ seconds to get back to the boot-menu.
    This Fire was never rooted or hacked at before, so it is pretty stock. Did I miss a step above?

      1. Takes a couple of mins to boot into JB after you first install it. So just give it some time.

    1. I also had this problem but I forgot to erase the cash files. After I did that I installed Jelly Bean and restarted everything went fine. Then I installed GApps without any problems.

  37. help.. I rooted the kindle fire with kindle utility and installed TWRP, then I copied the ROM and gapps to the kindle. After that I reboot into TWRP, then I flashed the ROM and gapps, but my kindle fire wont boot up after that..
    It says successfully flashed and I pressed the reboot button on the touchscreen.. Then it wont boot up at all..

    1. I forgot to mention that I did made a backup before flashing the ROM. Is there anything I can do to at least boot up the kindle fire?

    2. nvm sorry about this, the device actually booted up, it was just in blank screen the whole time, so i thought it was not booting up. I had to long press the power button about 1 minute to force reboot and boot back to TWRP to restore the backup. I am glad I could restore the original kindle…

    3. Ugh,,, I followed the instructions exactly, but I also just boot to a blank screen, Tried going back to TWRP and clearing both caches again to no avail. Still only boots to blank screen. Any suggestions?

  38. Figures. I just loaded gedeRom on my Kindle Fire for ICS. It works great — and a WHOLE lot better than Gingerbread. The only thing I’m disappointed with is not having done it sooner!

    I’m surprised Amazon hasn’t come out with an ICS Kindle Fire version of their OS. Having some of the tablet-ready features (like changing apps) makes a HUGE difference in usability, IMHO.

  39. so far this version is working great on my kindle. thanks to you guys for the great job

  40. I got my kindle to go into the reboot mode but I dont know how to download the hascode 4.1 to the kindle its downloaded to my computer now.

    1. The simplest way is just to download hashcode’s zip file on your Kindle Fire and then use TWRP to navigate to the /download directory.

      But if you’re already in TWRP (the recovery mode), you can plug your Kindle into your computer with a USB cable, hit the mount button on the home screen, and choose the option to enable USB mass storage mode.

      Then your computer will recognize the Kindle as a USB flash drive, and you can drag and drop the ZIP file to your Kindle.

      When that’s done, hit the unmount button on the Kindle, tap the home button, and then use the Install button to look for the file you want to install. Select it and then tap the “Flash” button.

      1. I got it to load but I can’t get the internet to work and I am not sure how you do the android su

      2. The only way that I can connect the PC to the Kindle is by mounting it in TWRP. I managed to get superuser on there like that, but I cant do anything further to get the wifi working. Any tips? Thanks for the great post!

  41. You’re using the wrong gapps. The right one is from 7/11, vbdss posted it in the thread. Play store works fine with it.

  42. Play store is working, just have to use a different Gapps, its in the thread somewhere.

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