How to bypass the Parental Controls PIN Lock Code and Factory Reset a Fire TV or Firestick without the PIN

Enabling Parental Controls on a Fire TV, Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Stick, or Fire TV Smart TV requires you to enter a PIN code to unlock the device before many actions can be performed. One of the locked-out actions is the ability to factory reset the device. However, if you’ve forgotten your PIN code or you’ve purchased a used Fire TV that has parental controls enabled, there is a way to bypass the need to enter a PIN in order to factory reset the device to its default settings. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Open the “My Fire TV” menu under the Fire TV’s Settings. This menu is called “Device & Software” on Fire TV Smart TVs.
  2. Select the “Reset to Factory Defaults” option.
  3. When the Parental Control PIN entry screen appears, press the BACK button on your remote to dismiss the PIN and return to the previous screen.
  4. Repeat selecting the “Reset to Factory Defaults” option and then dismissing the PIN entry screen 4 more times.
  5. After dismissing the PIN entry screen 5 times, you should be asked to confirm that you want to factory reset the device. Select the “Reset” button to wipe everything off of the Fire TV and return it to its default settings.

That’s all it takes. If you attempt to factory reset a Fire TV that is PIN locked 5 times, after the 5th attempt, the Fire TV will go ahead and factory reset without needing to enter a PIN.