Why Does the Peacock App Say Unavailable on Firestick? Am I Doomed?

It’s annoying when every other streaming app can work well with your Fire Stick, but, for some reason, you can’t download the Peacock app.

It’s bad enough that you can’t watch the show you wanted.

Yet, not knowing why you can’t download the app and how to solve the problem makes it much worse. 

The Peacock app will say unavailable on Firestick if it’s not compatible with your Fire Stick. This happens when you are using an older, first-generation version. For your Fire Stick to work with Peacock, it must be second generation and above. 

Read on to find out which Fire Sticks are incompatible with the Peacock TV app and learn how you can solve the problem.

I’ll start by showing how you can check for compatibility. 

Fire Stick Generation Determines Compatibility With Peacock

If your Fire Stick is first-generation, you can’t use it to access Peacock. 

First-generation devices were released in 2014 and are currently discontinued.

Amazon released second-generation devices in 2016 and third-generation Fire Sticks in 2020. 

How To Check What Generation Fire Stick You Have 

Knowing the generation of your Fire Stick can help you diagnose the incompatibility problem.

There are two ways to check the generation of your Fire Stick: 

• Checking the device box
• Checking Fire Stick settings through your TV 

Checking the Device Box

Though it’s not guaranteed, you can find the generation of your Fire Stick on the box you got when you purchased the product. 

Typically, a Fire Stick purchase comes with a package of products, including the Fire Stick, a remote control device, and a power adapter.

All the contents of the package are listed on the box.

The generation of the Fire Stick and the voice remote are normally listed beside the component’s name. 

Checking Fire Stick Settings Through Your TV

To get the generation and model number of your Fire Stick, follow these steps: 

1. Access ‘Settings’ from the Fire TV user interface. 
2. Select the ‘My Fire TV’ option.  
3. Click on the ‘About’ button. 
4. Select the ‘Fire TV Stick’ option. 

Details like your device’s serial number, name, type, and software version will be displayed on the screen. 

Under device type, you should find the label ‘Fire TV Stick’ along with its generation. 

How To Check Compatibility of Your Fire Stick With Peacock

It can be disappointing to learn you can’t watch your preferred Peacock shows because the app isn’t compatible with your current Fire Stick.

Before considering solutions like buying a new Fire Stick, it’s essential to be sure that compatibility is the problem. 

Signs Your Fire Stick Is Incompatible With the Peacock App

If your Fire Stick is incompatible with Peacock, you’re likely to experience the following scenarios: 

• If you try to find the Peacock app on your home screen, it won’t be listed like other supported apps. 
• If you try downloading the app from the sponsored section of your home screen, the Peacock app screen will appear, but the download button will show the app as unavailable. 
• If you perform a search for the Peacock app, you’ll be directed to the NBC app but offered no way to download the Peacock app. 
• If you try to access a Peacock show from the search, you’ll be prompted to download the Peacock app to watch the show. However, when you click on the download option, you’ll get an “Unavailable” response. 

Confirming Compatibility on the Peacock TV Product Page

In addition to the above signs of incompatibility, if your Fire Stick is incompatible with Peacock, you can tell on the Peacock TV product page on Amazon.com.

You’ll need to be signed in to your Amazon account. 

If you browse the Amazon app store when signed in to your Amazon account, Amazon makes it easy to determine compatibility.

If a device you are signed into with your Amazon account is compatible with an app, the device will be listed under the ‘Compatible Devices’ section of the app. 

So, if you go to the Peacock TV page on the Amazon app store, you’ll find your compatible devices listed.

They’ll be accompanied by a green tick to show compatibility.

Even better, if you have an incompatible device, it’ll have a red “X” next to it to show incompatibility. 

If the app store lists your Fire Stick as incompatible, you’ll have to consider buying a newer-generation Fire Stick. 

Side loading the Peacock app should be an option.

However, as I’ll discuss later in the article, it doesn’t work well in this case. 

Before exploring the next steps if your Fire Stick is incompatible with Peacock, I’ll first look at the real issue here: Fire Stick generations.

If you are facing the incompatibility problem, the generation of your Fire Stick is to blame. 

What To Do if Your Fire Stick Is Incompatible With Peacock 

If you’re sure your Fire Stick can’t work with Peacock, you have two options: 

• Sideload the Peacock App 
• Buy a Fire TV Stick that’s compatible with Peacock 

Below is a look at each possible solution. 

Sideload the Peacock App

Sideloading allows you to install apps you can’t find on the Amazon app store and use them on your TV.

You only need a special downloader app and a website from which to get your desired app. 

Usually, in such cases, sideloading is the perfect solution. 

However, in this case, when you sideload the Peacock app, you are likely to experience issues such as the absence of audio.

You’ll be seeing the show you are watching but won’t be able to hear what’s going on. 

Buy a Fire TV Stick That’s Compatible With Peacock 

In this case, the only viable solution is to replace your Fire Stick with a compatible one. 

If a Fire Stick belongs to any of the following categories, it is compatible with Peacock: 

• Second-generation Fire Sticks 
• Third-generation Fire Sticks  
• Fire TV Stick 4K 
• Fire TV Stick 4K Max 

This Fire TV Stick from Amazon.com would be an excellent option.

It’s a third-generation Fire Stick that is not only compatible with Peacock but also faster and 50% more powerful than second-generation Fire Sticks.

As a bonus, it comes with an Alexa remote for voice control and support for Dolby Atmos audio. 

Why Does the Peacock App Say Unavailable on Firestick? Conclusion 

If the Peacock app is unavailable on your Fire Stick and other streaming apps are working fine, you’re dealing with an incompatibility problem.

Peacock TV is not compatible with first-generation Fire Sticks. 

You’ll have to upgrade your Fire Stick as sideloading doesn’t work as well as it should.