Install apps on TV
Best Apps to Sideload on Android TV, Google TV and Fire TV (Legal Picks, 2026)
The best apps to sideload on Android TV and Google TV are legal third-party tools that are missing from your TV's store or work better than the preinstalled ones: VLC and Kodi for local media, Jellyfin and Plex for a home media server, Moonlight for PC game streaming, Projectivy Launcher for a cleaner home screen, plus a browser and a file manager. Install them on your phone, then send them to the TV with SATV over Wi-Fi.
On this page
Sideloading has a reputation problem because it is often used to install apps that stream pirated content. That is not what this list is about. Every app below is free or has a free tier, is distributed by its developers in public, and is legal to use. The reasons to sideload them are practical: your TV's store may not offer them (Kodi is not in the Amazon Appstore, for example), the TV-flagged version may be missing, or you want the exact version you already run on your phone.
What we leave out on purpose. We do not list apps built to stream paid channels, films or sports for free, "modded" APKs of paid apps, or add-on packs for those purposes. Apart from the legal problem, they are a common source of malware on streaming sticks.
Media players
VLC
The open-source player that plays almost anything: MKV, MP4, AVI, FLAC, subtitles in most formats, network shares and DLNA servers. It has a proper TV interface. It is in the Google Play Store for many Android TV devices, but some TVs do not see it; sending it from your phone fixes that. It is the app we used in our Mi TV test.
Kodi
A free, open-source media center from the non-profit XBMC Foundation. It organises your own films, shows and music with artwork and metadata, plays from local storage or network shares, and supports official add-ons from its own repository. Kodi is on Google Play, but not in the Amazon Appstore, which makes it one of the most common reasons to sideload on a Fire Stick. Stick to the official repository.
SmartTube
A popular open-source YouTube client built for Android TV, with a remote-friendly interface and playback options the official app lacks. It is unofficial (not made by Google) and is not in Google Play, so it is one of the most common answers to "how to sideload SmartTube on Google TV". Download it only from the project's official GitHub page; repackaged copies on other sites are a known malware risk.
Home media servers
Jellyfin
A free, open-source media server. You run the server on a computer or NAS at home, and the Jellyfin app on the TV streams your own library to it. No subscription, no account with a company.
Plex
The best-known home media server. The client is free for streaming your own media at home; some features need a paid plan. Plex also offers free, ad-supported channels through its own service.
Game streaming
Moonlight
An open-source client that streams games from your own PC (NVIDIA GameStream-compatible hosts or the open-source Sunshine host) to the TV. Pair a Bluetooth controller and the TV becomes a second screen for your PC games.
Steam Link
Valve's app for streaming your Steam library from a PC on the same network. Availability for TV varies by device, so sideloading the phone version can help, though it works best with a controller.
Home screen and navigation
Projectivy Launcher
A clean alternative home screen for Android TV and Google TV that lists every installed app, including phone apps that do not show on the stock home. Free with optional extras.
Button Mapper
Remaps buttons on your TV remote, for example to open your favourite app or turn a useless shortcut button into something you use. Some features need accessibility permission on the TV.
Browsers and files
A TV-friendly browser
Android TV has no built-in browser on most devices. Browsers designed for remote navigation, such as TV Bro, are easier to use than phone browsers. Phone browsers like Firefox also install, but are easier with a Bluetooth mouse.
A file manager
Useful for opening files you send from your phone, cleaning up downloads and checking storage. X-plore File Manager is a popular choice with a remote-friendly two-pane layout.
How to sideload apps on Android TV and Google TV
If the app is in your TV's store, install it there. Otherwise, the fastest route is from your phone. Other methods (USB, Downloader, ADB) are compared in how to install APK on Android TV.
- Pick apps from the list above. Check whether the app is already in your TV's own store. If it is, install it there; you get automatic updates.
- Install the app on your phone. Get it from Google Play on your Android phone, or download the APK from the developer's official website.
- Open SATV on phone and TV. Both devices on the same Wi-Fi, SATV installed on each (on Fire TV, sideload SATV's TV half from the phone once).
- Send the app. In SATV on the phone, choose the installed app or its APK file and pick your TV.
- Accept and install. Accept on the TV, allow SATV as an unknown source if Android asks, and press Install.
Best apps to sideload on a Firestick
Most apps on this list also run on Fire TV devices with Fire OS. Kodi and SmartTube are the most common reasons to sideload a Firestick, because neither is in the Amazon Appstore. Set up the Fire TV once as described in how to sideload a Fire TV Stick; newer Vega OS sticks cannot install any of them. If an app downloads as an XAPK or APKS bundle, see the XAPK installer guide.
Can you sideload apps on Google TV?
Yes. Google TV installs APKs like any Android TV device once you allow the installing app as an unknown source, including on the Google TV Streamer. Menu paths for each device are in install APK on Google TV.
How to check an app is legitimate
- Get it from the developer. Google Play, or the official website linked from the project's own page. Avoid sites that bundle many "premium" apps.
- Be wary of promises. An app that offers every paid channel for free is not legal and is not safe.
- Look at permissions. A media player has no reason to read your contacts or SMS.
- Keep it updated. Sideloaded apps do not update themselves through the TV store. When the phone version updates, send it to the TV again.
Will phone apps work with a remote?
The apps above all work with a D-pad remote, most with a dedicated TV interface. Other phone apps may need a touchscreen. If an app is hard to control, pair a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard with the TV, or look for a TV edition of it.
Questions people ask
Is it legal to sideload apps on Android TV?
Yes. Installing APK files is a standard Android feature. Legality depends on the app and the content it gives you: open-source players and media servers for your own media are fine.
Is Kodi legal?
Yes. Kodi is free, open-source software from the XBMC Foundation. Third-party add-ons that stream pirated content are the problem, not Kodi itself.
Why sideload VLC if it is on Google Play?
Some TVs do not see VLC in their store, and Fire TV users may want the same version they run on their phone. Sending it from the phone solves both.
Do sideloaded apps update automatically?
Only if the TV's own store also offers them. Otherwise, update the app on your phone and send it to the TV again.
What is the easiest way to install these apps on Fire TV?
Set up SATV on the Fire TV once by sideloading its TV half from your phone, then send any of these apps from the phone. See our Fire Stick guide.