How to sideload an app to your streaming device

The Amazon Fire TV is one of the best streaming devices, and it’s an affordable way to get into the smart TV scene. The best part is you can pick up a Fire TV Stick to turn your old TV or monitor into a Fire TV and binge The Boys and Invincible in minutes. Amazon Fire TV offers a vast selection of apps on its platform, but there are apps you won’t find on the Amazon Appstore. However, because Fire TV is based on Android, you can sideload apps on your Amazon Fire TV.

Install missing applications on Amazon Fire TV

With each update, Amazon makes it harder to sideload apps on its Fire TV devices. While the process is technically complex, it isn’t impossible. There are two methods to accomplish this, one with a laptop or PC and the other without.

Previously, you could use the Apps2Fire app on your Android device to sideload apps on Fire TV. However, the app hasn’t been updated and doesn’t support the latest Android versions.

How to sideload apps on an Amazon Fire TV using ADB

Since the Fire TV operating system is based on Android, you can use the Android Debug Bridge or ADB to sideload apps. Not all apps will perform ideally on the Fire TV, so check an app’s compatibility before installing it on your Fire TV device.

Set up Amazon Fire TV for sideloading apps

Before you can sideload apps on Amazon Fire TV, you must activate ADB debugging on your Fire TV.

1. Turn on your Amazon Fire TV.
2. Click the Settings icon and select My Fire TV.

   

3. Go to the About section, select your device name, and click seven times to display the developer options.

   

4. While you are in the About menu, choose the Network option and note the IP address. You’ll use it later to run ADB commands wirelessly on your Fire TV.

   

5. Press the back button to go back, and click Developer Options.

   

6. Select the ADB Debugging option and click once to turn it on.

   

Use ADB to sideload apps on an Amazon Fire TV device

After activating ADB debugging on your Android Fire TV, download the latest version of Android SDK Platform-Tools to your computer. You don’t need to install ADB on your computer to sideload apps because you can use the Platform-Tools folder of the SDK to execute the commands.

Before you start, download the app’s APK to your computer. We recommend using any trusted Google Play Store alternative, such as APKMirror, to download the APK.

We use a Mac to demonstrate the steps, but you can use any Windows or Linux computer. The only difference is that you’ll add ./ before running any ADB commands on macOS.

1. Launch Terminal on Mac (Command Prompt in Windows), type cd followed by a space, and add the path to your Android SDK Platform-Tools folder. Drag and drop the folder to the terminal to add its path.

   

2. Type the ./adb connect command, press the spacebar, and enter the IP address you copied. Add :5555 at the end of the IP address and press Enter.

   

3. Type ./adb install command, and enter the file path for the APK you want to install by dragging the APK file in the terminal. Press Enter to run the command.

   

4. Your terminal shows a Performing Streamed Install message. It means that the app is being installed on your Android Fire TV.

   

5. After the installation finishes, you’ll see a Success message in the terminal.

   

That’s it. You have successfully installed the Brave browser on your Amazon Fire TV.

How to sideload applications on an Amazon Fire TV using Downloader

The Downloader app allows you to download files from the internet onto your Fire TV. You can also use it to download and install APK files on your Amazon Fire TV.

1. Launch the Appstore on your Amazon Fire TV and search for Downloader.

   

2. Install the app on your Fire TV and grant it the necessary permissions.

   

3. Go to Settings > Developer Options > Install Unknown Apps, and choose Downloader. Click once with your Fire TV remote to turn it on.

   

4. Go back to your app library and launch the Downloader app. Use the search window to search for the app you want to install or type the link to its APK file.

   

5. Download the APK on your Fire TV.

   

6. When the app finishes downloading, the installation page opens. Click Install to install the app.

   

7. Follow the on-screen process to install the apps. The image below shows that we sideloaded Kodi on our Fire TV.

   

Bypass Amazon restrictions and install any app on your Fire TV

Welcome to the world of unrestricted app downloads. Now, go and enjoy your Fire TV. But, before you get out of here, check out our guide on the best tips and tricks for Amazon Fire TV to get the most out of your streaming device.