how to download android apps onto amazon fire stick The Best Apps to Sideload on Your Amazon Fire TV Stick [December 2020] William Sattelberg William has been with TechJunkie since 2017, writing about smartphones, games, streaming media, and anything else that technology touches in our current age. He also works as a video producer, writing and recording scripts for our video team and editing videos for TechJunkie's YouTube channel. William graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 2016 with a degree in Video Production, and lives in Buffalo, NY. Read more June 6, 2021. There are so many great reasons to choose Amazon’s Fire TV platform over its competition. Fire TV now has four different tiers to choose from, from the 1080p Amazon Fire Stick at just $39, all the way up to the Fire TV Recast, a powerful streaming device that includes TV tuners and a full DVR for $229. No matter what you want out of your Fire TV, it’s easy to see how you can get that from the litany of devices the company has made available. Of course, above all else, the entry-level Fire Stick and its 4K sibling are by far some of the best ways to add internet functionality to your television, especially for the low-cost of the Fire Stick. Whether you’re looking to just stream some basic Netflix or you want to play mobile games on your television, the Fire Stick is an obvious choice for anyone looking to spend the night watching movies at home. But it gets better. The Fire Stick isn’t just a basic streaming box like the Chromecast or the Apple TV. It’s running Fire OS, a special operating system created by Amazon that runs on top of Android, which means you can use the openness of Android to add a ton of functionality to your Fire Stick. To do it, you’ll need to utilize something called “sideloading,” a term usually associated with Android apps. Let’s take a look at how to sideload apps, along with the five must-have apps when sideloading. What is Sideloading? Sideloading is a complicated term for the simple process of installing an unofficial application from outside of the Amazon Appstore on your Fire Stick. The term comes from Android, where you can install any installation file on your device without having to mod or root your phone. This is a major difference between Android and its main rival, iOS, which can install applications outside the App Store but requires the difficult task of jailbreaking your device, which often gets patched out in future updates surrounding the platform. On Android, installing files from unknown sources is technically turned off by default, but it’s really easy to turn on in your security settings, and once it’s on, installing APK files (the file extension for Android apps; think of them as the mobile version of .exe files on Windows or .pkg files on Mac OS) is ridiculous fast and easy. Attention All Video Streamers : Here's a few facts for you about the potential dangers of streaming online while unprotected: Your ISP has a direct window into everything you view and stream on the web Your ISP is now LEGALLY allowed to sell that information about what you view Most ISPs don't want to deal with lawsuits directly, so oftentimes they will pass along your viewing information to protect themselves, further compromising your privacy. The only way to protect your viewing and identity in the 3 above scenarios is by using a VPN. By streaming content directly through your ISP, you potentially expose everything you view on the internet to both them, as well as those who's interest they might be protecting. A VPN protects that. Follow these 2 links and you'll be streaming securely in no time: is our VPN of choice. They are extremely fast and their security is top notch. Get 3 months free for a limited time Learn How To Install a VPN on Your Fire TV Stick. So why would you want to sideload on Fire OS? Well, unlike Google, Amazon takes a more Apple-like approach with their app market, only allowing in certain applications once they’ve been approved for use. While you’ll find some apps like Kodi readily available on the Google Play Store, it’s nowhere to be found on Amazon’s platform, having been removed back in 2015 for concerns surrounding piracy. But, like we’ve seen with most of Amazon’s products, it’s easy to use their Android basis as a method against them. Since Android allows for applications to be installed outside of the app store, getting apps like Kodi, YouTube, or Tea TV is quick and easy on the Fire Stick. The thing to remember about sideloading is that, in the wrong hands, it can be dangerous. If you happen to install a malicious APK, you could find yourself running software that can steal your personal data or take over your device. Even on a streaming box like the Fire Stick, it’s just important to remember to be careful when installing apps from shady sites. Using resources like Reddit communities to ensure you have a safe version of an app is the best idea we can recommend. The chances of any user installing an unsafe APK file is low, but it’s still always important to be careful. How Do I Sideload Apps? To sideload applications on your Fire Stick, you’ll need to start by turning the option on within the settings of your device. Start by opening up your Fire TV display by waking up your device and holding the Home button on your Fire TV remote to open the quick actions menu. This menu has a list of four different options for your Fire TV: your list of apps, sleep mode, mirroring, and settings. Select the settings menu to quickly load your list of preferences. Alternatively, you can head to the home screen of your Fire TV and scroll all the way to the right along the top list of your menu, selecting the settings option. Press the down arrow on your remote to move to the settings menu of your display. Fire OS has its settings menu set up horizontally rather than vertically, so scroll through your settings menu from left to right until you find the options for “My Fire TV.” (In older versions of Fire OS, this is labeled as “Device.”) Hit the center button on your remote to load the device settings. For most users, these options are mostly there for restarting or forcing your device to sleep, as well as viewing the software settings for your Fire Stick. However, there’s one option here we need to change before we can move forward. Click on Developer Options from the Device settings; it’s the second down from the top, after About. Developer Options only has two settings on Fire OS: ADB debugging and Apps from Unknown Sources. ADB debugging is used to enable ADB, or Android Debug Bridge, connections over your network. We won’t have to use ADB for this (a tool included in the Android Studio SDK), so you can leave that setting alone for now. Instead, scroll down to the setting below ADB and press the center button. This will enable your device to install applications from sources other than the Amazon Appstore, a necessary step if we’re going to sideload Kodi onto our device. A warning may appear to let you know that downloading apps from outside sources can be dangerous. Click OK on the prompt and click the Home button on your remote to head back to the home screen. With the ability to install apps from unknown sources now enabled, we just have one more step to go. We’ll need to install an application from the Amazon Appstore in order to properly download and install these APK files, since out of the box, your Fire Stick can’t actually do it. While there isn’t a specific browser application available for download inside the App Store, there is an app that allows you to download content directly to your device. Using the built-in search function or using Alexa on your Fire Stick remote, search for “Download,” “Downloader,” or “Browser”; all three will bring forth the exact same app we’re looking for. That app is, appropriately, called Downloader. It has a bright orange icon with a down-facing arrow icon, and its developer name is “Troypoint.” The app has hundreds of thousands of users, and is generally regarded as a great application for your device. Hit the download button on the Amazon Appstore listing for Downloader to add the app to your device. You won’t need to keep the app on your Fire Stick after we’ve used it for this installation process, so don’t be afraid to uninstall the app if you’d rather not keep it around. Once the app has finished installing, hit the Open button on the app listing to open Downloader on your device. Click through the assorted pop-up messages and alerts detailing updates to the application until you’ve reached the main display. Downloader includes a bunch of utilities, all neatly outlined on the left side of the application, including a browser, a file system, settings, and more. That said, the main aspect of the application we need is the URL entry field that takes up most of your display inside the application. From here, installing the application of your choice is as simple as entering a download link in the URL entry field. For our five picks below, we’ve provided shortened links that lead directly to the application download, making it easy to quickly access on your device. After the file has been downloaded, installation is as simple as opening the file and accepting the application permissions. Using a VPN. Not all of the options above on this list are hosting pirated material, but for those applications that do, you’ll want to make sure you don’t skip this section. Though some users risk their privacy by choosing to stream pirated content without the protection of a VPN on their device, we highly recommend using a VPN service to protect your data, especially if you’re using one of the less-than-legal services on this list. Though having a VPN on is very rarely the wrong choice, the privacy it adds to your device isn’t needed to enjoy your favorite services regularly. And although we also say that the less information you give internet service providers and online companies, the better, the truth is that a VPN won’t be right for everyone. However, if you’ve found your way to this page, it’s probably because you’re using your Fire Stick for something that isn’t a standard application available through the Amazon Appstore. Be it basic piracy apps like Showbox or Terrarium TV, or more complicated applications like Kodi, which allow you to fully load your Fire Stick with a new interface, along with thousands of applications and add-ons to completely change how you watch movies forever. These systems are easy to setup and use, but there’s a big reason why people turn away from them: they aren’t entirely legal. While thousands of users get away with consuming pirated content on the internet every day, it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone gets away with piracy. If you’re caught by your ISP, you can land yourself in some hot water, including losing access to your internet or even facing major fines from groups like the MPAA. So, if you’re looking to consume pirated content on your Fire Stick, the best way to go about keeping yourself safe from getting caught is to use a VPN. Most popular VPNs weren’t necessarily designed with piracy in mind, but they do support keeping your internet use secret so that you can catch up on the latest hit series online without having to pay for cable or subscribe to yet another streaming service. To check out some of our favorite VPNs, check out our guide to using VPNs on the Fire Stick here. The Best Apps to Sideload on Your Amazon Fire TV Stick [December 2020] William Sattelberg William has been with TechJunkie since 2017, writing about smartphones, games, streaming media, and anything else that technology touches in our current age. He also works as a video producer, writing and recording scripts for our video team and editing videos for TechJunkie's YouTube channel. William graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 2016 with a degree in Video Production, and lives in Buffalo, NY. Read more June 6, 2021. There are so many great reasons to choose Amazon’s Fire TV platform over its competition. Fire TV now has four different tiers to choose from, from the 1080p Amazon Fire Stick at just $39, all the way up to the Fire TV Recast, a powerful streaming device that includes TV tuners and a full DVR for $229. No matter what you want out of your Fire TV, it’s easy to see how you can get that from the litany of devices the company has made available. Of course, above all else, the entry-level Fire Stick and its 4K sibling are by far some of the best ways to add internet functionality to your television, especially for the low-cost of the Fire Stick. Whether you’re looking to just stream some basic Netflix or you want to play mobile games on your television, the Fire Stick is an obvious choice for anyone looking to spend the night watching movies at home. But it gets better. The Fire Stick isn’t just a basic streaming box like the Chromecast or the Apple TV. It’s running Fire OS, a special operating system created by Amazon that runs on top of Android, which means you can use the openness of Android to add a ton of functionality to your Fire Stick. To do it, you’ll need to utilize something called “sideloading,” a term usually associated with Android apps. Let’s take a look at how to sideload apps, along with the five must-have apps when sideloading. What is Sideloading? Sideloading is a complicated term for the simple process of installing an unofficial application from outside of the Amazon Appstore on your Fire Stick. The term comes from Android, where you can install any installation file on your device without having to mod or root your phone. This is a major difference between Android and its main rival, iOS, which can install applications outside the App Store but requires the difficult task of jailbreaking your device, which often gets patched out in future updates surrounding the platform. On Android, installing files from unknown sources is technically turned off by default, but it’s really easy to turn on in your security settings, and once it’s on, installing APK files (the file extension for Android apps; think of them as the mobile version of .exe files on Windows or .pkg files on Mac OS) is ridiculous fast and easy. Attention All Video Streamers : Here's a few facts for you about the potential dangers of streaming online while unprotected: Your ISP has a direct window into everything you view and stream on the web Your ISP is now LEGALLY allowed to sell that information about what you view Most ISPs don't want to deal with lawsuits directly, so oftentimes they will pass along your viewing information to protect themselves, further compromising your privacy. The only way to protect your viewing and identity in the 3 above scenarios is by using a VPN. By streaming content directly through your ISP, you potentially expose everything you view on the internet to both them, as well as those who's interest they might be protecting. A VPN protects that. Follow these 2 links and you'll be streaming securely in no time: is our VPN of choice. They are extremely fast and their security is top notch. Get 3 months free for a limited time Learn How To Install a VPN on Your Fire TV Stick. So why would you want to sideload on Fire OS? Well, unlike Google, Amazon takes a more Apple-like approach with their app market, only allowing in certain applications once they’ve been approved for use. While you’ll find some apps like Kodi readily available on the Google Play Store, it’s nowhere to be found on Amazon’s platform, having been removed back in 2015 for concerns surrounding piracy. But, like we’ve seen with most of Amazon’s products, it’s easy to use their Android basis as a method against them. Since Android allows for applications to be installed outside of the app store, getting apps like Kodi, YouTube, or Tea TV is quick and easy on the Fire Stick. The thing to remember about sideloading is that, in the wrong hands, it can be dangerous. If you happen to install a malicious APK, you could find yourself running software that can steal your personal data or take over your device. Even on a streaming box like the Fire Stick, it’s just important to remember to be careful when installing apps from shady sites. Using resources like Reddit communities to ensure you have a safe version of an app is the best idea we can recommend. The chances of any user installing an unsafe APK file is low, but it’s still always important to be careful. How Do I Sideload Apps? To sideload applications on your Fire Stick, you’ll need to start by turning the option on within the settings of your device. Start by opening up your Fire TV display by waking up your device and holding the Home button on your Fire TV remote to open the quick actions menu. This menu has a list of four different options for your Fire TV: your list of apps, sleep mode, mirroring, and settings. Select the settings menu to quickly load your list of preferences. Alternatively, you can head to the home screen of your Fire TV and scroll all the way to the right along the top list of your menu, selecting the settings option. Press the down arrow on your remote to move to the settings menu of your display. Fire OS has its settings menu set up horizontally rather than vertically, so scroll through your settings menu from left to right until you find the options for “My Fire TV.” (In older versions of Fire OS, this is labeled as “Device.”) Hit the center button on your remote to load the device settings. For most users, these options are mostly there for restarting or forcing your device to sleep, as well as viewing the software settings for your Fire Stick. However, there’s one option here we need to change before we can move forward. Click on Developer Options from the Device settings; it’s the second down from the top, after About. Developer Options only has two settings on Fire OS: ADB debugging and Apps from Unknown Sources. ADB debugging is used to enable ADB, or Android Debug Bridge, connections over your network. We won’t have to use ADB for this (a tool included in the Android Studio SDK), so you can leave that setting alone for now. Instead, scroll down to the setting below ADB and press the center button. This will enable your device to install applications from sources other than the Amazon Appstore, a necessary step if we’re going to sideload Kodi onto our device. A warning may appear to let you know that downloading apps from outside sources can be dangerous. Click OK on the prompt and click the Home button on your remote to head back to the home screen. With the ability to install apps from unknown sources now enabled, we just have one more step to go. We’ll need to install an application from the Amazon Appstore in order to properly download and install these APK files, since out of the box, your Fire Stick can’t actually do it. While there isn’t a specific browser application available for download inside the App Store, there is an app that allows you to download content directly to your device. Using the built-in search function or using Alexa on your Fire Stick remote, search for “Download,” “Downloader,” or “Browser”; all three will bring forth the exact same app we’re looking for. That app is, appropriately, called Downloader. It has a bright orange icon with a down-facing arrow icon, and its developer name is “Troypoint.” The app has hundreds of thousands of users, and is generally regarded as a great application for your device. Hit the download button on the Amazon Appstore listing for Downloader to add the app to your device. You won’t need to keep the app on your Fire Stick after we’ve used it for this installation process, so don’t be afraid to uninstall the app if you’d rather not keep it around. Once the app has finished installing, hit the Open button on the app listing to open Downloader on your device. Click through the assorted pop-up messages and alerts detailing updates to the application until you’ve reached the main display. Downloader includes a bunch of utilities, all neatly outlined on the left side of the application, including a browser, a file system, settings, and more. That said, the main aspect of the application we need is the URL entry field that takes up most of your display inside the application. From here, installing the application of your choice is as simple as entering a download link in the URL entry field. For our five picks below, we’ve provided shortened links that lead directly to the application download, making it easy to quickly access on your device. After the file has been downloaded, installation is as simple as opening the file and accepting the application permissions. Using a VPN. Not all of the options above on this list are hosting pirated material, but for those applications that do, you’ll want to make sure you don’t skip this section. Though some users risk their privacy by choosing to stream pirated content without the protection of a VPN on their device, we highly recommend using a VPN service to protect your data, especially if you’re using one of the less-than-legal services on this list. Though having a VPN on is very rarely the wrong choice, the privacy it adds to your device isn’t needed to enjoy your favorite services regularly. And although we also say that the less information you give internet service providers and online companies, the better, the truth is that a VPN won’t be right for everyone. However, if you’ve found your way to this page, it’s probably because you’re using your Fire Stick for something that isn’t a standard application available through the Amazon Appstore. Be it basic piracy apps like Showbox or Terrarium TV, or more complicated applications like Kodi, which allow you to fully load your Fire Stick with a new interface, along with thousands of applications and add-ons to completely change how you watch movies forever. These systems are easy to setup and use, but there’s a big reason why people turn away from them: they aren’t entirely legal. While thousands of users get away with consuming pirated content on the internet every day, it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone gets away with piracy. If you’re caught by your ISP, you can land yourself in some hot water, including losing access to your internet or even facing major fines from groups like the MPAA. So, if you’re looking to consume pirated content on your Fire Stick, the best way to go about keeping yourself safe from getting caught is to use a VPN. Most popular VPNs weren’t necessarily designed with piracy in mind, but they do support keeping your internet use secret so that you can catch up on the latest hit series online without having to pay for cable or subscribe to yet another streaming service. To check out some of our favorite VPNs, check out our guide to using VPNs on the Fire Stick here. How to Install an APK on an Amazon Fire Stick. If you want access to apps or app updates that aren’t available on the Google Play Store, you may want to know how to install APK’s to your Amazon Fire Stick. In this article, we’ll discuss how to install third-party apps to your Firestick, directly from the internet or your computer; plus, how to safely install APK’s to your Android device. How to Install an APK on Firestick? To install an APK on your Firestick from a computer running Windows or macOS: From the top-right of the Firestick home screen, click on “Settings.” Locate and select “My Fire TV.” Select “Developer Options.” Turn on “ADB Debugging” and “Apps from Unknown Sources.” An “Apps from Unknown Sources” warning message will display, select “Turn on.” How to Install Downloader App? To install Downloader on Firestick/Fire TV: From the main menu, select “Settings” found towards the top left-hand corner. Select “My Fire TV.” Select “Developer Options.” Click on “Apps from Unknown Sources” and turn it on. Navigate back to home and select the “Search” icon. Enter “Downloader” into the search bar. Click on the “Downloader” app. Select “Open,” then “Allow,” then “OK.” How to Install APK’s on an Android Phone or Tablet? Before installing an APK on your Android device, consider enabling an app scanning feature by Google Play Protect. It fishes out potentially harmful apps, by scanning them before download, and those already installed on your device. It’s typically enabled by default. To check whether the app scanning feature is enabled on your Android device: Launch Google Play Store. From the top left-hand corner, click on the hamburger menu. Select “Play Protect.” Click on the “Settings” (gear icon) found at the top-right hand corner. Check that the “Improve Harmful App Detection” setting is on. Check that the “Scan Apps With Plat Protect” setting is on. To install APK’s on a Google device with Android 8.0 Oreo and newer: Navigate to and open “Settings.” Select “Apps & Notifications.” Click on “Advanced” to expand it. Click on “Special App Access.” Select “Install Unknown Apps.” Select the source app, e.g., Chrome. Click on the toggle button next to the “Allow From This Source to enable sideloading” option to switch it on. To install APK’s on a Samsung device with Android 8.0 Oreo and newer: Navigate to and open “Settings.” Select “Biometrics and Security.” Click on “Install Unknown Apps.” Click on the trusted application you want the APK file to install from, e.g., Chrome or My Files. Click on the toggle button next to the “Allow From This Source to enable” option to switch it on. How to Install APK’s From Your PC With ADB? Install Android Debug Bridge on your PC. Use a Windows third-party tool like ADB 15 Seconds Installer for a quicker and easier way to install it. Open a CMD window and enter the command “adb –help” then hit “Enter.” ADB version, global options, general commands, and Networking information should now be displayed in the window. If you receive an error message instead, try closing the window, re-opening, then entering the command again. To connect your TV, locate and click on “Settings.” Then select “Device Preferences,” then “About.” Scroll down and click on “Build” until the “You are a developer” message appears. To find out your TV’s IP address, navigate to the Settings page. Select “Network & Internet” and click on the active connection. The IP address is typically listed towards the top. To connect the ADB on your computer to your Amazon Fire TV, on your computer enter and run the command “adb connect” followed by your TV’s IP address. Accept the prompt that appears on the TV. Then you’ll receive an ADB successful connection message. To confirm successful connection another way, enter and run command “adb devices.” To install the APK files that you want, enter and run the command “adb install” – space, then move the downloaded file to the app window. When the complete path is pasted in the file, click “Enter.” You should receive a success confirmation message and the app will be displayed on the TV. To sideload an APK next time, just enter and run the command “adb connect” from your computer and then command “adb install” for each APK. How to Sideload a Fire TV Device Using a Downloader App? In this example, we’ll use the Fire TV Stick Lite, though these instructions will work for any Fire TV variation. To install Downloader and enable “Unknown Sources,” do the following: From the home screen, locate and select the “Find” option. Select “Search,” locate and select “Downloader.” Select the “Downloader” app, then click on “Download.” Once the install is complete, select “Open.” Go back to home and access “Settings.” Select “My Fire TV.” Select the “Developer” options. Click on “Install unknown apps.” Locate and select the “Downloader” app. This enables “Unknown Sources” for the “Downloader” app and allows sideloading on your Fire TV device. To sideload an app to your Amazon Fire TV device: Go to the official website for the app you wish to sideload, e.g., Kodi.tv. Locate and select the Download and download for Android option. Press and hold on the download link, then choose “Copy link address.” Go to notepad and paste the link in there. From here, you have two ways to enter the link into Downloader: Either type in the full address, or Use bitly.com to shorten the address. Paste it into the “Shorten your link” text field, then hit “Shorten.” Once you’ve entered either the long or shortened version of the address into Downloader, click on “Go.” It should automatically start to download. If the Bitly address doesn’t work, type in the original long address. From the install window that pops up, click on “Install.” Then click on “Done” or “Open.” The app should open, then follow the on-screen instructions to start using the app. If you can’t access the app because it doesn’t display with the others: Go to “Settings” on the home screen. Select “Applications” > “Manage installed applications.” Scroll through the list to locate the app. Select it, then hit “Launch Application.” How to Sideload a Fire TV Device With an Android Phone? Use the instructions below to sideload your Amazon Fire TV device with an Android phone: You can find the Android APK on your Fire TV’s internal storage. You’ll need to download the “Total Commander” app to your Amazon Fire TV device: To get to the installation page, on your remote, hold down the “Alexa” button and say, “Total Commander app.” To install it, click on “Get.” Again, hold the “Alexa” button and then say, “Send Files to TV app.” To install the app, select “Get.” On your Android device, install the SFTV app. On both devices, open the SFTV app to give the necessary permissions. From your smartphone, select “Send” and select the APK file to sideload. It will be sent to your Amazon Fire TV Stick. Bear in mind that for SFTV to work, both devices should be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Note : Because Fire OS is a highly modified Android OS, some Android apps won’t be able to run on Fire TV Stick. How to Enable Third-Party Apps in Settings? To enable third-party apps installation on an Android device: Navigate to “Settings” > “General.” Click on the “Security” option. Check the box next to the “Unknown Sources” option. Select “Ok” to the warning message. Additional FAQs. How Do I Install APK Files on Amazon Fire Stick? In this example, we’ll use the Fire TV Stick Lite, though these instructions will work for any Fire TV variation. To install Downloader and enable “Unknown Sources,” do the following: 1. From the home screen, locate and select the “Find” option. 2. Select “Search,” locate and select “Downloader.” 3. Select the “Downloader” app, then click on “Download.” 4. Once the install is complete, select “Open.” 5. Go back to home and access “Settings.” 6. Select “My Fire TV.” 7. Select the “Developer” options. 8. Click on “Install unknown apps.” 9. Locate and select the “Downloader” app. · This enables “Unknown Sources” for the “Downloader” app and allows sideloading on your Fire TV Device. To sideload an app to Amazon your Fire TV device: 1. Go to the official website for the app you wish to sideload, e.g., Kodi.tv. 2. Locate and select the Download and download for Android option. 3. Press and hold on the download link, then choose “Copy link address.” 4. Go to notepad and paste the link in there. 5. From here, you have two ways to enter the link into Downloader: · Either type in the full address, or. · Use bitly.com to shorten the address. Paste it into the “Shorten your link” text field, then hit “Shorten.” 6. Once you’ve entered either the long or shortened version of the address into Downloader, click on “Go.” It should automatically start to download. · If the Bitly address doesn’t work, type in the original long address. 7. From the install window that pops up, click on “Install.” 8. Then click on “Done” or “Open.” 9. The app should open, then follow the on-screen instructions to start using the app. Is There a NordVPN App for Fire Stick? Yes, there is. Visit the official NordVPN website to download the application and start using it on your Fire Stick. How Does Amazon Fire Stick Work? The Amazon Fire Stick streams content directly from the internet as opposed to downloading it onto a device. With your Fire Stick is plugged into your TV’s HDMI port and connected to your Wi-Fi, sign in to your Amazon account and you’ll get to access all your favorite content in real-time. The things you’ll have access to includes: • Any music and video purchases made using your Amazon account. • Any pictures uploaded to your Amazon Cloud account. • Thousands of apps and games. • Netflix and YouTube. • For a fee, other TV and movie streaming services like Hulu. Even though not all the services are free, using a Fire Stick can work out cheaper than the typical monthly cable TV package, with the option for a wide variety of choices when sideloading other apps to it. Access to Apps of Choice via Your Amazon Fire Stick. Installing APK’s on to your Fire Stick opens up access to pretty much any application you want outside of the Google Play Store. However, this freedom could expose your devices to harmful malware and viruses; thankfully, Google provides robust security measures to block them. Now that you know how to safely install APK’s on to your Fire Stick, we’d love to know whether the process was successful? Did the apps you choose to download work as expected? Let us know about your experiences in the comments section below. How to Sideload Apps on an Amazon Fire TV Stick. Here's how to install Fire Stick apps that aren't available on Amazon. Fire TV Stick apps that aren't available on Amazon need to be sideloaded or installed from a third-party source. The Fire Stick runs Android, so in theory you can sideload almost any Android app, just as you can on your phone or tablet. This means you can run Kodi, a web browser, a podcast player, or a VPN on your Fire Stick. In this guide, we'll take a look at the best ways to add apps to your Fire Stick. Set Up Your Fire TV Stick for Sideloading Apps. First things first: before you start, make sure you've read our introduction to the Amazon Fire Stick. Then, you'll need to change a couple of settings on your Fire TV Stick. Power on your Stick and navigate your way to Settings > My Fire TV > Developer options . Set the options for ADB debugging and Apps from Unknown Sources to ON . Press the Back button on your remote and select Device > About > Network . You'll see the IP Address of your Fire Stick listed in the right-hand column. Make a note of this for later. Sideload Apps Using an Android Phone. The quickest way to install apps onto a Fire Stick is with an Android phone or tablet. Apps2Fire, a free app from the Play Store, simplifies the process down to just a few taps. Crucially, it also enables you to install apps from the Play Store itself, instead of having to track down APK files from the obscure corners of the web. Download: Apps2Fire (Free) Install Apps via Apps2Fire. Install Apps2Fire on your phone. While you're at it, install all the apps you want to transfer to your Fire Stick, if you don't already have them on your phone. In Apps2Fire, go to the Setup tab and enter the IP address you noted from your Fire Stick, then tap Save . The app will now connect to the Stick. You might be prompted to accept an incoming connection on your Fire Stick. If so, tap OK . Swipe across to Local Apps . What you'll see here is a list of all the apps installed on your phone. You can copy any of these across. Find the app you want to put on your Fire Stick, tap on it, then select Install . Image Gallery (2 Images) The app will begin uploading wirelessly. It may take a few minutes, especially if it's a large app. Keep your phone awake until it's done. Once the upload reaches 100 percent, there will be a delay of another few seconds while the app automatically installs. When it's finished, you'll be alerted both on your phone and your TV. Back on your Fire Stick, hold the Home button and select Apps . You should now see your newly-installed app listed here. Just click it to launch. Sideload Apps Without an Android Phone. If you don't have an Android phone on hand, you can still sideload apps to your Fire Stick using the ADB sideload command through the Android software development kit. The process is still wireless, but it's more difficult. Fortunately, you don't need to root your Fire Stick to do it. It requires use of the command line, and you also have to source the APK files (the Android apps) from somewhere other than the Play Store. Download the SDK Platform Tools from the Android developer website. It's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and includes the all- important ADB tool. Check out our full guide to setting up and using ADB for an introduction. Once you've downloaded it, launch the Command Prompt on Windows, or Terminal on a Mac or Linux machine. You need to change the root directory to point to the folder where the ADB tool is stored. Do this by typing cd [path to platform-tools folder] . Now type adb connect [IP address] , where the IP address is the one you noted from the your Fire Stick. On macOS and Linux, the commands need to be preceded by " ./ " without the quotation marks. For example, you would type " ./adb connect 192.68.0.36 " without the quotation marks. You should now see a message confirming that it is connected. To install an app, type adb install [path to android app.apk] . You should see a message saying the app is being uploaded, followed by a message of success. You can now launch the app on your Fire Stick. How to Uninstall Sideloaded Apps. There are two ways to delete apps on your Fire Stick. If you've used the Apps2Fire method, then you can manage your installed apps there. Just tap on one and select Uninstall from the dialog box that opens. Alternatively, you can uninstall apps on the Fire TV Stick itself. Hold down the Home button to see the Apps icon, then select it to view all your installed apps. Highlight the one you want to remove, hit the Menu button on your remote, then select Uninstall . Fire Stick Apps You Need to Install. So now you know how to sideload Fire Stick apps. But which apps are worth installing? Not every app works. Those that rely on Google's Play Services framework won't, and more advanced games will hit the hardware limits of the Fire Stick. Also, apps designed to run exclusively in portrait mode don't look so good on a TV. Often it's a case of trial and error to find what works and what doesn't. Some apps require a mouse to be properly usable. In this case, the paid app Mouse Toggle for Fire TV can add the feature to your remote. For starters, we recommend: Private internet Access, one of the best VPN services. MakeUseOf readers can use this special offer to save on a PIA subscription. Podcast Addict, for listening to podcasts. IMDb, the web's most popular movie site. Outlook, for Microsoft and other email. Sync Pro for Reddit, one of the best Reddit clients. Want even more? We've picked out some essential apps to install on your Fire Stick. From VLC and Kodi, to news and radio, there's something here for everyone. Suspect that your computer isn't how you left it? Learn how to tell if someone was snooping on your PC! Andy is a former print journalist and magazine editor who has been writing about technology for 15 years. In that time he has contributed to countless publications and produced copywriting work for large tech companies. He has also provided expert comment for the media and hosted panels at industry events. Subscribe to our newsletter. Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals! The Best Apps to Sideload on Your Amazon Fire TV Stick [December 2020] William Sattelberg William has been with TechJunkie since 2017, writing about smartphones, games, streaming media, and anything else that technology touches in our current age. He also works as a video producer, writing and recording scripts for our video team and editing videos for TechJunkie's YouTube channel. William graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 2016 with a degree in Video Production, and lives in Buffalo, NY. Read more June 6, 2021. There are so many great reasons to choose Amazon’s Fire TV platform over its competition. Fire TV now has four different tiers to choose from, from the 1080p Amazon Fire Stick at just $39, all the way up to the Fire TV Recast, a powerful streaming device that includes TV tuners and a full DVR for $229. No matter what you want out of your Fire TV, it’s easy to see how you can get that from the litany of devices the company has made available. Of course, above all else, the entry-level Fire Stick and its 4K sibling are by far some of the best ways to add internet functionality to your television, especially for the low-cost of the Fire Stick. Whether you’re looking to just stream some basic Netflix or you want to play mobile games on your television, the Fire Stick is an obvious choice for anyone looking to spend the night watching movies at home. But it gets better. The Fire Stick isn’t just a basic streaming box like the Chromecast or the Apple TV. It’s running Fire OS, a special operating system created by Amazon that runs on top of Android, which means you can use the openness of Android to add a ton of functionality to your Fire Stick. To do it, you’ll need to utilize something called “sideloading,” a term usually associated with Android apps. Let’s take a look at how to sideload apps, along with the five must-have apps when sideloading. What is Sideloading? Sideloading is a complicated term for the simple process of installing an unofficial application from outside of the Amazon Appstore on your Fire Stick. The term comes from Android, where you can install any installation file on your device without having to mod or root your phone. This is a major difference between Android and its main rival, iOS, which can install applications outside the App Store but requires the difficult task of jailbreaking your device, which often gets patched out in future updates surrounding the platform. On Android, installing files from unknown sources is technically turned off by default, but it’s really easy to turn on in your security settings, and once it’s on, installing APK files (the file extension for Android apps; think of them as the mobile version of .exe files on Windows or .pkg files on Mac OS) is ridiculous fast and easy. Attention All Video Streamers : Here's a few facts for you about the potential dangers of streaming online while unprotected: Your ISP has a direct window into everything you view and stream on the web Your ISP is now LEGALLY allowed to sell that information about what you view Most ISPs don't want to deal with lawsuits directly, so oftentimes they will pass along your viewing information to protect themselves, further compromising your privacy. The only way to protect your viewing and identity in the 3 above scenarios is by using a VPN. By streaming content directly through your ISP, you potentially expose everything you view on the internet to both them, as well as those who's interest they might be protecting. A VPN protects that. Follow these 2 links and you'll be streaming securely in no time: is our VPN of choice. They are extremely fast and their security is top notch. Get 3 months free for a limited time Learn How To Install a VPN on Your Fire TV Stick. So why would you want to sideload on Fire OS? Well, unlike Google, Amazon takes a more Apple-like approach with their app market, only allowing in certain applications once they’ve been approved for use. While you’ll find some apps like Kodi readily available on the Google Play Store, it’s nowhere to be found on Amazon’s platform, having been removed back in 2015 for concerns surrounding piracy. But, like we’ve seen with most of Amazon’s products, it’s easy to use their Android basis as a method against them. Since Android allows for applications to be installed outside of the app store, getting apps like Kodi, YouTube, or Tea TV is quick and easy on the Fire Stick. The thing to remember about sideloading is that, in the wrong hands, it can be dangerous. If you happen to install a malicious APK, you could find yourself running software that can steal your personal data or take over your device. Even on a streaming box like the Fire Stick, it’s just important to remember to be careful when installing apps from shady sites. Using resources like Reddit communities to ensure you have a safe version of an app is the best idea we can recommend. The chances of any user installing an unsafe APK file is low, but it’s still always important to be careful. How Do I Sideload Apps? To sideload applications on your Fire Stick, you’ll need to start by turning the option on within the settings of your device. Start by opening up your Fire TV display by waking up your device and holding the Home button on your Fire TV remote to open the quick actions menu. This menu has a list of four different options for your Fire TV: your list of apps, sleep mode, mirroring, and settings. Select the settings menu to quickly load your list of preferences. Alternatively, you can head to the home screen of your Fire TV and scroll all the way to the right along the top list of your menu, selecting the settings option. Press the down arrow on your remote to move to the settings menu of your display. Fire OS has its settings menu set up horizontally rather than vertically, so scroll through your settings menu from left to right until you find the options for “My Fire TV.” (In older versions of Fire OS, this is labeled as “Device.”) Hit the center button on your remote to load the device settings. For most users, these options are mostly there for restarting or forcing your device to sleep, as well as viewing the software settings for your Fire Stick. However, there’s one option here we need to change before we can move forward. Click on Developer Options from the Device settings; it’s the second down from the top, after About. Developer Options only has two settings on Fire OS: ADB debugging and Apps from Unknown Sources. ADB debugging is used to enable ADB, or Android Debug Bridge, connections over your network. We won’t have to use ADB for this (a tool included in the Android Studio SDK), so you can leave that setting alone for now. Instead, scroll down to the setting below ADB and press the center button. This will enable your device to install applications from sources other than the Amazon Appstore, a necessary step if we’re going to sideload Kodi onto our device. A warning may appear to let you know that downloading apps from outside sources can be dangerous. Click OK on the prompt and click the Home button on your remote to head back to the home screen. With the ability to install apps from unknown sources now enabled, we just have one more step to go. We’ll need to install an application from the Amazon Appstore in order to properly download and install these APK files, since out of the box, your Fire Stick can’t actually do it. While there isn’t a specific browser application available for download inside the App Store, there is an app that allows you to download content directly to your device. Using the built-in search function or using Alexa on your Fire Stick remote, search for “Download,” “Downloader,” or “Browser”; all three will bring forth the exact same app we’re looking for. That app is, appropriately, called Downloader. It has a bright orange icon with a down-facing arrow icon, and its developer name is “Troypoint.” The app has hundreds of thousands of users, and is generally regarded as a great application for your device. Hit the download button on the Amazon Appstore listing for Downloader to add the app to your device. You won’t need to keep the app on your Fire Stick after we’ve used it for this installation process, so don’t be afraid to uninstall the app if you’d rather not keep it around. Once the app has finished installing, hit the Open button on the app listing to open Downloader on your device. Click through the assorted pop-up messages and alerts detailing updates to the application until you’ve reached the main display. Downloader includes a bunch of utilities, all neatly outlined on the left side of the application, including a browser, a file system, settings, and more. That said, the main aspect of the application we need is the URL entry field that takes up most of your display inside the application. From here, installing the application of your choice is as simple as entering a download link in the URL entry field. For our five picks below, we’ve provided shortened links that lead directly to the application download, making it easy to quickly access on your device. After the file has been downloaded, installation is as simple as opening the file and accepting the application permissions. Using a VPN. Not all of the options above on this list are hosting pirated material, but for those applications that do, you’ll want to make sure you don’t skip this section. Though some users risk their privacy by choosing to stream pirated content without the protection of a VPN on their device, we highly recommend using a VPN service to protect your data, especially if you’re using one of the less-than-legal services on this list. Though having a VPN on is very rarely the wrong choice, the privacy it adds to your device isn’t needed to enjoy your favorite services regularly. And although we also say that the less information you give internet service providers and online companies, the better, the truth is that a VPN won’t be right for everyone. However, if you’ve found your way to this page, it’s probably because you’re using your Fire Stick for something that isn’t a standard application available through the Amazon Appstore. Be it basic piracy apps like Showbox or Terrarium TV, or more complicated applications like Kodi, which allow you to fully load your Fire Stick with a new interface, along with thousands of applications and add-ons to completely change how you watch movies forever. These systems are easy to setup and use, but there’s a big reason why people turn away from them: they aren’t entirely legal. While thousands of users get away with consuming pirated content on the internet every day, it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone gets away with piracy. If you’re caught by your ISP, you can land yourself in some hot water, including losing access to your internet or even facing major fines from groups like the MPAA. So, if you’re looking to consume pirated content on your Fire Stick, the best way to go about keeping yourself safe from getting caught is to use a VPN. Most popular VPNs weren’t necessarily designed with piracy in mind, but they do support keeping your internet use secret so that you can catch up on the latest hit series online without having to pay for cable or subscribe to yet another streaming service. To check out some of our favorite VPNs, check out our guide to using VPNs on the Fire Stick here.