can you download apps to kindle What Apps Are Available for the Kindle? The Kindle mainly serves as an e-book reader, but the simple e-reader devices are only a portion of the Kindle line of devices. In particular, the Kindle Fire series is much more than an e-reader, with options to install more than the basic app for book reading included on the standard lineup. You can use apps from Amazon’s and install apps with some minor settings changes. Kindle Apps. If you have the Kindle from Amazon rather than the Kindle Fire, it doesn’t support apps. You can use preinstalled apps for reading, as well as for recommendations and tracking what you’ve read, but you can’t go online or connect to your computer to add any further functionality. If you have access to audiobooks, your Kindle can also play the audio through -enabled headphones or speakers, but the device is essentially intended for reading and only reading. Kindle Fire Apps From Amazon. If you have a Kindle Fire, you can install apps from Amazon’s App Store through your device. These are the most common apps you’re likely to want on your tablet, such as Netflix, YouTube, apps from major news providers such as NPR and ABC, and games like . PC Mag lists what it considers to be the 30 best Amazon Fire apps, including the apps listed here and additional options you have to pay for, such as the Pocket Edition of . Getting Google Play on Kindle. You can install Google Play on your Kindle Fire using the method described by Android Police. Before you start, remove the micro SD card from the tablet if you have one inserted to prevent the Play Store from being installed to the SD, which can lead to issues. When you’ve done this, open the “Settings” app and choose “Security & Privacy” (or just “Security”). Look for the option that says “Apps from Unknown Sources” and switch it on. This enables the Kindle to install apps from APK . To install the Play Store, you need to install four different applications: Account Manager, Services Framework, Play Services and the Play Store. You need to know the model of your Fire tablet and the OS that it’s running. If you don’t, go to “Devices Options & System” in “Settings” and check the “Device Model” field. In the same section, look at “System Updates” to find your current OS. Android Police has a full list, but this example goes through the process as if you have a 9th-generation Fire HD 10. Download: Google Account Manager v7.1.2 Google Services Framework v9-4832352 (64-bit ARM, nodpi, Android 9.0+) The (universal) Google Play Store app. Go to “Files” or “Docs” on your tablet and locate the downloads. Go through and install the apps in this order: com.google.gsf.login com.google.android.gsf com.google.android.gms com.android.vending. Restart your tablet, and Google Play Store should be available. Reader. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can still install apps using the Kindle Reader app, available for both iOS and Android. Although they don’t have the same reading focus as the actual Kindle, the benefit of Android or iOS tablets is that support for apps is more intuitive and simple. You can also read on your cellphone, of course, and the app links with your Amazon account so you can purchase new e-books easily too. Amazon: Apps & Games PC Mag: The 30 Best Amazon Fire Tablet Apps Android Police: The Ultimate Guide for Installing the Google Play Store on Amazon Fire tablets. Lee Johnson is a freelance writer from the UK. He has experience working for a wide range of businesses, from online marketing companies to consultancy firms. He's currently studying for a masters degree in physics and has an aptitude for math. How to Mirror Your Kindle Fire to a Smart TV. The Kindle Fire, a tablet by Amazon, is an inexpensive option for family entertainment or for a busy person on the go. You can use it to read books, browse the internet, shop online, and of course, watch media content. With apps from Netflix, Amazon, and many other streaming providers, you can watch anything you want on your Kindle and even stream it to your Smart TV at home. If you want to stream content from your Kindle Fire to the big screen, read on to learn how. Two Ways to Mirror Your Screen. With a standard Android device, you can stream content to any other device that uses Chromecast. Your Kindle Fire uses a modified Android so some features will be different. Chromecast is one of them. Luckily, Amazon has two ways of mirroring the screen: Second Screen Mirroring. Amazon’s main business strategy is to keep people immersed in one brand, which is why they only make it possible to stream content from your Kindle Fire to another Amazon product, mainly the Fire TV or Fire TV stick. You can also stream to a TV that uses the Fire OS. And if that’s your situation, you’re in luck. Here’s how to do it: How to Connect Kindle Fire to Smart TV. Make sure both your Fire tablet and the device you want to stream to are connected to the internet. They should be on the same network as well – if you have multiple Wi-Fi’s you’ll have to connect them to the same one. Turn on your Fire TV or stick and make sure they are active. Make sure both devices are connected to the same Amazon account. Without this, it’s impossible to continue. Using your Fire tablet, go to the Home Page. Swipe down for the droppable menu. In the Videos section, select the Store. This will show you all of the content available on your Amazon account, including content you rented or purchased, and all of the content if you’re a subscriber. All of these are available for streaming on your TV or stick. Select the title you want to watch. Between the Watch now and Download button you’ll notice either Watch on Fire TV or Watch on Fire TV stick, depending on the device you have available. A second screen interface will appear on the TV with expanded information on the movie and other options. You can play the content as if it’s a DVD. You’re able to pause, stop, skip among other things. You can now switch off your Fire tablet screen if you want, and start watching. Display Mirroring for Kindle Fire. This method allows you to stream anything from your device. This includes movies and TV shows, but also is useful for browsing the web or using an app. It turns your TV screen into a literal mirror of the Fire tablet screen. The downside of this method is it’s unavailable on newer devices like Fire 7, FireHD 8, and FireHD 10. Amazon has removed this option, probably because of their aforementioned business strategy. If you have an older version of the Kindle Fire or if you’re unsure whether your device supports this option, do the following: Go to Settings. Select Display. Check to see if there’s an option called Display Mirroring. If you do see it, you’re in luck and you can continue to the next step. Check to see if your Fire TV or Fire stick is on and active. Select the Display Mirroring option. A list of available devices will appear. Select the appropriate device you want to mirror with your tablet. After about 20 seconds or so the screens will be mirrored. Other Ways of Mirroring Kindle Fire. Mirror Kindle Fire Using a Streaming App. A lot of the popular streaming apps you can download to your Kindle Fire have the option of playing their available content to another device. Netflix’s mirroring option is reliable and you can do it with any device, not just Amazon devices. The process will depend on the app you’re using, but it will be similar to this: Install the streaming app to both your Fire tablet and the device you want to use as a mirror. Open the app and find the option for mirroring. If you’re using the Netflix app, there should be a Cast button in the upper right side of the screen. Tap on the Cast button. A menu will appear. This will list all of the available devices you can use for mirroring. Press the appropriate device and it will begin mirroring. Kindle Fire and Hulu. Hulu doesn’t have a mirroring option, even if you download it from the official . YouTube doesn’t either, but if you download YouTube from the Google Play store you’ll have the option. This is how to do it: Go to Settings on your Kindle Fire. Go to Security. Enable Apps From Unknown Sources. Go to your web browser. Search for the following APKs and follow the steps in order! The APK files will be in your Local storage, in the Download folder. Download and install Google Account Manager. Download and install Google Services Framework. Download and install Google Playstore. Open Google Playstore and download YouTube. Mirror Kindle Fire Using Allcast. If you have Kindle Fire 7 or above, you can also try and mirror the content using an app from the Amazon Appstore called AllCast. This app doesn’t actually mirror the tablet to your TV completely, but it does allow you to stream anything from photos to movies and more. No More Squinting. Now that you can play the content from your small Fire tablet on the big screen, there’s no need to squint to notice all the details. Just sit back in your favorite spot and enjoy! How To Run Free Android Apps On the Kindle Fire. Even though you don't get Google Play, the Amazon Kindle Fire can run a wide range of Android apps. Here's how to load apps not sold by Amazon onto the tablet. Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets are some of the best, most affordable Android tablets out there. Whether you're buying the budget $139 Kindle Fire HD ($139.99 at Amazon) , the faster $229 Kindle Fire HDX ($179.99 at Amazon), or the big-screen, $379 Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 ( at Amazon) , you're getting a tremendous value for your money. But there's one thing you must give up: access to the million apps in the Google Play Store. The Kindle Fire tablets use Amazon's Appstore instead, which has many, but not all of those Google Play Apps. But that's OK. If you have any other Android device and a PC or Mac around, you can use free tools to load almost any free Android app onto the Kindle Fire. You don't need to hack, alter, or root your phone or tablet to do this, and Amazon doesn't oppose apps. The Kindle Fire can install any app in the standard Android APK format, but I strongly suggest only installing apps you've moved over from a phone or downloaded from a major app store. You can find APKs downloadable from many pirate sites on the Internet, but I don't recommend that, even for free apps. Why not? Developers can't track APKs that are just floating around the Net, so they don't know their apps are being used. That discourages developers, especially small developers, from upgrading and making new apps. Peer-to-peer app piracy sites are also sinks of malware, as they have none of the safeguards you'll find on an app store. If you're interested in the full Google Play experience on your Kindle Fire, you can root it and install Google services. That will void your warranty, Amazon's Mayday support system won't help you any more, and it takes some technical knowledge. The brave or geeky should check out this XDA-Developers forum thread for the instructions. Otherwise, here's how to move your app from another Android device to a Kindle Fire. (If you're interested in great Kindle Fire apps overall, read The 30 Best Kindle Fire Apps.) How To Install Apps. Installing Apps on Kindle Fire, Step by Step. On your Android device, go to Google Play and download ES . It's free. Open ES File Explorer and tap on the little icon at the upper left that looks like a globe and a phone. On the menu that appears, choose App Manager. Hold down your finger on one app you want to copy. Don't just tap on it. Checkboxes will appear all over the list of apps, like in the image at right. Check every app you want to copy, and then tap Backup at the bottom of the screen. Wait for the "Backup Application Successfully" message. Now hook your phone up to your PC using a USB cable. Open the drive which appears on your PC, and look for the "backups" folder. Open the "apps" folder within backups. Copy all the APK files from there onto your PC. Now pick up your Kindle Fire. Go to the Amazon Appstore and download "Easy Installer." It's free. Plug your Kindle Fire into your PC using a USB cable. When the Kindle Fire drive appears on your PC, dump the APK files into it. Disconnect the Fire from the PC. On the Kindle Fire pick Apps, then Easy Installer. A window will open like the one shown below. Pick an app and choose Install Selected Apps. Your app will now appear on the Kindle Fire's App bookshelf! Enjoy! If you don't see your app, make sure to tap "On Device" rather than "Cloud" at the top of the app bookshelf, as seen below. What's Compatible With Kindle Fire? I tried more than a dozen apps on the Fire and found some general rules. Amazon isn't blocking anything. There's no problem with apps that compete with Amazon's own services. Nook runs really well on the Kindle Fire. So does the HD browser. You generally can't back up paid apps . On older versions of Android, paid apps often weren't protected from the backup process. But on more current Android phones, paid apps are protected and can't be backed up without or otherwise hacking your phone. "Bloatware" or device-specific apps probably won't work. The copy of Blockbuster specifically for Motorola phones didn't install. Official Google apps that require logins won't work. That means no Market, no , no Books. Translate, YouTube, and Maps work, because they don't require logins. Have you tried sideloading apps onto the Kindle Fire? If so, tell us in the comments below. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. How to install Google apps on Kindle Fire HD or HDX. One of the main reasons to root your Kindle Fire is so you can install the Google Play Store and have access to apps that can't be found in the Amazon Appstore. But if you're worried about voiding the warranty or dealing with the rooting process in general, you can sideload apps. The cool thing about this technique is it doesn't require you to root the device first. Here's how to get most of the Google apps on your Kindle Fire HD or HDX. For this article I'm using the latest 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX, which runs Amazon's customized version of Android 4.2. This should work the same on the 8.9-inch version too. Keep in mind that when sideloading these apps, not all of the features will work correctly. For instance, on the app, the cards don't load like they would on a or other Android device. All of the APK (the Android application format) files offered here are free, malware free, and free to distribute. What is sideloading and how do I do it? Sideloading is the term used to describe installing an app on your Android device from a source other than an official app store. Basically, what you're doing is transferring an APK file from your computer to your tablet or and installing it directly. Since the Kindle Fire runs a forked version of Android, this is a common practice to get the apps you like on the device. Before you can sideload an app on the Kindle Fire HD or HDX, you need to enable the feature that allows you to install apps from unknown sources. To do that, go to Settings > Applications and make sure "Apps from Unknown Sources" is turned on. Enable installation of apps from unknown sources. Next, download this zip file and extract its contents to a convenient location on your computer. The zip file includes the four essential apps you need to install first. These are the four Google APK files you'll need to install first. Connect your Kindle Fire to your computer using the included micro-USB cable and transfer the four APKs you just downloaded to your Kindle's Download folder. Transfer Google APK files to the Download folder on Kindle Fire HDX. Make sure you have ES File Explorer on your Kindle Fire. It's free and available in Amazon's Appstore. This will give you access to the APKs you transfer to your tablet. You'll find the files in Local > Home > Download . ES File Explorer allows you to access the Kindle Fire Download folder. Now perform the following steps in order: Tap to install Google Account Manager and reboot the tablet. Tap to install Google Services Framework and reboot the tablet. Tap to install Google Play Services and reboot the tablet. Tap to install Gmail and reboot the tablet. Install the required Google apps on the Kindle Fire. Installing Google apps. After those four apps are installed, open the Gmail app (you'll find it listed under the Apps section on the Kindle Fire) and sign in with your Google account. After signing in at the screen shown below, you'll be kicked to the web version of Google to sign in again. Sign in with your Google account credentials. When you're signing in, you'll see various messages about different Google services stopping. You can just tap through them. This is one of the caveats with sideloading Google apps and running them – the apps will still work, it's just kind of annoying having the occasional alert pop up like the one in the screenshot below. Google processes will stop, just tap OK to continue on. Once you're signed in, you'll be able to run the Gmail app on your Kindle Fire. Here's an example of it running on my Kindle Fire HDX. Gmail app running on Kindle Fire HDX. Now you can continue to sideload the Google apps you want to use following the same process as above. Transfer them to the Download folder on the Kindle Fire, just like you did with the first set of apps. Copy Google apps to the Download folder on the Kindle Fire HD or HDX. Open ES File Explorer, open the Download folder, and tap to install the Google apps you want. For best results, I recommend installing one app at a time and rebooting after each one. Use ES File Explorer to Install Google apps. Just click on the following apps to download the APK file and sideload it on the Kindle Fire. In my tests, each of the following work with little to no bugs: Chrome, YouTube, Google Search, Google Music, Google Play Movies, Gmail, and Newsstand. Running the official Google Music app on Kindle Fire HD and HDX. Summing up. You can find other Google app files in Android forums or an APK repository site like Android Drawer. A word of caution about sideloading apps: Ensure you're getting them from a trusted and secure source. Some apps – especially the ones that claim to give you paid apps for free – in the shady markets contain malware that will wreck you device. We don't condone sideloading paid apps, and in the end it will just get you into trouble. But as long as you're careful and download the apps from a trusted source you should be ok. While some of the app features don't work the same as on a typical Android device, and the error messages that pop up are a bit annoying, it isn't a deal-breaker. As long as you're able to overlook those caveats and live in the Google ecosystem, sideloading the apps is something you should definitely try. How-To Install Google Android Apps On Your Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire is an inexpensive and powerful tablet that runs on a stream less Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. One of the downsides to the Kindle Fire is that it only allows users to access Amazon's App Store whereas other more expensive Android tablets give users access to the large and endless Android Market. If you are looking to access the entire Android Market from your new Kindle Fire, you can root your Fire and install the Google Android Market. The process is somewhat difficult and for those who are less tech savvy, it may not be worth the risk. However, if you're looking to download a few Google Android apps without the hassle of rooting your Kindle Fire, we offer you five easy steps for downloading any Android application onto your new Kindle Fire adapted from KindleFireTips. How-To Download a Google Android App onto Your New Kindle Fire: 1. Go to the settings of your Kindle Fire by tapping the top part of the screen. Click More. Once you're in the Kindle Fire settings, select Device. Where it says Allow Installation of Application, change your Kindle Fire settings from Off to On.