How to Install and Run Android TV on Raspberry Pi

by Natalie

Raspberry Pi is a revolutionary brainchild. It is a tiny board that is capable of performing great wonders. It is a small piece of hardware that helps you complete the most complex tasks. Raspberry Pi is an Operating System developed by Raspberry Pi Foundation and is used on a single circuit board computer. It is cheap, easy to use, and a very useful piece of technology in today’s world. To enhance the performance of your android tv, you can run Android tv on Raspberry Pi. The android tv box acts as an interface that allows you to run multiple operating systems on your device. This blog will detail how to create an Android TV Box with Raspberry Pi.

Raspberry Pi Versions For Android TV

There are many different versions of Raspberry Pi available on the market, the ones that can be used to increase the performance of your TV are:

  • Raspberry Pi 3
  • Raspberry Pi 3 B+
  • Raspberry Pi 4

How to Install Android TV on Raspberry Pi 4

To install Raspberry Pi on your TV, the things that you need are:

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB or 8GB)
  • MicroSD Card (16GB or more)
  • Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply
  • Keyboard and Mouse (USB)
  • Flash Drive
  • HDMI cable
  • Ethernet Cable or WiFi Connection
Raspberry Pi

Install Android TV on Raspberry Pi 4

To install the TV on your Raspberry Pi, you need to download some files.

1. Select the browser on your PC and visit https://konstakang.com/devices/rpi4/.

Select the Android TV file

2. Click on LineageOS 17.1 Android TV – KonstaKANG (Android 10) or LineageOS 18.1 Android TV – KonstaKANG (Android 11) or LineageOS 19 Android TV – KonstaKANG (Android 12L).

Note: Raspberry Pi 4 works better on Android 10 and 11 versions. On the Android 12L version, there are some problems that cause Raspberry Pi 4 not to work properly.

3. Now, go to https://opengapps.org/?arch=arm&api=10.0&variant=tvstock.

4. Select ARM under Platform, choose the Android Version under Android, and select tvstock under Variant.

Select the Download icon

5. Click on the Download icon to download the GApps package.

6. Again, visit https://www.balena.io/etcher/. Choose your OS and click on Download.

Select Download

7. Install Balena Etcher on your PC.

8. Connect your SD card to the PC and open Balena Etcher.

9. Click on the Flash form file and select the LineageOS file.

Select Flash From File

10. Click on Select Target and choose your SD card.

Select

11. Select Flash, and the LineageOS file will be installed on your SD card.

12. Now, remove the SD card from your PC and connect to the Flash Drive.

13. Format the Flash Drive with the Fat32 File System.

FAT32 File System

14. Copy and Paste the GApps file on the drive.

15. Insert the SD Card, the HDMI cable, Ethernet cable, and USB cable for the keyboard and mouse, and connect the Raspberry Pi 4 to the TV.

16. Lastly, connect the power cord to Raspberry Pi 4 and turn it on.

17. You have now booted Raspberry Pi 4 on your Android TV.

Note: This process will take about 2-5 minutes.

18. Follow the on-screen instruction to finish the setup process.

Related: Android vs Smart TV – What’s the difference?

How to Use Keyboard on Android TV

Now that you have installed the tv on Raspberry Pi 4, you need to learn how to control the Android tv with the Keyboard:

  • F1 – Home
  • F2 – Back
  • F3 – View open apps
  • F4 – Menu
  • F5 – Power
  • F11 – Volume Down
  • F12 – Volume Up

Run Android TV on Raspberry Pi 4

1. Connect the Flash Drive to your TV or Raspberry Pi 4.

2. Select Apps on the home screen and choose Files.

Select Apps

3. Click on the USB folder and copy the GApps file.

Select File on Android TV on Raspberry Pi

4. Go to the Raspberry Pi 4 folder and paste the file.

5. Now, press F2 to go back to the home screen.

6. Select the Settings icon on the top left side of the screen and choose Device Preferences.

Select Device Preferences

7. Choose About and navigate to Build. Keep clicking on Build until you see a message saying, “You have enabled development settings.

Click on Build

8. Go back to Device Preferences and select Developer options. Click on Advanced reboot and enable it.

Note: Go to Device Preferences > Raspberry Pi Settings > Overclick > 2000 MHz. And also, Enable SSH.

9. Now, return to Device Preferences and select About > Restart > Recovery. The Raspberry Pi 4 will reboot into TWRP recovery mode.

Select Recovery

10. On the TWRP recovery mode, select Swipe to Allow Modifications.

Select Swipe to Allow Modifications

11. Choose Install and select the GApps Zip file. Swipe to confirm Flash.

Select Install on Android TV on Raspberry Pi

12. Once the installation is done, click on Reboot and choose System.

Select System to reboot Android TV on Raspberry Pi

13. Your Raspberry Pi will reboot again, and it will look for an IR remote. Press the back (F2) button a couple of times to go to the Android TV welcome screen.

14. Here, choose your language, enter your Google account to sign in, and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the setup process.

15. Now, there will be a lot of apps available on the Android TV home screen.

Android TV on Raspberry Pi

How to Install Android TV on Raspberry Pi 3 and 3 B+

The steps to install Android tv on Raspberry Pi 3/3 B+ may differ a little, but overall it is the same process. To install it on Raspberry Pi, you need to have:

  • Raspberry Pi 3 or Raspberry Pi 3 B+
  • MicroSD Card
  • Raspberry Pi power supply
  • USB Keyboard and mouse
  • Flash Drive
  • HDMI cable
  • Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi connection.

Install Android TV on Raspberry Pi 3 and 3B +

1. Turn on your PC, and select the browser.

2. Visit https://konstakang.com/devices/rpi3/LineageOS15.1/ and download the LineageOS file.

3. Now, go to https://opengapps.org/ and select ARM, 8.1, and Pico on Platform, Android, and Variant.

4. Again, visit https://www.balena.io/etcher/ and download the file based on your OS.

5. Install Balena Etcher on your PC and open Balena Etcher.

6. Insert the SD card on the PC and click on the Flash form file.

7. Select the LineageOS file.

8. Click on Select Target and choose your SD card.

9. Select Flash, and the LineageOS file will be installed on your SD card.

10. Now, remove the SD card from your PC and connect to the Flash Drive.

11. Format the Flash Drive with the Fat32 File System.

12. Copy and Paste the GApps file on the drive.

13. Connect the SD Card, the HDMI cable, Ethernet cable, and USB cable for the keyboard & mouse on the Raspberry Pi 3 and 3+.

14. Connect the Raspberry Pi 3 or 3 B+ to the TV and power on Raspberry Pi after connecting it to the power cord.

15. You have now booted Raspberry Pi 3 or 3 B+ on your Android TV.

Run Android TV on Raspberry Pi 3 or 3 B+

1. Connect the Flash Drive to your TV or Raspberry Pi 4.

2. Select Apps on the home screen and choose Files.

3. Click on the USB folder and copy the GApps file.

4. Go to Raspberry Pi 3 or 3 B+ folder and paste the file.

5. Now, press F2 to go back to the home screen.

6. Select the Settings icon on the top left side of the screen and choose System.

7. Choose About tablet and navigate to Build Number. Keep clicking on Build until you see a message saying, “You have enabled development settings.”

Click on Build number

8. Go back to System and select Developer options. Next, click on Root access and choose Apps and ADB.

Select Apps and ADB

9. A Warning terminal will appear on the screen and select OK.

10. On Developer options, navigate to the Local terminal and enable it. It will allow you to access the terminal, where you can enter commands through the keyboard.

Enable Local Terminal

11. Go back to the Android home screen and launch the Terminal app. Your device will ask you whether to allow Terminal to access photos, media, and more. Select Allow.

12. Enter su on the terminal, and you will receive a Privacy Guard message.

Select Allow

13. Click on Remember my choice and select Allow.

14. Again, enter rpi3-recovery.sh. It will load the reboot script.

Enter rpi3-recovery.sh - Android TV on Raspberry Pi

15. Now, enter reboot, and your Raspberry Pi will boot into the TWRP recovery mode.

16. Select Install and click on Select Storage. Choose your Flash Drive from the list.

17. Choose your GApps file and select Install Zip.

18. Checkmark Reboot after installation is complete and Swipe to confirm Flash.

19. When the reboot is over, you will have access to Play Store.

How to Expand Android TV Space on Raspberry Pi

If you find that the space available for your Android TV is not enough and you want more space. It can be done easily because, by default, the space in the SD card will not be available for you in full. Only a certain portion will be available for you to use. To gain access to the entire SD card space, follow the steps below:

1. On your PC, download the resize package for Android TV.

2. Copy and paste the file on the Flash Drive connected to your PC.

3. Go to Recovery Mode on Android TV using the methods mentioned above.

4. On the TWRP recovery mode, select Install.

5. Choose the lineage-18.1-rpi-resize-konstakang.zip file and Swipe to confirm Flash.

6. Once the installation and partition are done, click on Reboot.

Select Reboot

7. Select System, and the Raspberry Pi will reboot. Now, you will have access to the entire SD card space.

Related: Best Android TV file managers to install in 2022.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Is Raspberry Pi a streaming box?

Yes, Raspberry Pi is a kind of streaming box.

2) How to Change your Android TV interface?

You will find the Raspberry Pi Lineage OS and Android TV OS look the same, so if you want to configure your Android TV interface, open the Play Store and sign in with your account. Then, install ATV Launcher Free to change your tv interface.

3) What are the alternatives for Raspberry Pi?

The alternatives for Raspberry Pi are Xiaomi Mi Box S, Beelink GT King, Nvidia Shield TV, and more.

4) How to solve Raspberry Pi not performing well?

Check whether there is any damage to the SD card. If there is damage, replace the SD card with a new one. Check whether you are using the approved Raspberry Pi power supply. If not, use the approved version. These are the ways to solve Raspberry Pi performance.

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