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Android TVs have more than 5000+ apps available in the Play Store. You can find apps from categories like Music, movies, Entertainment, Browser, and more. To download these apps on your Android TV, you can use the Google Play Store. But that’s not it. There are different ways to download and install apps on Android TV. You can install any of the Android-compatible apps on your Android TV.
Ways to Install Apps on Android TV
- Using Play Store
- Sideload Apps
- Using Flielinked/Applinked Codes
How to Download Apps from Google Play Store
Downloading apps on Android TV with the help of the Google Play Store is the most common way. It is simple and easy too.
1. Go to your Android TV home screen.
2. Open the Apps section.
3. Choose the Google Play Store to open it.

4. You can see the Search icon on the top of your screen. With the help of the Search icon, you can search for the apps that you want to install on your Android TV.

5. After searching, select the app from the results.
6. Click on the Install button to install the app on your Android TV.

How to Sideload Apps on Android TV
Sideloading means installing the apps that are not available on your Google Play Store of your Android TV. There are two methods to sideload apps on your Android Smart TV.
Using Downloader
APK (Android Application Package) are apps that do not have an official app in the Play Store. You can also download such apps on your Android TV with the help of the Downloader app. You can install the Downloader app on your Android TV from the Play Store using the steps mentioned above. After installing the Downloader app, go to Android TV Settings. Choose the Device Preference option and select the Security & Restrictions feature. Select the Unknown Sources option and enable the Install Unknown Apps toggle for the Downloader app.

1. Open the Downloader app on your Android TV. Make sure that you allow the needed permissions to the Downloader app on your Android TV.
2. Enter the AFTVnews plugin URL (browser.aftvnews.com) on the search box.
3. Click the GO button to install the AFTVnews plugin in the Downloader app. This plugin will allow the Downloader app to install APK files.

4. Then, enter the URL of the APK that you want to download on your Android TV.
5. Click the Go button to download the APK file.
6. Tap the Install button to install the APK file.
7. If the installed APK file is not appearing on the Apps list, install the Sideload Launcher on your Android TV. In the latest version of Android TV, you cannot access the APK files on your Android TV without the Sideload Launcher app.
Use Android Smartphone
For this method, you have to connect your Android Smartphone and Android TV to the same WiFi network.
1. First, download the apk file on your Android Smartphone that you want to sideload on your Android Smart TV.
2. Then, install Send Files to TV app on your Android Smartphone and as well as on your Android Smart TV.

3. Open the Send Files to TV app on your Android TV.
4. Click the Receive button.

5. Similarly, open the app on your Android Smartphone and click the Send button.
6. Choose the APK file that you want to send to your Android TV and click the Send button.
7. From the list of devices available, select the name of your Android Smart TV.
8. Now, the APK file will be sent to your Android TV.
9. Install the APK file and use it on your Android TV.
Use Cloud Storage

You can also use cloud storage apps like Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox on Android TV to install apps. To access the cloud storage files, you need to have any of the file manager apps on your Android TV.
1. Download the apk file on your Android Smartphone and upload it to your Google Drive account.
2. Make sure that you have the same Google account on your Android Smartphone as well as on your Android Smart TV.
3. Open any of the file manager apps on your Android Smart TV.
4. Click on the Menu option and select Add Cloud Account.
5. Select Google Drive and sign in with your Google account.
6. Go to My Drive, where the apk file is located, and select that apk file.
7. After that, install the application on your Android Smart TV.
How to Download Apps on Android TV Using Filelinked/Applinked Codes

AppLinked and Filelinked are popular application manager apps for Android devices. Using the application manager, you can install apps using the app codes. For that, you have to install the Filelinked or AppLinked app on your Android TV. Then, use the app codes to install apps on Android TV.
Useful Links
- Install Filelinked on Android TV
- Best Filelinked Codes for Android TV
- Install AppLinked on Android TV
- Best AppLinked Codes for Android TV
FAQ
You can install 3rd party apps on Android TV using Downloader or ES File Exploerer.
The Play Store is available in the Apps category of your Android TV.
All the installed apps and games will be listed in the Apps section of your Android TV.
Check out our detailed guide on how to delete apps on Android TV.