The first method is using the thumb drive. This is the simplest and most common way to sideload apps onto Android TV. To do this, you will need to first create a folder on your computer where you will store your Android TV devices. Then, you will need to create a folder on your Android TV device called " sideload “. Once you have created these folders, you will need to copy the APK files for the apps you want to sideload into the " sideload /tmp/AndroidTV/apps” folder on your Android TV device. The second method is using cloud storage services. Cloud storage services are great for sideloading apps because they offer a lot of options for choosing where to store your files. You can choose to store your files in either Google Drive or iCloud. Cloud storage services also offer a lot of features that make it easier than traditional file stores such as automatic updates and backups. The third method is using ADB environment. ADB environment is a great way to sideload apps onto Android TV because it offers many features that traditional methods don’t. ADB environment also allows you to run multiple commands at once which makes it easier than traditional methods of sideloading apps onto Android TV.

Sideload Apps on Android TV

Installing File Explorer and Removing Restrictions

Solid Explorer is a file explorer that is available on the Google Play Store. It is a great tool for users who want to explore their files quickly and easily. Solid Explorer is easy to use and can be used to find files of all types and sizes.

Solid Explorer is a new app that allows you to explore the files on your Android device in a more organized way. ..

  1. Open the Settings app and navigate to the System section.
  2. Scroll down and find the App Installation setting and change it to No.
  3. Save the changes and close the Settings app.

If you have an Apple device, you can add Unknown Sources to your security preferences to allow access to content that you don’t know is from the Apple App Store. This can help protect your device from potential threats, such as viruses and malware.

Method 1: Using Thumb Drive

If you’re looking to sideload apps on your Android TV, this is the easiest method possible. You’ll need to download the apk file(s) on your smartphone or laptop/desktop, and copy that apk file(s) to your thumb drive. You’re ready to go! ..

  1. Open the computer and type “cmd” into the search bar and hit enter.
  2. Type “ipconfig” into the command prompt and hit enter.
  3. Type “netstat -an” and hit enter.
  4. Type “ping -c 10 192.168.1.1” and hit enter. Now your computer should show a list of IP addresses that are connected to it, including 192.168.1.1 which is your thumb drive’s IP address

The three lines will change to a four-line screen. On the left-most line, you will see a list of files. Click on the file you want to open. A new window will open, with the file’s contents displayed.

I inserted the thumb drive into my computer.

Now, open the apk file. ..

Tap on the apk file to install it, if asked select Package Installer and then the Always option.

The app will be installed in a moment and can be used from the App Drawer.

That was a great success, we were able to sideload apps onto Android TV using a thumb drive.

Method 2: Using Cloud Service

We are going to use the cloud service to download the apk on our TV and then sideload apps on Android TV.

Solid Explorer is a great file explorer that allows you to access files in the cloud. You can use it to explore your files, or even create new ones.

Solid Explorer is a new app that allows users to explore their Android device’s files and folders in a more organized way. ..

Now, click on the three dots.

Storage Manager: This is where you can manage your storage space. You can add, delete, or rename files and folders. ..

After opening, click on the + icon/button to add a new post.

Cloud Storage:

  1. Google Drive:
  2. iCloud:
  3. DropBox:

This preview window will appear after you complete the login process. Click on the Next button to continue.

The Connect button will now appear in the top left corner of the screen.

Now, go back to the Solid Explorer homepage and again tap three lines.You see now see the connect cloud service, click on it.

Your cloud storage will open in while you navigate to the apk file.

To install the app, tap on the apk file. If asked, select Package Installer and then the Always option. ..

The app will be installed in a moment and can be used from the App Store. ..

That was a great accomplishment for our team, and we are very excited to continue working on this project.

Method 3: Over ADB

Setting Up ADB in our Desktop/Laptop

The process of adding an ADB account is a little tricky but those who are familiar with the application will be able to do this easily.

First, we need to set up an ADB connection in our system.

  1. Open a command prompt and type “adb”
  2. Type “fastboot devices” to see all your device’s ADB connections
  3. Type “fastboot reboot” to reboot your device

How to Install ADB and Fastboot on a Android device

C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe cd C:\Windows\system32\platform-tools Now, open the command prompt and type the following: netstat -an | grep “inet” Now, open the command prompt and type the following: ping -c 10 192.168.1.1 Now, open the command prompt and type the following: netsh wlan show lan status

To open the command prompt with the exact directory, you can use the cd command followed by the directory name. ..

In our case, the path is ‘the platform-tools/tools/activate’.

Navigation bar: Remove the path there. ..

cmd

cd /usr/local/bin sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install -y python3 python3-pip cd ..

With USB Cable

To connect your TV to your computer, you will need to use a USB cable. ..

Open the Android TV’s Build Version under the About section. Then, repeatedly press it until Developer Options are enabled. After enabling, go back to the Device Preferences menu and open Developer Options. Scroll down and enable USB debugging by toggling the switch towards the right.

Plug the USB cable into the TV and the other end into your computer. ..

ifconfig If the command returns an error, then your network connection is not working properly. ..

To install the apk on your TV, use the following command: ..

adb push /sdcard/ To install the apk, use the below command, adb install ..

We successfully sideloaded an app onto our Android TV using ADB (with USB cable).

Without USB Cable

Open the Device Preferences on your Android TV. Then go to Build Version under the About section. Now, repeatedly press it until Developer Options are enabled. After enabling, go back to the Device Preferences menu and open Developer Options. Now, enable USB debugging and Network debugging. Finally, go back to the About section and tap on Status to get the IP Address.

Now, connect your Android TV to your PC via ADB.

netstat -an | grep tcp This will show you the active TCP connections on your computer.

ping -c 3 192.168.1.1 This command will ping three different addresses and return a response indicating whether the address is properly connected or not.

TV:>install apk

adb shell pm list com.android.providers.telephony This will show you all the providers that are installed on your device and their versions.

We successfully sideloaded an app onto our Android TV using ADB (without a USB cable).

Final Verdict

These are the easiest methods available to sideload apps on Android TV. All the above mentioned methods are safe and personally tested by our team. So choose the one that suits you and install your favorite apps which are not available in Google Play Store.

This guide is designed to help you improve your writing skills. If we missed anything or you have any doubts regarding the methods, please comment down below, we will be happy to help and clear your doubts. ..