Google does not believe Chrome is necessary in its operating system for TVs and that is why it does not include it among the applications that you can use. It is not a browser prepared to control with a remote control and it does not come by default. But yes you can download Chrome on Android TV or Google TV if you want to navigate from the TV, although it will take you several steps to do so. It is not difficult but it is somewhat longer than downloading a simple application like you do with Netflix or any game.
You can’t use Google Chrome natively on Android TV because you will not find it in the applications that the operating system allows to download. But that does not allow it from the settings does not mean that you will not be able to have the browser on the device or on the Smart TV. Yes you can, but the steps are somewhat more complex, although it will only take a few minutes to do so to be able to browse the Internet without having to settle for the browsers that usually come by default.
Install Chrome on Google TV
We will need to download the Chrome application in .apk format, the Android application format that is not downloaded from the official store but from other secondary stores. Once you have the application, you must take it to the TV where you will have previously installed an app capable of reading APK files and installing them correctly. But we explain it to you step by step.
Download Google Chrome
The first thing you need is to have Google Chrome in .apk format and for that you must download the file from an application store or specialized website. There are pages like APKMirorr where you can download it for free without any complications and where you will see a large number of versions and variants available that we can download. Check for the latest version and updated and tap on the download icon next to it.
It is recommended that you do it from your mobile phone to be able to send it to TV quickly through one of the applications that we will explain below. Just go to APKMirror or to the Uptodown website, search for Chrome and download some of the recent versions available. Also on the computer if you want to use a pendrive, as we will explain later.
Sends the file to the TV
Once we have the APK on our mobile, we must download an application that allows us to send content from the phone to the TV and that is compatible with Google TV or Android TV. There are many available, but one of the ones you can use is Send files to TV by Yablio since it is simple, fast and without registration.
You must download it on your mobile phone and on Google TV. Once it is in sides, you must choose “Send” from your smartphone and “Receive” from TV. Choose the .APK file that you have on your phone and it will start sending to the TV for us to install later. Once the transfer is complete, we move on to the next step to install Chrome on Google TV.
Another option to send or transfer the file is to use a USB stick. All you have to do is download the APK on your computer and transfer it to a pendrive that you have at home. You must insert that pendrive into the television and with a file management application (there are many available in the “tools” section) you can access the content to have it and follow the following steps. The drawback of the pendrive is that you will not be able to use it in the case of a device like the Chromecast with Google TV, although you can use it with a normal Smart TV with an available USB port.
APK Installer
We must have an installer APK on Android TV or Google TV and the Spanish application store Uptodown has an app available that you can find in the TV menu. APK Installer By Uptodown is compatible with Android TV and Google TV operating systems, so you just have to look for it in the tools catalog and download it since it will be in charge of installing the APK.
But you must bear in mind that Google TV does not allow any application to install APK files so there are some price steps that we must follow to activate administrator permissions and grant permissions to the installer:
- Open Google TV settings
- Go to the System section
- Look for the “Information” section
- Scroll to “Android TV OS build”
- Press the button on the controller for several times
- A message will appear stating that you are a developer
- Go to settings again
- Look for the “Privacy” section
- Scroll down the menu to “Security and restrictions”
- Go to the first section: Unknown sources
Here you will have to give APK Installer By Uptodown permission to install apps from unknown sources. This is locked by default, but if you have followed the previous steps you will have permission to activate the switch. Keep in mind that if you have not followed the steps to have administrator permissions, you will not be able to give Uptodown permission to manage the apks.
Once you’ve done this, go back to the main menu and open APK Installer by Uptodown, which will show you three buttons: Install / Manage Applications / Browse Files. Tap on the first one and the APK files on the Chromecast will appear. In this case, the one you just transferred will appear following the instructions.
See the app
So far you may have done everything right but the application will not be seen in the Google TV interface with the others, so you may think that you have made a mistake in the process. There is no error if you have followed all the previous steps, but it simply will not appear as such if we do not install a launchers. There are many recommendable launchers in the section of “Tools” so make sure that the one you install is compatible with your specific version of the operating system, which may change depending on when you read these instructions.
Once you have it, you just have to run it and you will see the Google Chrome application on the screen and you will be able to use the browser. You can connect a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse to the TV if you want it to be more comfortable to navigate.
Alternatives
If you have Android TV or Google TV on your television or in your “box” (it could be the Chromecast, for example), an alternative to seeing Chrome on the screen is to use the possibility of sending the content from another device. You just have to send it from your laptop, mobile phone, tablet. If you want someone watch something on the big TV screen and not all together with the smartphone, this is a much faster alternative that does not involve installing anything. For example, if you are looking for flights for a trip with friends and you want everyone to see the search engine in large size to follow the process, give their opinion or advise. In that case, you just have to make sure that your phone or your computer and the Smart TV are connected to the same WiFi network.
If so, go to the upper right corner of Google Chrome and tap on the three dots that you will find above your account profile photo. Here the browser settings or options menu will open and you will find “Send …”. Choose the device you want to send the browser screen to. In this case, the Smart TV or the Chromecast. It will automatically be reflected on TV and they will be able to see what you do.
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