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This is what you must do to install Kodi on an Android TV without using the Google Play Store

If you like to have one multimedia library always at hand and well structured, surely you know an application like Kodi. Heir to the XBMC media player (Xbox Media Center) after the timely change of name, it was in 2015 when it made the leap and debuted in Google Play Store to facilitate installation on any device.

We are talking about mobiles, tablets, televisions … almost anything goes as long as it has Android as the operating system. But that it is available in the Google Play Store does not mean that it is the only way to install it. Getting Kodi is very easy and here we will see as you can get on an Android TV without having to go through the app store.

Kodi step by step

If until recently we have had Kodi Leia 18.8, for a few days version 18.9 is now available for download, also from the same branch. And although you can use Google Play, it is possible to skip that step. In fact, if you already have Kodi installed on your TV, you will see a warning message on the screen inviting you to visit Kodi.tv to get the latest version.

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And that’s what I’ve done. You can visit the Kodi page from the browser that the TV itself has or to avoid dealing with the remote control keyboard or voice control, do it from your mobile or PC. The goal is to download the latest version available.

Upon entering, if you look at the screen, you will see in the upper right a button with the text “Download”. In the new screen that opens you will have to choose the operating system in which you are going to use Kodi (in this case Android) and then be careful, because it is important, download the compatible version. In my case and for the test I have used the 32-bit version.

If you download it from the TV, it will be stored in it and if you do it from the PC or mobile you will have to transfer it to a flash drive that then connect via USB to the TV. Y this is where the installation begins.

Typically, the TV does not have a file browser or this is very limited. To be able to “scan” all documents and files both locally and in external memories I use File Commander, although on Google Play you have many options to choose from. With this explorer we will have access to the folder in which we have installed the .apk file.

It is enough then to click on it, as we would do on the mobile, and choose install on TV. If it is not compatible, the installation will not progress and we will see an error message. The Android package installer is always used, although in this case and since I have APK Mirror installed, it asks me which one I want to choose.

If on the contrary, it is successful, it will be enough to exit our browser and start Kodi normally to check how it has been installed / updated successfully.