As we all know, there is not much difference between an Android TV and Fire TV Stick when it comes to the core system. Both of them run Android OS under the hood and support the APK format to package and install apps. That said, on the surface, both platforms look quite distinct and in fact, run heavily modified services to offer apps and programs. So APK sideloading on Fire TV Stick is not as straightforward as one would think. However, we bring you an exhaustive guide to sideload Android APKs on Fire TV Stick. So on that note, let’s go through the tutorial.
Of all the methods, SFTV is the easiest way to sideload Android APKs on Fire TV Stick. And I think for most users, it will suffice the need. However, we have mentioned two more ways to sideload Android APKs on Fire TV Stick. You can go through all the methods from the links below.
- Send Files to TV App
- Apps2Fire
- Sideload APK on Fire TV Stick from Computer
Send Files to TV App
First and foremost, download the “Total Commander” app on your Fire TV Stick. It allows you to locate the Android APK on your Fire TV’s internal storage. To do so, press and hold the “Alexa” button on the remote and say “Total Commander app“. It will take you to the installation page. Click on “Get” to install it.
Once you have transferred the APK, open Total Commander and locate the APK. For example, I transferred the Duo APK so it’s available in the Download folder.
Keep in mind, some Android apps won’t be able to run on Fire TV Stick because Fire TV OS is a highly modified Android OS. For example, Duo didn’t work on Fire TV because it relies on Google’s services which are missing on Fire TV Stick. Nevertheless, go ahead and check if your Android APK works on Fire TV Stick.
Apps2Fire is another way you can sideload Android APKs on your Fire TV Stick. This process is pretty seamless as you don’t have to install any apps on your Fire TV Stick. However, it’s a bit technical and requires a bit of network understanding, but it’s certainly doable. Here is how to go about it.
Next, go back and open “About” under the same page. Here, move to “Network” and note down the “IP Address“. You will need it later.
On your smartphone, you will get a “Connected” prompt after a successful connection.
Note: I would recommend installing a fresh APK from internal storage as local apps were failing to get installed in my testing.
This is another way to sideload Android APKs on Fire TV Stick using ADB and it can be done through a computer. This is how it goes.
Similar to the above method, open Settings and move to My Fire TV -> Developer Options -> ADB Debugging -> Turn it on.
You will get a prompt on your Fire TV Stick. Enable the checkbox and click on “OK“. If the Terminal shows connection failed then run the above command again and this time it should be connected.
So these are the three methods you can try for installing third-party Android apps on your Fire TV Stick. As I have mentioned above, the SFTV method is the most seamless and easier to perform. However, if that does not work for you then you can go through the other two methods.
