Kodi, a free open source media player software that gives users access to a massive content library, is steadily growing in popularity.
While the app is easy to use on PCs and laptops, users can also install Kodi in a variety of other devices. Here is a tutorial on how to get the software into three TV-focused hardware namely the Amazon Fire TV Stick, the Roku TV, and the Apple TV.
How To Install Kodi On Amazon Fire TV Stick
Installing Kodi on the Amazon Fire TV Stick used to be much simpler back when the app was available on the Amazon store. Fortunately, there are still a few ways to install Kodi on the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
The easiest way to get Kodi into the Amazon Fire TV Stick involves the ES File Explorer. To get the app into the device, the Amazon Fire TV Stick's USB power cable needs to be plugged into a spare USB port or with a power adapter. Afterwards, follow these steps:
* Enter the Developer Options menu under System in Settings and turn on Apps from unknown sources.
* Install ES File Explorer, found in the popular Fire TV apps section. Open the app then select Favorite and Add. Enter the link "https://kodi.tv/download" and name it as Kodi.
* Open the Kodi link, look for Kodi Android apps, and then choose the ARM version. Afterwards, move to the three dots at the bottom right of the screen and choose the Open in New Browser option.
* The latest version of Kodi will now be downloaded into the Amazon Fire TV Stick. After the download is complete, select the Open File option followed by the Install option. This will complete the installation of Kodi on the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
The above method, however, sometimes does not work for some users. An alternative method is to use Apps2Fire, a free app from the Google Play Store that transfers Android packages from an Android smartphone into the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
* Install Apps2Fire on an Android smartphone that also has Kodi installed.
* In the Developer Options menu, also turn on the ADS Debugging option.
* Take note of the IP address of the Amazon Fire TV Stick under the Network option in the About menu, also under the System option of Settings.
* Launch Apps2Fire and enter the IP address of the Amazon Fire TV Stick in set-up. Open the menu of Apps2Fire, select Upload apps, and select Kodi to install the software on the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
How To Install Kodi On Roku TV
Getting Kodi on the Roku TV, compared to the Amazon Fire TV Stick, is much more complicated. To get Kodi content on a Roku-powered TV, the best way would be to use Miracast, which is a screen mirroring protocol.
Miracast will not technically install Kodi on the Roku TV, though. Instead, it will mirror the screens of Windows and Android devices, which can easily run Kodi, on the Roku TV.
A word of warning, though, as Miracast is not very reliable with its dropped streams and prevalent lagging despite strong wireless connections.
How To Install Kodi On Apple TV
Installing Kodi on the fourth-generation Apple TV will require a Mac, Xcode 7.2 or later, an iOS App Singer utility, the most recent Kobi.dev file for Apple TV's tvOS, an active Apple Developer account, and a USB-C to USB-A cable.
* Plug in the Apple TV into the Mac through the USB-C to USB-A cable then launch Xcode and create a new project. Choose application under tvOS and then Single View Application.
* The project should be given a product name, an organization name and a bundle identifier, which can be anything. An error will pop up after trying to save the project, which is expected, and then click on the Fix Issue option.
* Users will then be prompted to sign in with the Apple Developer account. Xcode will then resolve the problem and create a provisioning profile.
* Select Apple TV from the drop-down box located at the top of Xcode then launch the iOS App Signer and select the Signing Certificate. The Provisioning Profile should then be selected as the created project. The Input File is referring to the Kodi.deb file and the App Display Name is what the name of the app will be on the Apple TV. Once all fields are filled out, select Start to have the iOS App Signer create an IPA that is ready to be installed in the Apple TV.
* In Xcode, select the Devices option under Window, select the connected Apple TV then add the IPA file under the Installed Apps list to install Kodi on the Apple TV.
Other Kodi Installation Tutorials
We have published other Kodi installation tutorials focused on the Raspberry Pi, the Nvidia Shield Android TV, and the iPad and iPhone. Be sure to check them out as well if you are interested in getting the app into these devices.
