How to Install Third-Party Apps on Smart TV (Sideload APK)

Table of Contents

• Can You Install Third-Party Apps on Any Smart TV?
• First: Allow Installs from Unknown Sources
• Method 1: Install APKs with the Downloader App
• Method 2: Send the APK from Your Phone Wirelessly
• Method 3: Install from a USB Flash Drive
• Method 4: Sideload with ADB (Advanced)
• What About Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) TVs?
• Stay Safe: Sideloading Rules to Follow
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Guides

Yes — on Android TV, Google TV, and Fire TV devices you can install third-party apps by sideloading APK files. Just allow "Install unknown apps" in Settings, download the APK from a trusted source, and install it with the Downloader app, a USB drive, or a wireless transfer app. The whole process takes about five minutes. Note that Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) TVs cannot install APK files at all — for those you need a different approach, covered below.

The official app store on your TV only shows a fraction of the apps that actually work on it. Developers often never list their apps for TV, even when the app runs perfectly on a big screen. Sideloading unlocks popular apps like VLC, Kodi, SmartTube, RetroArch, and full web browsers. This guide shows you four verified methods, from easiest to most advanced, plus the honest truth about Samsung and LG TVs.

Can You Install Third-Party Apps on Any Smart TV?

It depends entirely on your TV's operating system. Here is the quick breakdown:

• Android TV / Google TV (Sony, TCL, Hisense, Philips, Nvidia Shield, Google TV Streamer) — Yes. Full APK sideloading works.
• Fire TV / Fire TV Stick (Fire OS) — Yes. Sideloading works via Developer Options. Note: the newest Fire TV Sticks run Vega OS, which does not support APK installation at all — only the Amazon Appstore.
• Samsung Smart TV (Tizen OS) — No APK support. Tizen cannot run Android APK files. Limited developer-mode options exist (see below).
• LG Smart TV (webOS) — No APK support. Apps can only come from the LG Content Store.

If you own a Samsung or LG TV and the app you want is not in its store, the practical fix is a cheap external streaming device (Fire TV Stick, Chromecast with Google TV, or any Android TV box) plugged into an HDMI port. That gives you the full Android app world on any TV.

First: Allow Installs from Unknown Sources

Before any sideloading method works, you must give your TV permission to install apps from outside the official store. You only do this once — the setting stays on.

On Android TV: Go to Settings → Apps → Security & Restrictions → Unknown Sources, and enable it for the app that will open the APK (for example, Downloader or your file manager).

On Google TV: Go to Settings → Privacy → Security → Unknown apps, then allow the specific app (Downloader, File Commander, etc.). On some Google TV versions you first need to enable Developer Mode by going to Settings → System → About and clicking the Android TV OS build seven times.

On Fire TV (Fire OS): Go to Settings → My Fire TV → Developer Options → Install Unknown Apps, then turn it on for Downloader. If Developer Options is hidden, go to My Fire TV → About and click the device name seven times to unlock it.

Method 1: Install APKs with the Downloader App

This is the easiest method and the one most people should use. Downloader is a free app made for exactly this job.

1. Open the Google Play Store (or Amazon Appstore on Fire TV) on your TV and install the Downloader app.
2. Open Downloader. The first time, allow it to access files when asked, and allow it to install unknown apps (see the section above).
3. In Downloader's address box, type the direct download URL of the APK you want (for example, from the app's official website) and press Go.
4. Wait for the download to finish. An installation screen appears — select Install.
5. When done, select Done. The app now appears in your TV's app list.

Downloader also supports short numeric codes that some websites publish, which saves typing long URLs with a TV remote.

Method 2: Send the APK from Your Phone Wirelessly

If you already have the APK on your phone, you can beam it straight to the TV over Wi-Fi — no cables, no typing URLs.

1. Install Send Files to TV (or LocalSend) on both your Android phone and your TV from the Play Store.
2. Make sure both devices are on thesame Wi-Fi network.
3. On your phone, open the app, select the APK file, and choose Send. Pick your TV from the device list.
4. On the TV, accept the incoming file. It lands in the Downloads or Received Files folder.
5. Open the APK with a file manager (File Commander or FX File Explorer, both free on the Play Store) and tap Install.

Transfer speed depends on your Wi-Fi, but on a modern router an APK typically arrives in seconds.

Method 3: Install from a USB Flash Drive

The most reliable method with zero network dependency:

1. On your computer, copy the APK file to a USB flash drive formatted as FAT32 or exFAT.
2. Plug the drive into your TV's USB port.
3. Open a file manager on the TV (install File Commander from the Play Store if you do not have one). Your USB drive appears in the sidebar.
4. Navigate to the APK file, select it, and choose Install on the confirmation screen.

This works on Nvidia Shield, Sony Bravia, TCL, Hisense, Philips, and any Android/Google TV with a USB port.

Method 4: Sideload with ADB (Advanced)

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) installs apps from your computer over the network. It is the fallback when nothing else works, and the method developers use.

1. On the TV, enable Developer Options (Settings → System → About → click Build seven times), then turn on USB debugging or Network debugging.
2. On your computer, install the Android platform tools (search "Android SDK platform tools" for your system).
3. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network. On the computer, run adb connect [TV-IP-address] and accept the prompt on the TV.
4. Run adb install path/to/app.apk. A success message confirms the install.

You only need the TV's IP address, found under Settings → Network on the TV.

What About Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) TVs?

Let's be blunt: APK files will never work on Samsung or LG TVs because those are Android packages and these TVs do not run Android.

Samsung (Tizen): The only semi-official route is Developer Mode — open the Apps screen, press 1-2-3-4-5 on the remote, toggle Developer Mode on, and use Tizen Studio on a computer to install TPK (Tizen package) files. This is genuinely complicated, most apps are not available as TPK files anyway, and on TVs made after 2020 the old settings-menu path for unknown sources is gone entirely.

LG (webOS): LG allows app installs only from the LG Content Store. There is no supported sideloading path for regular users.

The practical answer for both: plug in a Fire TV Stick, Chromecast with Google TV, or Android TV box (all inexpensive) and sideload freely on that device instead. You keep your TV and gain the entire Android app ecosystem.

Stay Safe: Sideloading Rules to Follow

Sideloading bypasses the store's security checks, so follow these rules:

• Download only from trusted sources: APKMirror, F-Droid, or the app developer's official website. Random APK sites are the number one source of TV malware.
• Keep Google Play Protect on. It still scans sideloaded apps.
• Check permissions. A video player has no business asking for your contacts.
• Avoid "free premium" apps. Cracked versions of paid apps are the most common malware carriers.
• Update manually. Sideloaded apps do not auto-update — check the source site for newer versions every few months.
• If a sideloaded app misbehaves, uninstall it from Settings → Apps like any normal app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sideloading apps on a smart TV legal?

Yes. Installing an app from outside the store is legal — you are simply choosing a different installation source. What matters is the app itself: stick to legitimate apps and your own media, and avoid pirated content.

Will sideloading void my TV warranty?

On Android TV and Google TV, enabling unknown sources and installing apps is a built-in, supported feature — it does not void the warranty. Digging into service menus or unofficial firmware is a different story, but normal sideloading is safe.

Why is my sideloaded app not showing on the home screen?

Some TV launchers hide apps that were not installed from the store. Open Settings → Apps to find and launch it, or install a custom launcher like Wolf Launcher that shows everything.

Can I sideload apps on a Samsung or LG TV?

Not APK files — Samsung runs Tizen and LG runs webOS, neither of which can run Android apps. Use an external Android streaming stick for sideloading on those TVs.

Do sideloaded apps update automatically?

No. The Play Store does not manage them, so check the original download source every few months and install the newer APK over the old one — your settings are kept.

What are the best apps to sideload on a TV?

The most popular are VLC (plays every video format), Kodi (full media center), SmartTube (YouTube without ads), RetroArch (retro games), and Aptoide TV (an alternative TV app store).

Related Guides

• How to Control Your TV With Your Phone (Remote Apps)
• Play Movies From USB on TV (USB Not Recognized Fix)
• Smart TV Apps Crashing or Not Opening? Fix
• Clear Cache & Free Storage on Smart TV (Storage Full Fix)

About the Author — IW Official

A hands-on TV repair technician with years of experience fixing LED, LCD and Smart TVs. Runs a YouTube channel sharing practical, step-by-step TV repair videos, and writes in-depth troubleshooting guides so you can fix it yourself.