Kodi it is probably the best multimedia app to be able to index our audio and video contents and to be able to correctly manage an IPTV list. This app can be installed on any Android device but also on Smart TVs, both those equipped with Android TV (where the installation is similar to that obtainable on a smartphone or tablet), and on other TV models (in this case, we will have to use some additional devices to make the TV compatible with the Kodi app).In this guide we will show you all the steps necessary to install Kodi on Android (TV Box, smartphone and tablet), on Android TV and on any other TV in our possession, so as to be able to exploit its enormous potential at any time of the day and in any room in the house.
READ ALSO: Load IPTV lists to see on Smart TV, Android Box, Chromecast, etc.
Install Kodi on Android devices
To install Kodi on our Android smartphone or tablet, open the app Google Play Store on the device and look for Kodi in the search field above. If our operating system is compatible, we will see the button appear to Install; just press it to start downloading and installing the app.
Alternatively, we can download Kodi using the official page, available here -> Kodi.
We can follow this last procedure if we had a Web browser available with access to the same Google account used on the Android device: during the installation we select the device on which to start the download, so as to have Kodi installed in a few minutes (it is sufficient that the chosen device is connected to the Internet).
We do not have the Google Play Store, we do not want to log in or use it a TV Box without an app store? In these cases, we can install Kodi via APK, by downloading the official package of the app from its website, available here -> APK Kodi.
Scroll down on the page indicated, click on the Android icon and choose our app from ARMV7A (32bit) is ARVV8A (64bit).
The APK package download will start to install the app; if we have performed the operation from a PC, we move this file to our smartphone, tablet or TV Box using the methods described in our guide on App to send files on Android and iPhone.
If instead, we downloaded the APK directly from the Android device, it may be necessary to unlock the installation of unknown applications. To get this unlock, let’s get in Settings -> Security and we activate the voice Unknown origins; on the new generation smartphones (Android 8.0 or higher), it may be necessary to enable the installation of apps unknown to the browser in use; to do this by bringing us in App, by tapping on the browser icon, expanding the menu advanced, selecting the item Install unknown apps and activating the button next to Allow from this source.
Install Kodi on Android TV
If we have a TV with Android TV installed, we can install Kodi in a simple way as already seen for other devices with the same operating system. First, we connect our Internet TV via Ethernet cable or via Wi-Fi (depending on its location), then we open the menu or the Smart section on our TV and take it to the Google Play Store; now we follow the same steps seen above to install Kodi on our TV.
If our Android TV is not official (ie it is a TV with a simple version of Android, without an official app store), we can always install Kodi via APK. First, we place the Kodi APK file inside a USB key, then we connect the latter to the Smart TV’s free USB port.
Now let’s open the app File Manager or similar in the Smart section of the TV and select the Kodi APK: the installation of the app should start automatically.
NOTE: the APK version of Kodi may not be compatible with the Android operating system on the TV; in this case, we recommend reading the following paragraph to be able to integrate the app on any TV.
Install Kodi on traditional TV (or proprietary Smart TV)
If we have a Smart TV without Android (Samsung, LG, etc.) or a TV without a Smart component, we can get Kodi by installing an HDMI device that can offer us compatibility with the Kodi program or app.
The best devices we can use are:
- Amazon Fire TV Stick
- TV Box Android
- Mini desktop PC
- Raspberry Pi
- Laptop PC with HDMI port
By installing and configuring one of the devices above, we will be able to get Kodi in a simple way, we will only have to connect the device to the TV via HDMI, connect it to the Internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi and download the right version of Kodi based on the system operating in use (Amazon Fire TV Stick and TV Box use the Android Kodi app, the Mini Desktop PCs and the notebooks the Kodi program for Windows and the Raspberry an operating system with Kodi optimized).
Conclusions
As we have seen, we can install Kodi on practically any device, so as to be able to manage our multimedia library and IPTV lists from the phone, tablet, Android TV Box and many other devices (useful for bringing Kodi even on TV, not Android or natively compatible with the Kodi app).
If we are new to Kodi and don’t know how to use it, we invite you to read our Guide to get started with Kodi: configuration and adding content. If we don’t want to use a keyboard, mouse or pointer to control Kodi (especially when used on a TV), we invite you to read our guide on how to Check Kodi remotely with your smartphone.
Are we not satisfied with Kodi and are we looking for valid alternatives? We can find some of them in the guide to Alternatives to better Kodi for managing movies and videos.