Android TV Apps – A new Android TV set-top box in your possession? This article will show you the best Android TV applications currently available.
Okay, so you’ve decided to get an Android TV. Congratulations! But what should be done now?
The likes of YouTube and Netflix might be among the preloaded apps available. Everything else is up to you. Videos, music, productivity, and system programs all work together to create the optimal experience.
So, these are the most crucial applications for your Android TV that you should get now.
Best Android TV Apps for Smart Gadget
Jump to Content
1. MX Player
There are several excellent Android video players, but MX Player has consistently received high marks from users. Its strengths are readily apparent on a bigger screen.
The software is compatible with a wide range of codecs and can read subtitle data. You won’t have any trouble navigating the UI.
Because it can read both locally stored files and information from external devices, MX Player is a great companion for anybody with an Android TV device that has a USB connection.
2. Sideload Launcher
The Android TV version of the Google Play Store is a stripped-down version of the app’s mobile counterpart. Fewer applications are available since some are incompatible with Android TV. However, the OS can run any Android app, therefore sideloading is a common practice on Android TV.
Yet there is a catch. Any programs you sideload will be hidden from your device’s main menu and app drawer. You can’t get to them in any other manner than through the Settings menu. Accordingly, the answer is to get a third-party app. When it comes to rocket launchers, Sideload Launcher is the most intuitive. When opened, it displays a catalog of all the programs you have secretly downloaded.
For more information on controlling applications you’ve downloaded to your Android TV via the web, read our guide.
3. Netflix
As obvious as it gets. It’s possible that Netflix already exists on your device. Even if it doesn’t, get the app.
With a Netflix membership, you may watch thousands of episodes from hundreds of different series. If you want to ditch cable, this is a must-have service.
4. Plex
It’s also a no-brainer. Having a large library of digital movies and TV shows? Plex is the finest way to stream them to all of your home’s displays and devices.
Plex can download subtitle files, information, movie artwork, user ratings, and much more automatically, in addition to its stunning libraries.
It doesn’t cost anything to utilize Plex unless you wish to stream your media to a remote location.
5. AirScreen
Android TVs have built-in support for Google Cast. This allows you to stream media from your Android smartphone or other Google-powered devices, such as Chrome or Chromebook, to your TV.
There is no way to use AirPlay from Apple. AirScreen is a great program that can be downloaded on an Apple smartphone. It will allow you to project the display of your iOS device onto an Android set-top box.
The app is compatible with the DLNA, Miracast, and Google Cast protocols.
6. X-plore File Manager
You should always have a file manager on your smartphone, but it’s especially important if you want to sideload software.
Fortunately, there is a wide variety of file managers available for Android TV. X-plore File Manager, Total Commander, TvExplorer, and AnExplorer File Manager were among the several we suggested in our roundup.
When considering your options for sideloading, X-plore File Manager comes highly recommended. Using its two-window interface, you may quickly and easily copy an APK file from a flash drive to the storage space on your Android smartphone.
7. Google Drive
Google Drive is the greatest way to access the files on your PC from your Android TV.
If you have an Android TV device, you will not be able to download Google Drive via the Google Play Store. You’ll have to use a third-party installer to get the software installed. The APK file can only be installed if you already have X-plore File Manager.
8. Kodi
There is an argument that Kodi is preferable to Plex if you don’t have any digital material of your own.
There is an almost infinite number of extensions available for the app that can be used to gain access to anything from on-demand films and live TV to weather forecasts and news articles to productivity apps.
9. Wake on LAN
Only the Wake on LAN app for Android TV can remotely activate your PC.
If you frequently use a media player like Plex or Kodi for local streaming, this is an essential function. If your Plex or Kodi server machine ever goes to sleep, you can wake it up using the Wake on LAN software and resume broadcasting immediately.
10. Steam Link
Steam introduced its Steam Link app for Android TV in 2018.
This program will let you play your Steam games on any Android device by streaming them to you. Now you can play your favorite PC games on the big screen without lugging around your PC or a finicky HDMI cable.
11. Spotify
There is too much advertising on cable television music channels to be enjoyable. If you don’t have YouTube Premium, the music experience isn’t much better there, either.
What you need is Spotify. Not only does Spotify have an Android TV app, but so do Pandora and Google Play Music.
12. Using Google Chrome
For some reason, when you buy an Android TV, Google Chrome isn’t already installed. The app isn’t even available on Android TV.
There is no need to resort to sideloading Chrome because there isn’t a version available in the store. Your Android TV box is recognized as a supported device when you visit Chrome’s product page in the Google Play Store.
13. Sling
It appears that the movement toward cord-cutting will continue to gain momentum. Users have been ditching cable in droves in favor of a la carte streaming video options.
Sling is a leading cable replacement provider. There are several channels available, including AMC, CNN, ESPN, Disney, Comedy Central, the NFL Network, and more, depending on the bundle you choose.
14. Hulu
Hulu + Live TV is the greatest option if you’re a US resident and want a single subscription that provides both live TV and on-demand video. At this time, a monthly subscription to the whole offering (ad-free) would set you back $65.
In addition to the information, it contains, the app itself is excellent. Having been refined for several years, it is currently among the most aesthetically pleasing Android TV applications available.
15. Network TV Applications
The vast majority of the most popular European and American TV networks now have Android TV apps. You may view the latest episodes, reruns, and even live broadcasts of your favorite shows.
ESPN, FOX Sports, Comedy Central, FX, MTV, HGTV, The Travel Channel, The Food Network, ABC, Disney, HBO, Showtime, and Nickelodeon are just some of the networks that have Android TV apps. British viewers may access BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub.
A cable TV subscription is needed for use of some of the applications.
16. YouTube TV
One such option that helps people cut the cord is YouTube TV. It barely debuted in 2017, yet it has already amassed millions of paying customers.
YouTube has contracts with the majority of the major broadcasting companies. That means you get access to a wide variety of television networks, including CNN, Discovery, BBC News, FOX, ABC, CBS, ESPN, NBA TV, TNT, VH1, and many more.
17. TVUsage
Since televisions first became commonplace in American homes in the 1950s, parents have often complained about their children spending too much time in front of the screen.
Even if there are more options than ever before, the issue may be more severe now than ever before.
TVUsage is an Android TV software that allows parents to limit their children’s screen time and keep tabs on what their children are watching.
18. Send files to a TV
A native, user-friendly method of transferring files from a computer or smartphone to an Android TV device does not exist.
The solution is a program called “Send Files to TV.” The Android TV box may act as a file-sharing hub for other devices on the same local network.
19. Picture Show and TV Screensaver Android
The native screensaver options on an Android TV are rather simplistic. You can’t even use your Google Photos collection as a slideshow screensaver anymore.
Photo Gallery and Screensaver is a more feature-rich alternative to the standard screensaver that also works with Google Photos. Sources include Google Photos, Facebook, and Flickr.
20. The Haystack News
There are several disadvantages to cutting the cord, and live news is one of them. However, in recent years, that has changed. Each of the live TV applications we’ve discussed has news stations that are available around the clock.
And if you don’t feel like shelling out cash for a service, you still have alternatives. Haystack News is one such choice. Based on your interests and watching history, it pulls news articles from every major network.
Anyone may benefit from using Android TV
With so many options available, it’s clear that almost any need can be met with an Android TV app.
We think that even if you don’t have an Android smartphone, you should get an Android TV because of the sheer variety of apps available. Simply said, there is no better cord-cutting option available at this time.
Also read: best karaoke apps in 2022