This article will take you through how to install Kodi on Firestick.
Most people who buy the Amazon Firestick get it because they want a simple, streamlined device for watching Netflix and Prime Video, that is affordable and comes with a great voice remote and smart home integrations. The Firestick is perfect for this, which is why it is one of the devices we recommend most.
What should you do, though, if this is what you wanted when you got the Firestick but now you want to do more? For example, could you install Kodi to manage your media library and get access to a wider range of content from across the internet? Can it be done?
Yes, it is entirely possible to install Kodi on Firestick, though you will have to download Kodi on Firestick by sideloading it rather than downloading it directly from the Amazon app store. This is simple to do if you follow this guide on how to install Kodi on Fire TV; however, bear in mind that since the Firestick lacks space and power, you’ll need to be selective about what builds and other add-ons you install. We’ll give you some advice on that as well, so read on!
Prepping Your Firestick To Download Kodi
Before you even think about Kodi, you will need to prepare your Firestick to be able to download and install APKs for applications that are not available in the Amazon App Store that supports Fire TV. Don’t worry; this sounds complicated but it is actually very simple.
The first thing to do is to enable developer options on your device. To do this, head to the settings menu and select your device, which may be listed as “My Fire TV” or something similar if you haven’t changed its nickname. From here you should be able to find the “Developer Options” menu, where you can turn on the permission setting to install apps from unknown sources.
As a word of warning, turning on this option is generally considered a risk. Unlike downloading apps from the app store, which have been vetted for security, when you download from elsewhere you always run the risk of downloading something malicious. Once you turn this setting on, make sure you do thorough research on apps before you download them. You’ll generally be able to find relevant information on forums (if you can’t, consider that a red flag). Also, make sure you are running both antivirus software and a VPN to protect your device.
Find our recommendations for the best antivirus software here.
Find our recommendations for the best VPNs here.
Now, before you can download the Kodi app you are going to need to download the Downloader app to gain access. Fortunately, this is available in the Amazon App Store so it is a simple matter of downloading it the usual way.
How To Get Kodi On Firestick
Once you have taken these steps, you need to know how to download Kodi on Firestick and the process for installing Kodi on Firestick with Downloader.
Open the Downloader app and use the search bar to navigate to the Kodi TV website. Here you will find the APK for Kodi, which is what you need to download and install on your box to get the Kodi app.
We recommend that you get the latest version of Kodi, which is currently 19.4 Matrix; however, if you do want an older version of Kodi for any reason, just scroll down a little further on that same page to find older versions going back as far as Kodi 17.6.
You won’t find a specific app for Fire TV on the site, but you can use the standard Android app which will work perfectly on a Firestick. Also, be sure to choose the 32-bit installation since trial and error has shown that this works best on Fire TV devices.
Once the APK is downloaded onto your Firestick, the Downloader app will give you the option to install it; of course, that is exactly what you want to do.
When it is done installing, Downloader will let you know. It will also ask if you want to delete the installation file, and it is a good idea to do so. Firesticks have limited space, so it is good practice to delete anything you don’t need as it becomes disposable.
You should now find Kodi among your apps.
Customizing Kodi
When you first open your Kodi app, it won’t do very much. You need to customize it and install add-ons to get the functionality that you want.
There is a wide range of add-ons you can install, from weather checkers to radio players to Google Drive plugins. Of course, the most popular add-ons will give you access to movies and shows on-demand, live TV, popular sports content, and the world of music.
Installing add-ons within Kodi is pretty simple. First, decide what you want; then, find an add-on that provides that service.
Next, open Kodi (if you haven’t already) and head to the file manager. Here you will have the option to add a source. Select where it says “none” and enter the URL for the add-on that you have decided to install; hit OK so that Kodi can download the source as a zip file. You will be asked to give a name to the source, so do that and hit OK.
Now you can go to the Kodi home screen, click the open box icon in the top left-hand corner, and choose to install from a zip file. You can then choose the zip file that you just created. Depending on the size, you will likely need to wait for the installation to complete; you will receive a notification when it’s done. At this stage, you still haven’t installed the add-on! You have installed the repository for the add-on so there is still one more step.
Go back to the add-on menu and choose the option to install from the repository, then choose the add-on that you have just added to your repository and would like to install. You will be asked what kind of add-on this is, such as a video or a music add-on; choose whatever is appropriate, click install, and wait for it to complete the process.
Now it should all be ready. When you go back to the add-on menu, you should find your add-on under whatever category you chose.
Installing A Kodi Skin
If you like customizing and spending time fiddling with your machine, you will probably find researching, finding, and installing the best Kodi add-ons to be an enjoyable process. If you don’t enjoy that, or just don’t really know what you are doing, it may feel onerous.
If you don’t want to spend the time doing it yourself, you can install a “build” for Kodi. This is basically a copy of someone else’s setup. They’ve done the hard work of getting everything streamlined and finding all the content that you might want for Kodi, and you just install a duplicate.
There are some pretty dedicated Kodi fans making and sharing these builds, so there is a large selection of good options. Most give you access to the same content in terms of the latest movies and shows, but there will be some that are tweaked to focus on sports, gaming, or other topics.
The skin, which is basically the user interface, is what varies most, but while they can have quite a different look and feel they all work in pretty much the same way.
Because the Firestick is a fairly lightweight device, with just 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of ROM, you will want to choose a relatively compact build rather than some of the monsters that have been developed for PC or the likes of the NVIDIA Shield.
You can find our recommendations for the best Kodi builds to install on the Firestick here.
Installing a Kodi build is the same as installing any other Kodi add-on, except that you need to install it as a program add-on. You might need to wait a bit longer for the download and installation magic to happen, as builds are bigger than other add-ons, and the program should then close itself so that you can reopen it with the build installed. If that doesn’t happen, force-close Kodi and open it again yourself.
Kodi might take a few minutes to load the first time you open it after installing the build, but after the first time, it should be back to normal speed.
FAQs
How does Kodi let you stream so much content?
While Kodi is just a media library application, there are add-ons that scour the internet for streaming links to content that already exists. These deliver content from a variety of sources across the internet.
Is Kodi legal?
Kodi is a simple media library tool that is entirely legal, but the way that many people use Kodi is legally gray. The fact is that you are probably gaining access to premium content that you aren’t paying for and don’t have a license to watch. Since you aren’t downloading the content it is not clear cut whether you are breaking the letter of the law; nevertheless, it is recommended to use a VPN to keep your activity private when using Kodi.
The Verdict
If you have a Firestick but want to upgrade your viewing options to include Kodi, this is entirely possible. You can’t download Kodi directly from the Amazon App Store to your stick, but the installation process is actually pretty simple if you follow our step-by-step guide.
Do you run Kodi on a Firestick? Do you have any recommendations? Share them with the community in the comments section below.
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