Even if it doesn't seem like it, Amazon's Fire Stick TV has the Android system, the same as the Samsung, Huawei smartphones etc.
Android on the Fire Stick, however, is deeply modified in its initial interface and also in its functionality, with an almost complete block regarding the standard functions we are used to.
To install applications on the Fire TV Stick it is therefore necessary to go to the Amazon store and browse the list of apps provided.
From the home screen, then press the button to go to the top and then go to Categories, where you can search for available apps manually and without a search bar.
This type of solution, however, is truly limiting.
Not only is there no way to search, but then many apps that would be excellent for an Android TV are missing on the Fire Stick; just think of Youtube, but also many others.
In this guide we then see how to install all the Android apps of the Play Store on Fire Stick TV, without limitations.
READ ALSO: Amazon Fire TV Stick guide with tricks, apps and hidden functions
Preliminary steps
In order to install applications that are not those of the Amazon store, you must first activate two options in the settings.
You must therefore go to Settings > Device > Developer Options and turn on the Debug ADB and Applications from unknown sources options .
At this point you can start with the installation of apps from the Google Play store, with an important clarification.
While it is theoretically possible to install the Google Play Store, it still remains laborious and since there are certainly simpler ways, we save ourselves this step.
To install any app on the Fire Stick, there are two alternative ways that can both be used depending on which one is most convenient.
1) Transfer apps from your smartphone
This is certainly the most immediate way, that of using the phone as a bridge, transferring the applications from this to the Fire Stick TV.
To do this, you only need to install the free Apps2Fire app on your Android phone.
Once this application is installed, keeping the Fire Stick TV on, go to the Setup column by scrolling all the way to the right.
If the phone is connected to the same wifi network to which the Fire Stick is also connected, press Apps2Fire, the Search Fire TV button.
If nothing is detected, press the Network button instead and wait until an Amazon device is detected.
This is our Fire TV, to be selected for connection.
Therefore, on the TV screen, a warning will appear (only the first time) to authorize the USB Debug, press on Remember and then on OK.
At this point, on Apps2Fire, you can go to the Fire TV Apps screen to see the apps installed on the Amazon Stick.
To transfer apps from your mobile phone to the Fire Stick TV, go to Local Apps and simply tap on the one you want to install.
The smartphone will begin the transfer giving confirmation once completed.
This procedure is really immediate because it will be enough to download the desired apps from the Google Play Store to your Android phone and transfer them, but it has a defect.
The problem is that some applications simply do not work or are not usable on the TV and, this, we will only know after installing and trying them.
2) Download apps directly from the Fire TV Stick
To download applications directly from the Fire TV Stick we can download the APK files from the various sites or, to do it first, install an alternative store to the Play Store, which is optimized for Android TVs.
As a store for TV, the choice certainly goes to Aptoide, which has all the Google Play Store apps, recommending the most suitable ones and giving information on any incompatibilities.
To install Aptoide TV, however, you need to activate downloads on the Fire Stick, which you can do by downloading the Downloader app on the Fire TV Stick.
This application is found by going to the Categories menu and then to Utility .
Downloader is a browser that has the ability to download APK files, i.e. app installation files (instead Firefox cannot do them).
Then open the Downloader browser and navigate to the site //m.aptoide.com/installer-aptoide-tv .
Click on the Install Aptoide TV button and download the AptoideTV.apk file.
Aptoide TV can also be the only app we need to download as an APK, because it is a complete store.
Once the download is complete, open the downloaded file to install Aptoide TV.
Open Aptoide TV, skip any login requests and search for apps with the search bar or with the lists of popular or recommended apps.
You can then install apps such as: Youtube TV, RaiPlay, Kodi, Ace Stream Player, VLC Media Player, Facebook, ES File Manager, Steam Link, Nord VPN and then many games optimized for TV.
Aptoide contains all the apps from the Google Play Store and if you are looking for an app that is not optimized for TV, Aptoide reports it saying it may not work.
Finally, I remember that the new installed applications can be found on the Fire Stick by scrolling the first row of apps (under Your Apps and Games) to the right until you click on View All .
To view your favorite apps on the main screen, select them and then tap the button with three lines choosing " Move to Front ".
READ ALSO: Optimize the Fire Stick for fast video streaming on TV
Android on the Fire Stick, however, is deeply modified in its initial interface and also in its functionality, with an almost complete block regarding the standard functions we are used to.
To install applications on the Fire TV Stick it is therefore necessary to go to the Amazon store and browse the list of apps provided.
From the home screen, then press the button to go to the top and then go to Categories, where you can search for available apps manually and without a search bar.
This type of solution, however, is truly limiting.
Not only is there no way to search, but then many apps that would be excellent for an Android TV are missing on the Fire Stick; just think of Youtube, but also many others.
In this guide we then see how to install all the Android apps of the Play Store on Fire Stick TV, without limitations.
READ ALSO: Amazon Fire TV Stick guide with tricks, apps and hidden functions
Preliminary steps
In order to install applications that are not those of the Amazon store, you must first activate two options in the settings.
You must therefore go to Settings > Device > Developer Options and turn on the Debug ADB and Applications from unknown sources options .
At this point you can start with the installation of apps from the Google Play store, with an important clarification.
While it is theoretically possible to install the Google Play Store, it still remains laborious and since there are certainly simpler ways, we save ourselves this step.
To install any app on the Fire Stick, there are two alternative ways that can both be used depending on which one is most convenient.
1) Transfer apps from your smartphone
This is certainly the most immediate way, that of using the phone as a bridge, transferring the applications from this to the Fire Stick TV.
To do this, you only need to install the free Apps2Fire app on your Android phone.
Once this application is installed, keeping the Fire Stick TV on, go to the Setup column by scrolling all the way to the right.
If the phone is connected to the same wifi network to which the Fire Stick is also connected, press Apps2Fire, the Search Fire TV button.
If nothing is detected, press the Network button instead and wait until an Amazon device is detected.
This is our Fire TV, to be selected for connection.
Therefore, on the TV screen, a warning will appear (only the first time) to authorize the USB Debug, press on Remember and then on OK.
At this point, on Apps2Fire, you can go to the Fire TV Apps screen to see the apps installed on the Amazon Stick.
To transfer apps from your mobile phone to the Fire Stick TV, go to Local Apps and simply tap on the one you want to install.
The smartphone will begin the transfer giving confirmation once completed.
This procedure is really immediate because it will be enough to download the desired apps from the Google Play Store to your Android phone and transfer them, but it has a defect.
The problem is that some applications simply do not work or are not usable on the TV and, this, we will only know after installing and trying them.
2) Download apps directly from the Fire TV Stick
To download applications directly from the Fire TV Stick we can download the APK files from the various sites or, to do it first, install an alternative store to the Play Store, which is optimized for Android TVs.
As a store for TV, the choice certainly goes to Aptoide, which has all the Google Play Store apps, recommending the most suitable ones and giving information on any incompatibilities.
To install Aptoide TV, however, you need to activate downloads on the Fire Stick, which you can do by downloading the Downloader app on the Fire TV Stick.
This application is found by going to the Categories menu and then to Utility .
Downloader is a browser that has the ability to download APK files, i.e. app installation files (instead Firefox cannot do them).
Then open the Downloader browser and navigate to the site //m.aptoide.com/installer-aptoide-tv .
Click on the Install Aptoide TV button and download the AptoideTV.apk file.
Aptoide TV can also be the only app we need to download as an APK, because it is a complete store.
Once the download is complete, open the downloaded file to install Aptoide TV.
Open Aptoide TV, skip any login requests and search for apps with the search bar or with the lists of popular or recommended apps.
You can then install apps such as: Youtube TV, RaiPlay, Kodi, Ace Stream Player, VLC Media Player, Facebook, ES File Manager, Steam Link, Nord VPN and then many games optimized for TV.
Aptoide contains all the apps from the Google Play Store and if you are looking for an app that is not optimized for TV, Aptoide reports it saying it may not work.
Finally, I remember that the new installed applications can be found on the Fire Stick by scrolling the first row of apps (under Your Apps and Games) to the right until you click on View All .
To view your favorite apps on the main screen, select them and then tap the button with three lines choosing " Move to Front ".
READ ALSO: Optimize the Fire Stick for fast video streaming on TV
