Android TV was first announced as a Smart TV platform back in 2014, and we've come a long way since then. Where Android TVs were originally made only by TV makers choosing to add the Android TV operating system to their flagship TVs, we now see several Android TV boxes, allowing you to convert any TV with ' an HDMI port in an Android television. Take the Mi Box for example. This cool looking $69 Android TV box packs quite a punch. It comes with a 2 GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB on internal flash memory. The Box Mi is also capable of 4K HDR video streaming on its HDMI 2.0b port. Things like these have made Android TVs far more accessible and affordable, to far more people. So if you bought an Android TV box, or you are using an Android TV, Here are the 15 best Android TV apps you should be using:
1. HopWatch for Reddit
HopWatch for Reddit is an Android TV app that will keep you up to date with the latest images, GIFs, and videos, from the comfort of your couch, and with the luxury of watching them on your TV. The application covers the hot wires of the photos and video subreddits, as well as the "movies" subreddit.
It also comes with a integrated search function, which will allow you to easily search videos, images and GIFs on the front page of the Internet. The app is specifically designed with Android TV in mind, and works great.
Installation: ($ 0,99)
2. Google Chrome
Android TVs don't come with a web browser installed, which is understandable, but still quite disappointing. However, if you want a web browser on your Android TV, you can easily install a browser like Google Chrome. With Google Chrome installed, you can browse the web, and do so much more on your Android TV.
Since, we are installing a full-fledged Android app, it will have all the functionality which the Google Chrome app has on an Android phone. However, Google Chrome is not available in the Android TV Play Store, which means you will have to sideload the. You can read our article on Sideloading Apps on Android TVs to learn how you can do this.
Installation: (free)
3. Haystack
Android TV boxes such as the Mi box are packed with a plethora of apps, ranging from music and video streaming apps, to news apps. However, if these new apps do not meet your needs, you should check out Haystack. Haystack is a news app which you can use to stay up to date on a variety of topics, from science and technology, Politics and current events, to Games, and Movie Trailers.
News is presented in a nice smooth interface, which is perfect for an Android TV set up. Also, the way things are laid out is exceptionally well thought out. Haystack brings curated news from a certain name of sourcesas an AP, BBC News, CBS, and much more. In addition, it is a practical tool " pane time on the bottom of the window to keep you up to date with the weather for your location.
Installation: (free, with ads)
4.Kodi
Kodi is perhaps one of the most powerful media center apps the low. The app can be used to manage all your media in one central location, which can even be configured to be accessed remotely. Along with this, the capabilities of Kodi can be enhanced with a number of Kodi add-ons which add on a lot of power on demand.
You absolutely must use Kodi on your Android TV if you have a lot of media stored on your Android TV, and are looking for a way to quickly organize it all, with proper hierarchy. Additional media that you can add to your device once you have set up Kodi, will automatically be categorized and arranged in the locations you have decided. Kodi add-ons also help support almost all audio and video format that you can throw at it, making it a very versatile solution for media consumption on your Android TV.
Installation: (free)
5.ES File Explorer
A file manager app is one of the most important things on any device. After all, how are you going to transfer files between your Android TV, and your laptop, mobile, etc.? Also, how are you manage stored files, screenshots, and more on your Android TV? Well, that's where ES File Explorer comes in.
ES File Explorer is a feature-rich app that can perform a plethora of functions on your Android TV. You can manage all your files (obviously), but you can also connect to cloud drive of service, create a FTP ou SFTP session with your computer to transfer files, and more.
Installation: (free, with ads)
6. Tunnelbear
Having a VPN app never hurts. It helps you maintain theanonymity while browsing on the Internet, and can be used to bypass geographic restrictions imposed on a lot of online content. Unless you want to hack things, Tunnelbear is one of the best VPN apps you can use on your Android TV. Even though the app hasn't been optimized for Android TV yet, it works perfectly fine, and actually looks pretty good.
Tunnelbear gives you 500 MB of data for free every month, and you can purchase one of their paid subscriptions to increase this limit. For basic browsing, however, 500MB is probably going to be enough for you. Do note that Tunnelbear will not let you download items that use P2P protocols, for security, and legal reasons. There are plenty of other VPN apps for Android that you can use, so Tunnelbear should not meet your expectations.
Installation: (free, with in-app purchases)
7 Spotify
When it comes to streaming music, Spotify is undoubtedly the best way to go. With the Spotify app on your Android TV, you can stream music directly to your Android TV, itself. The best part about using Spotify, is that it has a free level service, as well. However, with the paid subscription, you get unlimited track skipping, and no ads between songs.
On Android TV boxes like Mi box, Spotify comes pre-installed, and you just need to sign in with your Spotify account in order to start streaming music.
Installation: (free, with in-app purchases)
8. Netflix
Netflix is to video streaming what Spotify is to music. He is one of Most Popular Movies, and TV Show Streaming Platforms in the world. And now that Netflix is available almost everywhere in the world, chances are, you already have a subscription. Even if you don't, I highly recommend that you give Netflix a try. It has a wide variety of TV shows and movies to choose from, and you will certainly find something that interests you.
Netflix app comes pre-installed on Android TV boxes, like Mi box, and you can just log in with your Netflix account to binge-watch your favorite TV series.
Installation: (free, with in-app purchases)
9 Google Drive
If you like the idea of having access to your files on your Android TV, there's no better way than to use Google Drive. With Google Drive on your TV, you can easily access all your cloud data, and display it on your Android TV.
While the Google Drive app is not yet available on the Android TV Play Store, you can easily sideload the APK from websites such as APKMirror.
Installation: (free)
10.VLC
VLC media player is a very popular gaming video app, and with good reason. The app supports almost all file formats, and can play videos encoded in a wide variety of codecs. VLC can even easily decode videos that use the H.265 HEVC codec. Add to that the intuitive interface, and the stability that VLC offers, and you know just why VLC is so widely used. The VLC app automatically categorizes your media into video, audio, and others. Also, with the settings inside the app, you can control things like thehardware acceleration, and more.
VLC comes pre-installed on Android TV boxes like the Mi box, but can be easily installed as it is available on the Android TV Play Store.
Installation: (free)
11. Sideload Launcher
Surely you have noticed that many of the Android applications we install on our Android TV to be transferred, This is perfectly fine, but the problem is that the applications do not show transferred, in the default Android TV launcher. This is exactly where Sideload Launcher comes in. The app is developed by Chainfire et displays all transferred applications on your Android TV.
This is the only way you can launch apps on a transferred tv, android at least from now. So, if you intend to Sideloading apps on your Android TV, you should definitely install this launcher. There are a few other launchers that perform the same function as Sideload Launcher, but I find this one to be the best.
Installation: (free)
12.Plex
Another great media center app you can use is Plex. The Plex app isn't as powerful as Kodi, and doesn't really have as many plugins either. But where Plex shines is in the simple way things are stated in the app. Where Kodi might look (and feel) intimidating, Plex has a user interface that's instantly friendly, and you'll be hooked in no time. That is, once you figure out how things work.
To use Plex on your Android TV, you will need a Plex server on another laptop or computer, which can be viewed by your Android TV over Wi-Fi. Once done, you can play a media file on your Plex server, directly on your Android TV, without the hassle of all the wires, file transfer, etc.
Installation: (free, with in-app purchases)
13. The Weather Network
The Weather Network is a nice weather app for your Android TV. The app was specifically designed to work with Android TVs, and it really shows. There are a number of sections inside the Weather Network, including Videos, Weather, Cards, and more. You can go to the Weather section to display the current weather at your location, as well as a 36 hours, and hourly forecasts. The app even gives a 14 day forecast, if you need to check the time so far.
There are definitely a lot of potential benefits to using this app, including the fact that you can quickly get a glimpse of the weather conditions (with traffic on your route) every morning before leaving for work.
Installation: (free)
14. Twitter
If you're a fan of watching live streams of various players (both professional and amateur), showing off their gameplay, Twitch is the place to be. The app is kind of like where people post live stream of them playing different games. Although this may seem like a ridiculous pastime to many of you, for gaming fans this is a good thing. It's always a lot of fun to watch others play, both for the entertainment, as well as to learn new things on how they approach the game, and the challenges it offers.
You should definitely check Twitch out, if you're still a bit into the game.
Installation: (free)
15. AIRSCREEN
Android TVs come with Google Cast support, so you can easily cast any audio, video or image from your Android device to your Android TV, and watch it there. However, what if you own an iPhone and want to stream music or play videos on your iPhone to your Android TV? iPhones don't support Google Cast, but they do come with AirPlay – the feature that lets users stream content to Apple TV.
If you want to stream media from your iPhone to your Android TV, you can use an app like AIRSCREEN. This app puts a AirPlay server on your Android TV, and basically makes your iPhone think your Android TV is actually an Apple TV, allowing you to cast your iPhone screen to your Android TV.
Installation: (free, with in-app purchases)
