The cornerstone of the Smart TV experience is viewing TV shows, movies, and other content via the internet streaming process; the streamed content is accessible via apps. Almost all Smart TVs have a selection of pre-loaded apps, but most Smart TVs allow viewers to add more.
The precise steps needed to add more apps on a Smart TV may vary from brand-to-brand or model-to-model within a brand. There may also be slight changes in onscreen menu appearance from year-to-year. Here are some examples you might encounter.
The Process of the LG smart TV is the same as Samsung smart TV. I hope LG or Kodi develops Kodi WebOS so that you can enjoy Kodi on your LG Smart TV. Even though LG makes great Tv devices but Kodi on LG Smart TV is not possible. Kodi on Samsung Smart TV (Tizen OS) – NO; Kodi on Vizio Smart TV (Android OS) – YES; How to Install Kodi On Samsung Smart TV. You can get the Kodi Android app on Samsung Smart TV if it’s running on Android OS. Though the majority of the Samsung Smart TVs run on the Tizen and Kodi on Tizen OS is not available as of now. So here’s the. Kodi is a one-stop solution if you want to watch all sorts of media streaming content under one roof. When you discover how to install Kodi on LG smart TV, you start exploring different ways of streaming media resources hassle-free. We expect our guide on how to install Kodi on LG smart TV will resolve your installation related queries instantly. KODI provides its compatibility with all kind of Android-based operating system devices, and hence if smart TV is based on the Android operating system, then you can easily set up the KODI in your system, however if smart TV is not based on the Android operating system then it is tricky for you to install the KODI in your smartphones.
Using the Samsung App Store
If you don't see an app on your Samsung Smart TV Homepage (aka Smart Hub) you would like to access, it may be available via the Samsung Apps Store.
To find out if the app is available and then add it, do the following:
If you have a Samsung account, click Apps on the menu bar.
This will take you to the My Apps screen that displays all the pre-loaded apps, as well as access to apps in other categories, such as What's New, Most Popular, Video, Lifestyle, and Entertainment.
If you see an app that's not in My Apps, but would like to add it,select the icon for that app within one of the categories of the apps (our example is Most Popular). This will take you to that app's install page, which also provides information on what the app does, as well as some sample screenshots showing how the app works.
If you don't see the app you want in the official categories listings you can see if it's available in the Samsung Apps store using the Search feature. To search for an app, select the magnifying glass located on the top-right corner of any of the app menu screens.
After the app is installed you'll be prompted to open it. If you don't want to open the app, just leave the menu and open it later from My Apps.
If you own a Samsung Smart TV from 2014 or an earlier model year, the onscreen menu system may look different; there may also be variations in the steps used to add apps.
Using the LG App Store
LG's Smart TVs use the WebOS platform, which includes app management. Just as with many smart TVs, LG includes a package of pre-installed streaming apps which are shown on the home screen.
You can add more apps to your selection via the following steps:
Press the Home button on the Remote control.
Launch LG Content Store (generic example)
Select an Apps Category or search for an app.
Select an App you wish to download.
Select Install. If the app requires a fee, there will be a notification.
Select OK when prompted. This will begin installing the app.
Once the app finishes downloading, you can launch it immediately or access it later from My Apps.
If an app you select requires additional payment, you will be prompted through further steps.
VIZIO Options for Adding Apps
Depending on whether your Vizio TV incorporates the SmartCast or Internet Apps/Apps+ platform determines how you can add apps in addition to the core apps that are provided. Here is a short version of how to add apps to both types of Vizio Smart TVs.
SmartCast
On Vizio SmartCast TVs, apps are not added to the TV, but to a compatible mobile phone or tablet and then cast to the TV, in a similar manner as you would if using a Chromecast device.
Here is how to add apps:
Using your mobile device, go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store
Select an available Chromecast-enabled App.
Tap Install.
Once installed, the app is now part of your cast selection.
To view the content from the app on your TV, Cast it from your mobile device; a SmartCast TV will automatically detect the cast and display it.
Internet Apps/Apps+
If your Vizio TV incorporates Vizio Internet Apps (VIA) or Vizio Internet Apps+ (VIA+), instead of SmartCast, apps can be added directly to the TV using available selections provided by Vizio and, on some models, via the Google Play Store.
Here are the steps:
Select the V button on your Vizio TV remote control to open the Apps Menu.
Select one of the App Store options (Featured, Latest, All Apps, or Categories).
Highlight the app(s) you want to add that are not already on your list.
For TVs that have VIA, press OK and go to Install App. After the app installs it will be added to your viewing selection.
For TVs that have VIA+, press and hold OK until the app has been added to the My Apps list.
Select the app to watch it.
TVs with Chromecast Built-in
Although Vizio incorporates Chromecast within its SmartCast platform, there are other TVs that have ChromeCast Built-in as their core streaming apps platform, too. These include select models from Haier, JVC, LeECO, Philips, Polaroid, Sharp, Skyworth, Soniq, Sony, and Toshiba.
The steps used to add more apps on a TV with Chromecast Built-in are similar to that for Vizio SmartCast TVs, albeit without the added features that Vizio provides.
Go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Select an available Chromecast-enabled app.
Tap Install and wait for the download and installation process to complete.
Once installed, you can cast content from the app directly to your TV from your smartphone.
Adding Apps on Android TVs
There are select TVs from Element, Hisense, LeECO, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, and Westinghouse that incorporate the Android TV operating system.
Here are the steps to add apps on an Android TV.
There might be slight variations in the appearance of the screen depending on the brand and model year of Android TV.
From the Android TV Home screen, scroll down to the Apps row or Apps section displayed on your TV screen.
Select the Google Play Store.
To find apps (or games), you can browse, search, or select Get More.
Select the app you want; you may also be prompted to hit Accept.
Select Install.
If the app requires payment, you'll be prompted to provide payment information.
Once installed you can launch the app directly or from the Android TV home screen at your convenience.
Some Android TVs also include Chromecast Built-in, which provides a second option to access and add streaming apps.
Adding Apps on Roku TVs
A Roku TV is one that has the Roku operating system built right into the TV, meaning you don't have to connect an external Roku streaming stick or box to the TV to access and manage streaming apps. Roku refers to apps that provide video and audio content as Channels. Utilities, such as productivity or network functioning, are referred to as apps. Roku TVs have the same onscreen menu interface as other Roku streaming devices.
TV brands that offer this system on select models include Element, Hisense, Hitachi, Insignia, Philips, RCA, Sharp, and TCL.
Here's how to add a Roku channel using the TV remote:
Press the Home button.
Select Streaming Channels; this will open the Roku Channel Store.
Select one of the Channel Categories.
Select theChannel you want to add.
Select Add Channel to begin downloading and installation.
When the installation is complete, you can open the app. If you don't open it at that time, it will be the last entry on your viewing list where you can access it at any time.
You can also add channels, including private/hidden channels not listed in the official channel store, using the Roku Mobile App, a PC, or laptop, after which they will be available to watch on your Roku TV.
Adding Apps on Fire Edition TVs
Just as there are TVs with Roku built-in, there are some TVs that have Amazon Fire TV functionality built-in. In other words, you can manage and add apps the same way you would using a plug-in Amazon Fire TV stick or box.
TV brands that offer this system on select models include Element, Toshiba, and Westinghouse.
The procedure for downloading and installing apps is the same on a Fire Edition TV as it is for a Fire TV stick or box.
Using the TV's remote:
Go to the Homepage and Select Apps.
Select an app category like Movies and TV.
Select an app that you would like to add.
Select Download or Get. An added notation will appear indicating the app is downloading, then installing. Once the app is installed, there will be an indication that you can open it. The installed app will also be placed on Your Apps and Channels on the home page.
Sharp Smart TV App Options
If you have a Sharp Smart TV that does not include the Roku system, you may have one that has either the AppsNOW or VEWD system,formerly known as Opera TV.
Installing an App Using AppsNOW
Press the Apps button on your TV remote.
Select AppsNOW on your home screen and press OK on your remote.
At the top of the screen, you may choose to view all of the available apps or view a sorted list of available apps in several categories, such as Top Features, Movies & TV, Music & Shows, News & Weather, Lifestyle or Games.
Select the app you want to install.
Press OK on your remote to install the app.
Once installed, the icon for that app will have a check mark in the upper left corner.
Using the VEWD Apps System
Apps in the VEWD App Store are cloud-based, so they are not installed directly to the TV. Instead, you select and open them for viewing. Here are the steps:
Press the Apps button on your TV remote.
Select VEWD Apps Store and press OK on your TV remote.
At the top of the screen you may choose to view all of the available apps or view a sorted list of available apps grouped in categories, such as New, Popular, Movies & TV Series, Games, Internet TV, Music, Sports, Lifestyle, Technology, Kids, Nature & Travel, News & Weather, Social, Tools, or Trailers.
If you know that name of the app you want to view, you can try searching for it, though certain apps may not be available. To do this, select Search from the options displayed at the top of the screen and use the on-screen keyboard to enter the name of the app.
Once you select or find the app, press OK on your remote toopen the app.
You may choose tomark an app as a Favorite so it's conveniently available the next time you open the VEWD App Store.
Older Sharp Smart TVs may have the Android TV platform, which enables the installation of additional apps via the Google Play store as discussed previously in this article, or Smart Central, which is a pre-loaded app platform which depends on updates from Sharp with regards to any added apps.
Preloaded Apps on Philips Net TV
If you have a Philips TV that features the Net TV platform, it may only be able to access pre-loaded apps, some of which are displayed on the home page or can be accessed from a pre-selected listing in the App Gallery.
On these models, Philips may periodically add new apps via software updates. However, there are some models introduced in 2018 and later that may allow the addition of apps via the VEWD Apps Store, similar to the aforementioned Sharp TVs. Also, all Philips Net TVs support screencasting of select apps from a mobile phone; some models also include Chromecast built-in. Consult your user guide for details on the Net TV features available on your specific model.
Preloaded Apps on Element Smart TV
If you have an Element Smart TV that doesn't feature a built-in Fire TV or Roku TV, the app selection is pre-loaded.
The current selection is reported to include Netflix, YouTube, VUDU, Toon Goggles, Pandora, and AccuWeather. You cannot add more apps. For more details, consult the TV's user guide.
The Bottom Line
Almost all TVs available have some level of smart features built-in, which often includes a pre-loaded selection of internet streaming apps. However, in many cases, you also have the ability to add more apps to your viewing selection.
Although the exact procedure for adding apps may vary, there are some important things about downloading and installing apps on a smart TV to keep in mind:
You may have to set up a user account to install new apps.
The type and number of apps available may vary depending on the brand or model of Smart TV.
Not all apps are free to download; many are, but may still require a viewing or subscription fee to access content.
Some paid apps may offer a free trial period, after which you will be automatically billed on a periodic basis.
There may be some additional setup required after the app is downloaded and installed before you can use it.
If your TV is not-3D enabled, you will not have access to 3D streaming apps.
If your TV is not 4K-enabled, or if you have a 4K TV and your broadband speed is too slow, you will not have access to the 4K version of apps that offer that viewing option.
Kodi is now the go-to place for all home entertainment. The media organizer and streamer is becoming is even more popular, with people all over the world continuing to cut the cord. Smart TVs, on the other hand, are also becoming extremely prevalent for the same purpose, and combining the power of these two can only bring you the ultimate home entertainment experience. So How to Install Kodi on Smart TV?
In this guide, we shall explore how to get Kodi working on your big screen. However, there are some many Smart TV brands available, and each brand is different from the other. Even the ones that use the same operating system like Android vary in the specifics depending on the developer. The procedure of how to install Kodi on Smart TV can therefore never be given specifically for every Smart TV brand. Instead, we’ll look at the general procedure that you can follow.
Can I really Install Kodi on Smart TV?
Well, the answer to this question is both ‘Yes’ and ‘Maybe.’
Kodi only works on four operating systems: Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS. This means that if your Smart TV runs any of the above, it’s possible to install Kodi. Smart TVs mostly run Android, Web OS, and Tizen. It’s definitely good news for you if you have an Android-based TV because you can install Kodi directly. This is despite the fact that some Android TV manufacturers don’t let you access the Google Play Store. In such a case, you can sideload the app and still get it running.
If you happen to be using an LG TV or Samsung TV which are some of the biggest brands, then you won’t be able to install Kodi directly as there’s no Kodi app for these devices. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t run Kodi on your Smart TV. You can do so easily by using a TV box, Nvidia Shield, Amazon Fire Stick, and TV or even by casting from your Smartphone/ tablet.
Why Install Kodi on Smart TV?
There are a number of reasons why you should install Kodi on Smart TV.
The major reason is to be able to take advantage of the thousands of Kodi add-ons available today. Kodi, being open source, has attracted very many developers from all over the world, resulting in a plethora of Kodi addons that guarantee you thousands of entertainment hours.
These add-ons are grouped into official and non-official Kodi addons. The official ones are hosted in the official Kodi repository, while the third-party Kodi add-ons are hosted by various third-party repositories. The latter lets you watch any content free of charge.
The other reason you need to install Kodi on Smart TV is that the software excels at organizing your local media. Kodi takes videos from your computer or network hard drive, indexes it and also pulls Meta data from the internet. The media is then presented using Kodi’s excellent interface.
You need a VPN with Kodi
At this age, internet privacy is quickly diminishing with ISPs, Governments and other agencies doubling up their surveillance. This means that everything you do while connected to the internet can be easily seen by anybody who has the capacity to.
Without the right measure, you can’t carry out your online activities without other people knowing what you are doing. You can therefore easily be detected if you use third-party Kodi addons to stream illegal content. Such practices have seen thousands of users get DMCA notices from their ISPs.
To stay private and anonymous, all you need to do is use a good Kodi VPN. A VPN will encrypt your data and then securely tunnel it to a server in your preferred location. This way, your ISP will only see that you are connected to a VPN, but won’t be able to tell what you are doing online. When you torrent, you will also be displaying a fake IP address, which will keep you safe from malicious people on the internet. Further, if anybody tries to intercept your traffic, they will only get encrypted stuff that they can’t make sense of.
As a bonus, you will also be able to unlock any restricted content if you choose the right VPN. To take a headache out of your selection, IPVanish is currently the best VPN in the market and the best VPN for Kodi. The VPN is based in the privacy-friendly British Virgin Islands, offers the best speeds, and unlocks almost all streaming services, including Netflix! To help you get started, we managed to get an exclusive 57% of IPVanish. Click here to save 57% of IPVanish now!
Installing Kodi on Android Smart TVs
Most Smart TVs run on Android. However, every brand modifies their Android such that the specifics vary between brands. For this reason, we will try to be as general as possible.
Some Smart TVs that run Android also don’t have the Google Play Store app, and so we will give two different procedure for Android devices.
Android TVs with Google Play Store
If your Smart TV has the Play Store app, then installing Kodi is just child play.
Just open the Google Play Store app on your Smart TV
Select the magnifying glass on the top side of the screen to launch the search option.
Just type Kodi and search. Select the XBMC foundation app. It should be the first result.
Click Install and acknowledge access request.
It’s as easy as that!
Android TVs without Google Play Store
If your TV falls in this category, then we’ll need to use a procedure known as side-loading. This generally involves downloading the app externally and then installing it.
Before that, you need to make sure that you have given the Smart TV permission to install non-store apps. To do so, navigate to Security, and then try to find “Unknown sources”. Enable this option. You can then go ahead with the installation.
The next thing you need to do is download the Android apk using your computer. You can get it at the official Kodi download site.
Scroll down to the ‘choose your weapon’ section and choose the Android icon.
Choose the ARM v7 (32-bit) version, unless you are sure that your TV can run the 64-bit app version. You can check this from at the specifications page.
Save the .apk file on your computer, and then copy it to a USB drive.
Insert the USB drive to your TV and locate it using File explorer.
You can then select and install the app. Choose “package installer” or “Google Play Store,” whatever works for your TV.
You should now have Kodi on your system in a short while. To launch the app, just select its icon like all other apps.
Installing Kodi on Smart TV that doesn’t run on Android
LG and Samsung TVs are the biggest names in this category. Though they initially based their old Smart TVs on Android, they later decided to use their own operating systems. Unfortunately for Kodi lovers, you won’t be able to install the application directly therefore not able to Install Kodi on Smart TV.
Don’t worry though, we’ll explore the options you have to make Kodi work on your Smart TV.
Using an External TV Box
This is the best option you have if you are using a non-Android TV. Actually, streaming Kodi on an Android TV box is even better than running it on a Smart TV. This is because TV boxes give you added flexibility in choosing a product because of their varied specifications that include the processing power.
Further, TV boxes allows you to customize your apps much better than a Smart TV, and also give you more entertainment flexibility. We have a detailed guide for the best TV boxes 2018 that you can check out to know the best boxes you can go for. You can also check out our detailed guide on how to set up a Kodi Android TV box.
You can also use other devices that can run Kodi like Raspberry Pi, Nvidia Shield or Amazon Fire Stick/ TV.
Casting Kodi to your Smart TV
This is always an option for using Kodi on Smart TV.
If you are not familiar with casting, it involves duplicating a device’ screen on a bigger screen through a local network. It can also be referred to as screen mirroring or screencasting. If you are familiar with Chromecast, the device is based on this technology. It simply provides a means of casting your screen to a digital TV.
There are so many apps that allow you to cast your screen from a smartphone to a TV. You can even cast your entire screen using the inbuilt capability. To know how to cast your Smartphone or tablet to your Smart TV, you can just do some googling. It’s an easy process and doesn’t involve any technicalities.
Can I Install the beta Version of Kodi on Smart TV?
If you’d like to use Kodi 18 leia on your Smart TV, it’s completely possible. The process is not much different from the procedures that we’ve given above. However, Kodi 18 leia can only be installed through the side loading process, even if your Android Smart TV has the Google Play Store app. This is because the beta version is still not available in the official store.
However, you should note that the beta version is usually not stable, and therefore is meant for users that don’t fear bugs.
How To Download Kodi On Lg Webos Smart Tv
To install it:
Navigate to the Kodi download page.
Scroll down to the ‘choose your weapon’ section and select the Android icon.
In the dialog box that appears, navigate to “pre-release”
Choose the ARM v7 (32-bit) version, unless you are sure that your TV or Android box can run the 64-bit app version. You can check this from the specifications manual.
Save the .apk file on your computer, and then copy it to a USB drive. If you would like to cast from your smartphone or tablet, download using your phone.
From there, you can connect the drive to the TV or Android box USB port.
Install Kodi 18 leia and launch it.
Wrap up
Though the installation procedure you use varies, we can all use Kodi on our Smart TVs. You should therefore not be discouraged just because your Smart TV runs on Web OS or Tizen. There’s always a work around on How to Install Kodi on Smart TV, at this modern era.
However, the power of Kodi lies in its addons. You need to know the best Kodi addons and how to install them to maximize your Kodi experience. Fortunately for you, we have tens of Kodi addon guides that are meant to simplify the process for you.
How To Download Kodi On Lg Smart Tv Screen
Now that we have shed light on How to Install Kodi on Smart TV, just remember to use IPVanish the best VPN for Kodi whenever using the streaming software, to always stay on the right side of the law.
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