It goes without saying that the Amazon Firestick has picked up a lot of popularity. The Android operating system makes the Firestick device a go-to pick for anyone looking to upgrade their “unsmart” TV.
However, even though the built-in Amazon App Store has a broad range of apps and games, you might not find everything that the Google App Store has to offer. So, does that mean that you will have to be stuck with the app collection that the Amazon App store has to offer? Not really!
If you learn how to install any third-party app for Amazon Firestick, you can get any app running on the Fire TV device.
Thinking that the process will be troublesome or not? Absolutely not! Watch how we can make the whole procedure a piece of cake.
How to Install Any Third-Party App for Amazon Firestick?
So, it is not a secret that Amazon Fire TV devices do not come with the Google App Store. It comes with the Amazon App Store instead. But that is not the only thing. Fire TV devices will not even let you install apps on Fire Stick TV unless you bypass it.
And to bypass and install third-party apps are as follows, you just need to follow just a few steps. They are:
Step 1: Download the Downloader App
One of the ways to download third-party apps on Amazon Fire Stick is through the downloader app. The app is available for Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Cube, and other Fire devices. As the name suggests, the downloader app will enable you to start downloading apps, sideload apps, install apps, and open apps. All in the same place!
You can even install the latest versions of your recently installed apps through this downloader application. So, you can guess that you can not only download apps from first-party sources but also third-party apps. The app also features a simple layout and is fully optimized for Android TV boxes.
Now, let us get back on track. Before you get to download a third-party application through the downloader app, you need to download this downloader application. And for that, head over to your Amazon Store and select the search option on the top. You can also press the search button on your remote.
On the search box, type downloader app and hit okay. You will find an app that will have a downloader sign. Yes, much like the downloader sign you might see on an android device. Now that you found your desired app click the app icon and click install. Let the Fire TV stick download and install it.
Nonetheless, you need an internet connection in order to download anything. So, keep that in mind.
Step 2: Get the Downloader App on Your Home Screen
Local apps on Firestick do not go to the home screen right after installing them from Amazon’s official app store for android devices. However, by getting them to the home screen, you can get quick access to the apps and will not have to search for one specific app among tons of other apps.
That said, getting apps to the home screen is pretty straightforward. First of all, you need to press and hold the home button on your Fire TV remote. Open the Apps from the menu. That will show you all of the apps on Firestick. From the list of the apps, search for the Downloader app.
When you find it, press Options on the Fire TV remote, and a menu should pop up. Press the move option that is on the bottom right and press the Up key of the remote to drag the Downloader app all the way to the top row.
Then, press Select on the Fire TV remote and release the icon of the app that you have chosen. Get back to your home screen, and you will find the Downloader app right there!
Step 3: Set the Permission to Install Applications from Unknown Applications
Installing the downloading apps on Firestick TV is just the first half of the story. You will need to make some modifications in order to download and sideload apps on your Fire TV. For that, head over to the settings of your Fire TV.
Can not find it? Head over to your home screen and try to find the gear icon. Do not look at the left sidebar; it’s not going to be there. Instead, it should be somewhere along the upper right corner. Going to fullscreen mode can help you to find the settings icon.
When you are on the settings, scroll down to find the My Fire TV option. Again, if you are looking at the top bar or top menu, you will not find it. You find a couple of options on the left menu bar. Navigate to the Developer Options and select it.
Again, you will find loads of options when you are in the Developer Options. Select Install Unknown Apps, and it should lead you to another tab. From there, click on the downloader icon and grant it permission to install Android apps from unknown sources.
If you do not let it sideload applications from unknown sources, it can not download any third-party application. And most importantly, you will not be capable of using it to install third-party party apps on Fire Stick. Basically, by granting it permission, you will enable third-party apps handling for the downloader app.
After that, you can use the Downloader app to install any Apk file that you will find on the internet.
Step 4: Getting Started with the Downloader App
Downloading the downloader app and giving it the right to download a third-party application is the story’s first half. You will still need to do some tweaking to install apps on Firestick using the app.
First of all, open the app. You might see the latest update notes on the first screen. This pop-up will go away right after you click OK.
Next, you will need to enable Javascript. If you keep the Javascript unchecked, websites will not adequately download the APK files. Look at the left sidebar and select the Settings option. You will find the Javascript option right there. Click yes, and you will see a warning message.
Do not worry about the warning; it is just there to let you know what you are doing by enabling Javascript. Click yes, and then you can finally use the app to download apps and sideload them.
Step 5: Sideload Apps with the Downloader App on Fire TV Stick
The process of downloading APK files and installing them on the Fire TV Stick is pretty straightforward. First, you will need to open the app and get into the home screen. You will see an URL box. It should be much like Amazon’s official built-in browser or Google Chrome.
However, you will need to paste the direct download link of the APK file. Wondering where you will find the direct URL link? Use the browser of your Amazon Firestick to get the URL. The URL pointing towards the download button is usually the download link of a particular application.
On that note, you can use a lot of third-party sites to download apps. Most will have loads of apps on the games section, streaming apps such as live TV, and VPN service apps. You can use the Hamburger Menu present on most of the sites to find the exact category of apps.
Nonetheless, after you get the direct link, paste or type it on the URL section of the downloader app, and it should start downloading. Once the download is complete, you can press install, and the app will automatically install the downloaded app on your Fire TV.
Step 6: Delete the APK File
You can open the app directly after that, but we would recommend deleting the APK file as it will take unnecessary space on your storage. For doing so, you will need to take the help of your file explorer. ES File Explorer is the one that we would recommend in this case. But you can also utilize any other file manager.
Get to the download file location and press the delete button. That will enable you to get rid of the unnecessary APK from the internal storage.
What To Do If You Can Not Find the Downloader App on Your Fire TV App Store?
So, you might not be capable of finding the Downloader app on the app store. It is not available in some of the regions. Now, if that is the case for you, you will need to deregister your Amazon account and register the Fire TV with a universal Amazon account.
Creating a New Account
Before you deregister your Amazon account, open a new account first. You need to make sure that you have a spare email. Also, you can create a secondary email for this.
Once you get the spare account, go to the Amazon website using a VPN and create an account while being tuned in the USA in the VPN.
The account you will create with the VPN in the USA will be universal. This region should have all of the apps on the App Store.
Deregister and Re-register Your Amazon Fire TV
After you get yourself a new account, go to the settings of your Fire TV stick and head over to the Account and Profile Settings. You will need to select the account already logged into the Fire TV stick and click on the Deregister option. You will be signed out.
Remember, when you are deregistering your device, all of the apps on the Firestick will be removed. You will lose all of the data as well. So, if you have been using the Fire TV for a while, we recommend backing up the critical data.
Final Words
No matter what people say, learning how to install any third-party app for Amazon Firestick is pretty straightforward. You just need to go through a couple of steps, and you will be good to go. Also, do remember to check the permissions you are giving to the third-party apps before installing them to your device.