Recently I was trying to sideload an app in my smart TV. I found that the process is quite simple and straightforward. In this post, I will share the steps I followed to sideload an app in my smart TV.

Connect to your Smart TV

  1. Make sure your smart TV and computer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
  2. Open the settings on your smart TV and navigate to the "Network" or "Wi-Fi" section.
  3. Find the IP address of your smart TV. It should be listed in the network settings.
  4. Note down the IP address for later use.

Enable Developer Options

  1. Go to the settings on your smart TV.
  2. Navigate to the "About" or "Device Information" section.
  3. Find the "Build Number" or "Software Version" option.
  4. Tap on the "Build Number" or "Software Version" option multiple times until you see a message saying "You are now a developer!" or "Developer options enabled".
  5. Go back to the main settings menu and you should now see a "Developer Options" or "Developer Settings" section.
  6. Open the "Developer Options" or "Developer Settings" section.
  7. Enable "USB Debugging" option.

Connect to your Smart TV using ADB

Make sure you have the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) installed on your computer. Then you can connect using the following command:

adb connect <YOUR_TARGET_IP>

If you see failed to connect to '<YOUT_TARGET_IP>:5555': No route to host, you can try restart the adb server with adb kill-server and then adb connect <YOUR_TARGET_IP> again. Additonal info you can refer to this post.

Verify you Smart TV Architecture

After you connected to your smart TV with adb connect, you can type command below to verify the architecture of your smart TV:

$ adb shell

:/ getprop ro.product.cpu.abi
armeabi-v7a

:/ exit

Sideload the App

Download the APK file of the app you want to sideload. You can find APK files on various websites, but make sure to:

  • Download only from trusted and verified sources
  • Verify the APK signature if possible with SHA256 or MD5
  • Avoid downloading cracked or modified APKs

Once you have the APK file, you can use the following command to install it on your smart TV:

$ adb install <path_to_apk_file>
Performing Streamed Install
Success

Now you're done! You can find the app in your smart TV's app drawer and start using it.

Conclusion

Sideloading apps in smart TVs is a simple process that can be done using ADB. Just make sure to enable developer options and USB debugging on your smart TV, and you can easily install any APK file you want. Enjoy your new app!

After you installed the app, you can disable the developer options and USB debugging for security reasons.