For any Android TV, we need some Android TV app so that we can enjoy all the benefits of having an Android TV.
Talking about the Android TV it was first announced back in 2014 as a digital television network, and since then we have come a long way.
While the dominance battle between Samsung’s Tizen, LG’s WebOS and Sony’s Android TV platform is getting hotter by the day, the Android TV platform still has a commanding voice due to its convergence with the new Google innovations and a multitude of devices.
There will not be any benefit of having an Android TV if you are not getting the right android tv app. If you are in confusion about which apps to choose for your Android TV then no need to worry.
The following given are some of the best Android TV app that will surely improve your watching experience.
Top 20 Android TV App
1.NetFlix
Netflix may be on your computer pre-installed. If not, pick up the app. It’s one of the world’s most popular movies, and streaming TV show channels.
And now that Netflix is available almost everywhere in the world, it is possible that you already have a subscription.
Even if you don’t, I strongly advise you to try Netflix. It has a wide variety of originals from Netflix, TV shows, animated series and movies to choose from, and you’re certainly going to find something that interests you.
The Netflix app comes pre-installed on a lot of Android TVs and you can just sign in to your Netflix account to start watching your favorite TV series with binge.
2.Sling TV
If you’re looking for the best Android TV app with a wide range of live TV channels including sports, lifestyle, news (local and international) then SlingTV is the perfect choice. The platform has channels like ESPN, NFL, The Food Network, CNBC, BBC, and more to name a few.
While the installation of the app is completely free, you will have to pay for the live television service. It’s pretty slick and well built to talk about the app. Unlike conventional TVs, I was able to move quickly between channels.
All in all, because it also comes with cloud-based DVR (Digital Video Recording) support, SlingTV seems to be the best app for watching live TV channels on Android TV.
3.MX Player
MX Player has long been regarded as one of Android’s best video players. The characteristics can be translated easily into the larger screen. The software can play a large number of codecs and supports files with subtitles.
The GUI is simple to use and smooth. MX Player can also read both locally stored files and external drive content, making it a great companion for anyone with an Android TV system.
4.Solid Explorer
This file explorer is the perfect replacement for ES File Explorer and you will love its unique design and function blend. The app features a two-pane style interface that makes navigating through folders and interacting with files very simple.
The best part is that you can use Solid Explorer to access the internal storage of your Android TV.
This allows you to uninstall, disable and update third-party APKs on Android TV. If you want, you can add your FTP server. To sum up, not only is Solid Explorer the best file manager, but also one of Android TV’s best apps.
5.AirScreen
Android TVs come with Google Cast’s assistance. It allows you to send any video, audio or images from your Android device to an Android HDTV. What if you’re an iPhone user and you’re also buying an Android TV?
Technically, you would have serious problems with usability. This is because Google Cast is not supported by iPhones. Both come with Airplay, a feature that allows iOS users to stream media from an iPhone to an Apple TV.
However, Google has made life easier for iOS users by adding an app that allows iPhone users to stream media content from an iPhone to an Android TV. AirScreen creates an AirPlay server on your Android TV, allowing you to replicate your iPhone screen on an Android TV.
6.Kodi
Kodi is perhaps one of the most effective applications for media servers out there. The software can be used to control all your media in one central location, which can even be optimized for remote access.
In addition, Kodi’s capabilities can be enhanced with a number of Kodi add-ons that add to the application a lot of power.
If you have a lot of offline media, you should definitely use Kodi on your Android TV, and you’re looking for a way to organize it all quickly, with a proper hierarchy.
Any additional media you can add to your device after setting up Kodi will be automatically sorted into the correct categories and arranged in the locations you have chosen.
7.VLC
VLC media player is, and for good reason, a very popular video player app. The software supports virtually every file format and can replay encoded videos across a wide range of codecs.
Even with the HEVC H.265 codec, VLC can easily decode videos. Add the intuitive interface and the reliability provided by VLC, and you’ll know why VLC is so commonly used.
The VLC app categorizes the media into Video, Audio, and other media automatically. Plus, you can control things such as hardware acceleration and more with the settings inside the device.
VLC comes pre-installed on Android TV boxes like the Mi Box, but as it is available on the Android TV Play Store, it can be easily installed.
8.X-Plore File Manager
With ES File Explorer disappearing earlier this year from the Play Store due to dodgy associations with Chinese spyware, the title of “best Android TV file manager software” has been voided.
So X-plore File Manager stole the series. This file manager helps you to explore all the files and folders on your Android TV in a granular way, as you may do on a desktop operating system such as Windows or macOS.
Download, transfer and copy files as you wish, synchronize files through cloud storage services such as Google Drive and Dropbox, and share files via Wi-Fi. For those who want to dig deeper into their Android TV, this is a no-nonsense device.
9.Spotify
Music channels on cable television are annoying and full of ads. And unless you pay for YouTube Premium, the musical experience on YouTube isn’t much better.
The answer is to Spotify. Pandora and Google Play Music are other music services with a dedicated Android TV app.
Spotify comes pre-installed on Android TV boxes like the Mi Box, and you just have to sign in with your Spotify account to start streaming music.
10.Haystack TV
Haystack TV is a smart news app whose success has increased in recent years on an unprecedented scale.
Their biggest adulation came in 2017 when Google named Haystack TV for the Best TV Experience Award for “the 2017 Google Play Awards.” But not without justification is all the respect.
HayStack TV takes a different approach to keeping you up-to-date with the latest news. Haystack carries selected news from a number of sources, including Reuters, BBC News, Cnn, etc.
In addition, there is a convenient “weather screen” at the bottom of the window to keep you at your place updated with the weather.
11.Google Drive
If you like the thought of using your Android TV to access your files, there’s no better way than to use Google Drive.
You can easily access all your cloud data and view it on your Android TV with Google Drive on your Pc.
Although the Google Drive app is not yet available on the Android TV Play Store, websites such as APKMirror can quickly sideload the APK.
If you don’t want to use Google Drive, you can search and access your data from your Android TV with its alternatives.
12.Plex
Another really cool feature for the media center that you can use is Plex. The Plex program isn’t as strong as Kodi, and it also doesn’t have as many plugins.
But where Plex shines, things are set out in the software in a simple way. Where Kodi can look (and feel) daunting, Plex has an instantly friendly user interface that will get you hooked in no time.
That is, once you’ve come to understand how things work. You will need a Plex server on another laptop or device that can be accessed by your Android TV or WiFi to use Plex on your Android TV.
13.Steam Link
The Steam Connection app came to the Google Play Store in May 2018, allowing you to stream from your PC to all Android devices – from your smartphones to your Android TV.
Indeed, that means you can now stream your Steam games directly to your TV with a good internet connection – at up to 4 K resolutions at 60 fps, no less (you’ll have to go to advanced settings to upgrade from the default 1080p).
For this reason, we strongly recommend that your TV and Steam PC be linked to your home network via Ethernet. Better gaming beyond that!
14.Hulu
Before you can start with Hulu, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the app downloaded from the device you’re planning to stream from.
Hulu is the best service if you want live TV and on-demand content all in one service (and live in the U.S.). The software itself is worthy of praise, away from the content.
It’s now one of the best-designed Android TV app on the whole platform, after a few years of development. If you want to try the full version of Hulu then it will cost you $39.99 per month.
15.Google Chrome
Android TVs do not come with an integrated web browser that is understandable, but still quite misleading. Nonetheless, you can easily install a browser like Google Chrome if you want a web browser on your Android TV.
You can browse the web with Google Chrome enabled, and do much more on your Android TV. Despite the absence of Chrome’s store edition, you don’t have to sideload it.
If you’re heading to the Google Play Store listing on the web, your Android TV box will be listed as a device that is compatible.
16.Twitch
If you love watching live players demonstrate their gaming skills, Twitch is the place to be. Twitch is a live streaming site for video gamers to post broadcasts of live video games.
For ordinary people, watching live video streams can sound like a boring thing. It’s not just fun, but extremely important for gaming fans, too.
Watching gameplay on Twitch helps players to learn new gaming techniques and new ways of playing different games, as well as providing them with a new understanding of the different levels and challenges a game provides.
If you’re a hardcore gamer, then in the list of Android TV games, you’ll understand what Google has done in making Twitch.
17.Sideload Launcher
The slimmed-down version of the mobile version is the Google Play Store on Android TV. Many devices are not compatible with Android TV, so you don’t have to choose from as many.
The operating system, however, will run any Android app, making Android TV sideloading apps a common practice. But there is a question. Apps you sideload won’t appear on the home screen or app list of devices.
The only way to access them is through the Settings menu. So the answer is to install an app from a third party. The most user-friendly Sideload Launcher. You will see a list of all your sideloaded apps when you open it.
18.The Weather Network
For your Android TV, the Weather Network is a beautiful weather device. The software has been specifically designed to work well with Android TVs and it really shows. Inside The
Weather Network, there are a variety of sections like “Videos,” “Weather,” “Maps,” and more. To see the current weather at your place, as well as a 36-hour and hourly forecast, you can go to the “Weather” section.
The software also includes a forecast of 14 days if you need to check the weather so far away.
19.Tunnelbear
Can hurt having a VPN client. It helps keep you anonymous when browsing the internet and can be used to circumvent geographic restrictions imposed on a lot of online content.
Tunnelbear is one of the best VPN applications you can use on your Android TV unless you want to pirate stuff. Each month, Tunnelbear offers you 500 MB of data free and you can buy one of their paid subscriptions to increase this amount.
Nonetheless, 500 MB is likely to be enough for easy browsing. Note that for security and legal reasons, Tunnelbear does not require you to access items that use P2P protocols.
20.iHeartRadio
For those users who enjoy listening to radio stations, music playlists and podcasts, iHeartRadio is specially designed.
The best part about this app is that it supports thousands of local and global AM and FM radio stations. You can listen to sports stations such as ESPN Radio, Fox Sports and more.
The software is pretty clean in terms of design and looks very similar to Spotify. It has many labels for radio stations, however, ranging from music, news, sports, talk, and comedy.
Without a doubt, iHeartRadio is a great app for Android TV, and if you’re a music fan, it’s a cake cherry.