topic Re: Side loading apps in Android TV

Side loading apps

joprett — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 16:02:16 GMT

I am am having difficulty side loading an app from my android phone. Can anybody help me please ?

John P

Re: Side loading apps

Northern_Lights — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 23:27:03 GMT

Hi Joprett, what have you tried so far ? You say that you are having problems sideloading "from" your phone.

Where are you trying to load the Apps to ? I presume you are wanting to install them on to a TV ?

I have sideloaded some Apps for myself on to my TV recently...

You need two different Apps that you can download direct from the TV's Google Play store App on to your Android TV.

They are called : 'TVLauncher' and 'ES File Explorer'.

But the apps that you want to sideload on to your TV must end with the letters .apk They aren't the standard kind of App on your phone although they do the same job.

Heres how I do it on my TV :

...........................................................

1. On the TV's Home Page go to Settings. > then Security and Restrictions. > then choose to turn Unknown Sources On. This allows you to install 3rd Party Apps.

2. You can install ES File Explorer and TV Launcher direct from the TV's Google Play Store App.

They are two of the most commonly used Apps to help with the process.

3. Once downloaded this is the Home Page for ES FILE EXPLORER . To install an App on to your TV you have to click on Network on the left hand side, and then choose Cloud.

4. You are then presented with a box with various Download options. You will need to have an account for the one that you want to use to download your app from.

5. You can then use the App called TV Launcher and include the downloaded App in it's Home Page for quick access on to your TV (see below) Other apps may not be as straight forward as TV Launcher, bit I'm not sure.

Re: Side loading apps

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 18:14:39 GMT

Hi there

As Northern_light said above, most often you need to download the .apk file for the app you want. A google search can help with this.

However there sometimes is another way too. If you log into Googles Play store via a computer, sometimes you can sideload apps this way. All you need to do is choose the TV from the drop down list of where you want to install the app to. This doesnt always work however...

Cheers

Re: Side loading apps

Northern_Lights — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 18:39:47 GMT

Thanks Quinnicus, I didn't know there was another possible option for Sideloading.

David

Re: Side loading apps

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 18:49:56 GMT

You're welcome

Re: Side loading apps

Jecht_Sin — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 09:38:27 GMT

This is how I do it:

- I installed X-plore (see later)

- I check the version of the app in the Google Play store

- I download the same version (the last) from apkmirror (it's legal - it doesn't provide cracked apk for premium apps - and trustful)

- I move the downloaded apk in the Google Drive folder in my Mac (I suppose Windows has a similar mechanism). Doing so it gets synchronised in the Google Drive cloud.

- From X-plore I access Google Drive, I select and install the app. I suppose ES FIle Manager can do the same

Then sure, some sideloaded apps don't show in the Home. So one needs to install Sideloader Launcher from the Play store to launch them.

Re: Side loading apps

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 10:47:49 GMT

Somehow, I always forget about the advantages of Google Drive...

Re: Side loading apps

Jecht_Sin — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 09:01:26 GMT

I know!! But being that we can't write in the external USB devices, I've got used to do all my transfers via internet. And Google Drive showed to be quite handy.

Well, it also helps to have a fiber connection, since my internet bandwidth is just about 1/3 slower than the max wifi capacity. With slow connections it can get quite frustrating. But in that case one can setup an ftp server and connect to it (for free. ssh instead requires a donation) via X-plore and access the same Google Drive (or else) folder.

Re: Side loading apps

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 20:00:07 GMT

@Jecht_Sin - Heeeeeelp

I am trying to create some instructions on how to sideload apps using X-plore and Google Drive, but everytime I try and run/open the file from Google Drive i get "Parse error". This also happens in "File Commander" too. What am I doing wrong.

PS: Trying to create a FAQ on how to sideload apps.

----------------------------

3 – Using X-plore and Google Drive

In this example, I am going to demonstrate how to sideload GMAIL by placing the relevant file on Google Drive and using X-plore to install is.

Step 1:

Download the gmail .apk file. . A good place to find .apk files is: http://www.apkmirror.com/

Step 2:

Log into your Google Drive account and transfer the gmail apk file to it.

Step 3:

Install X-plore from the Google Play Store on the TV

Step 4:

Load X-plore from the apps menu. On first run you will need to ‘Allow’ X-plore to access photos, media and files.

Step 5:

On the left hand side of the screen you will need to navigate to “Web storage” and click on “Add server”.

Step 6:

Choose Google Drive from the server list. Another pop-up window will appear for you to allow contact. Choose “Allow”. After a few seconds the TV should add your Google Drive account to the TV according to the account that is already setup on the TV. (Note: You may have to click on “Add server” again, but once you do your account will then appear)

Step 7:

Simply navigate your way down to the file inside Google Drive

Re: Side loading apps

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 20:09:53 GMT

@Jecht_Sin

Ignore me - it seems that if you have set up a USB drive to use as internal storage, one MUST have that USB drive connected. If the USB drive is disconnected then you MUST choose 'forget' storage, in order for you to access the TVs internal files.......

Re: Side loading apps

Northern_Lights — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 20:43:23 GMT

Ive also re-edited my first post to inlcude instructions for anyone visiting the Topic in the future.

It is just showing the way that I Sideload my Apps.

Oh wow. It's totally disappeared !! It had pictures for explanations as well.

Re: Side loading apps

Jecht_Sin — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 09:24:46 GMT

Quinnicus wrote:
@Jecht_Sin

Ignore me - it seems that if you have set up a USB drive to use as internal storage, one MUST have that USB drive connected. If the USB drive is disconnected then you MUST choose 'forget' storage, in order for you to access the TVs internal files.......

Well.. yes. If you decide to use an external device as "internal memory" and you disconnect that USB device Android doesn't have any space available where to temporary download a file from Google Drive..

At least in the way it is implemented. Personally I would have duplicated the "/sdcard" area instead of using either the internal or external memory. I mean. that's what it is done for "/app" (which is the reason why we can have apps in both the internal and external memory and move them around). I don't know, I suppose the Linux kernel even allows to make use use of two or more partitions merged into a single virtual device ("/sdcard"), but I am not sure about it. And if it does, I am not sure our kernel version does support it anyway (maybe it started with version 4.x.y).

Oh, btw. That is also one reason why my externel memory going Read-Only messes up various things. For exemple, with some apps (not all. Just some to make things even more complicated), the Google Play store tries to download the temporary apk into "/sdcard" for a later installation, but being the "/sdcard" Read-Only Google Play gets stuck in "Downloading".

Re: Side loading apps

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 08:08:21 GMT

@Northern_Lights wrote:

Ive also re-edited my first post to inlcude instructions for anyone visiting the Topic in the future.

It is just showing the way that I Sideload my Apps.

Oh wow. It's totally disappeared !! It had pictures for explanations as well.

@Northern_Lights - I'll ask the forum manager if its in the spam filtered area. It'll be Monday however.

Re: Side loading apps

Northern_Lights — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 08:21:35 GMT

Thanks for that Quinnicus. It took me over an hour to compile it. It contains edited photos from my TV screen.

Re: Side loading apps

joprett — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 15:02:31 GMT

Many thanks for your post re side loading. I have been trying for the last few days to complete the download but to no avail. I have the explorer and to launcher but am struggling with the app I particularly want and that is MotoGP app. Can't find it in the list on Googleplay. Have you any further suggestion please .
Joprett.

Sent from my iPad

Re: Side loading apps

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 15:31:02 GMT

HI @joprett

Please see this FAQ and see if it helps:

https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/android-tv/faq-how-to-sideload-apps-on-android-tvs/td-p/2347365

Cheers

Re: Side loading apps

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 15:34:59 GMT

@Jecht_Sin wrote:

@Quinnicus wrote:

@Jecht_Sin

Ignore me - it seems that if you have set up a USB drive to use as internal storage, one MUST have that USB drive connected. If the USB drive is disconnected then you MUST choose 'forget' storage, in order for you to access the TVs internal files.......

Well.. yes. If you decide to use an external device as "internal memory" and you disconnect that USB device Android doesn't have any space available where to temporary download a file from Google Drive..

@Jecht_Sin - thats exactly what I was doing I just assumed that removing USB drive, I would still be able to access /sdcard of internal memory. Apparently not.

Re: Side loading apps

Northern_Lights — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 21:19:07 GMT

Hi Joprett, my reply to you has disappeared for the moment it was posted a few days ago and re-edited with images. But in it I said that you have to download a .apk file for Sideloading.

so you need the motogp.apk file. Not the motogp App file from a Google Play store.

You can do a search in Google for it and theres a number of websites for it.

Heres one of them : https://apkpure.com/motogp%E2%84%A2/com.dorna.officialmotogp

If you need anymore help come back and ask.