It has been a long time since Android TV was first announced as a Smart TV platform, but we’ve made great progress. Now that we can buy Android TV boxes, we can turn any HDTV with an HDMI port into an Android TV, complete with features like HDMI CEC, that were previously only available on the most expensive TVs.
A lot more people can now enjoy Android TV thanks to these TV boxes. YouTube and Netflix may already be pre-installed on the device. It’s up to you to take care of the rest. Videos, music, productivity, and system apps all provide the best possible experience.
In this guide we will only be talking about Android TV apps, and not Samsung TV. For Samsung guides, check out Droidician.
Top 10 Best Android TV Apps
The following are the top 20 Android TV apps that you should be using in 2022 if you’ve purchased an Android TV or if you’re using an Android TV set-top box.
1. SlingTV
With SlingTV, you can enjoy a wide variety of live TV channels, including sports, lifestyle, news (local and international), and more, as well as a cable TV alternative. In addition to ESPN and the NFL, you’ll find channels from the Food Network, CNBC, the BBC, and many more in this app. It is free to download and use the app, but you must pay for the live television service.
In terms of the app itself, it’s slick and well-thought-out. As with traditional televisions, we were able to easily switch channels. Overall, SlingTV appears to be the best app for watching live TV channels on Android TV thanks to its cloud-based DVR support.
2. MX Player
For a long time, MX Player was regarded as one of the best Android video players. Its qualities are easily transferred to a larger screen. Many different codecs can be played, and subtitle files are supported. The user experience is seamless and intuitive.
Anyone with an Android TV device equipped with USB ports will appreciate MX Player’s ability to read content from local storage as well as external drives.
As long as you have the direct URL, MX Player can stream video files from the internet, including cloud storage. However, a lot of complicated trickery is required to get video from sites like YouTube or Vimeo to play on this device (not worth the effort when you can just use the YouTube app).
3. Sideload Launcher
The Android TV version of the Google Play Store is a pared-down version of the mobile version. There are fewer apps available for Android TV because some aren’t compatible. Although the operating system can run any Android app, sideloading apps on Android TV is a common practice.
However, there is a problem. The home screen or list of apps on your device will not display sideloaded apps. They can only be accessed through the Settings menu. As a result, a third-party app is the best option. The simplest to use is Sideload Launcher. All of your sideloaded apps are listed when you open it.
4. Solid Explorer
For Android TV, Solid Explorer is the best file manager after ES File Explorer’s demise, and it’s the same for Android phones and tablets. If you’re looking for an ES File Explorer replacement, this is it. You’re going to adore the way it seamlessly blends form and function. Two-pane layout makes it simple to navigate through folders and interact with files in the app.
The best part about Solid Explorer is that you can manage your Android TV’s internal storage directly from the app. APKs from third-party developers can be downloaded and installed on Android TV. Additionally, you can include your FTP server if you wish. Solid Explorer is not only the best file manager for Android TV, but it’s also one of the best Android TV apps out there.
5. Aptoide
Aptoide is one of the best Android apps for Android TV because it allows you to access thousands of Android apps without any geo-restrictions or compatibility issues with your Android TV. To refresh your memory, Aptoide is a third-party app store that serves as an alternative to Google Play. Apps that aren’t in the Play Store can be found and installed here.
If you’re concerned about the integrity of the apps, you can rest easy knowing that Aptoide is supported directly by the developers, with no intermediaries in the process. If you can’t find your favorite apps on Android TV through the Play Store, the Aptoide app store will take you right back to where you left off.
Well, these are the best Android TV Apps. We hope this guide helped you. If you liked this, make sure to check out our other guides on Make Tech Quick such as Shudder not working.