Android’s ability to sideload APKs (Android Package Kits) is one of its defining features, letting you install compatible apps from outside the Play Store. The practice is not disappearing, but Google is rolling out new rules that change how sideloading works and who can do it.
Android’s new sideloading rules
Google is introducing a developer verification system that requires apps installed on certified Android devices—whether from the Play Store or sideloaded—to be registered by a verified developer. The company cites internal data showing that apps installed from the open internet are over 50 times more likely to contain malware than those from Google Play, which is why it is tightening policies around sideloading. Although this may reduce the number of unverified apps users can install, Google says it is also building an “advanced” installation flow that will let experienced users accept the risks and continue installing unverified apps, with stronger warnings and safeguards against coercion by scammers.
Why sideload on Android TV?
The Play Store offers a large catalog of Android TV apps, but some useful tools never make it there because of policy limits, geo-restrictions, or missing TV-optimized versions. For Android TV owners, that makes sideloading especially valuable for accessing niche utilities, alternative launchers, and specialized streaming or privacy tools that are otherwise unavailable or limited on the Play Store.
How to sideload on Android TV
To sideload an APK on Android TV, you first need to get the file onto your TV. You can transfer it from your phone using a file-transfer app, download it directly through a TV browser, or copy it from a USB drive. Once the APK is on your device, install a file manager from the Play Store, enable installation from unknown sources for that file manager in your TV’s settings, then open the APK in the file manager to complete the install.
1. SmartTube TV
SmartTube is an unofficial, ad-free YouTube client that many Android TV and Google TV users prefer over the official YouTube app because it removes in‑video ads and integrates features like SponsorBlock to skip sponsored segments. It supports UHD playback with HDR, offers extensive customization (such as hiding Shorts or trending sections), works well with a remote-friendly TV interface, and does not require a Google login, though it violates YouTube’s Terms of Service and is not available on the Play Store.
2. Aptoide TV
Aptoide TV is a TV-optimized alternative app marketplace that you can sideload to discover apps that are missing from, or restricted on, Google Play. Unlike the Play Store, Aptoide TV is community-driven, allowing users to create and share their own app “channels,” which greatly expands the catalog but also requires extra caution because user-managed stores can host unsafe or low-quality apps despite malware scanning efforts.
3. Leanback Launcher
Leanback Launcher is a lightweight, open-source home screen replacement inspired by Google’s original Leanback interface and adapted for TV devices. It focuses on a minimalist layout that highlights installed apps instead of algorithmic content recommendations and lets you reorder rows, change how many apps appear per row, hide unwanted apps, and tweak visual elements like backgrounds, transparency, and icon shapes, though replacing the default launcher may affect some system features such as built-in voice search.
4. RetroArch
RetroArch turns your Android TV into a retro gaming hub by emulating classic systems like PlayStation, NES, SNES, and Game Boy, as long as you provide legally obtained game files. While a version exists on the Play Store, sideloading the full build unlocks more emulator cores, more frequent updates, visual shaders to improve image quality, advanced features like save states and rewind, and broad gamepad support with customizable button mapping.
5. Syncler
Syncler is a media-center app designed to organize and stream movies and TV shows from external provider packages rather than hosting content itself. The app is legal on its own, but legality depends on the providers you add, so you should stick to packages that index public-domain sources such as the Internet Archive, while taking advantage of integrations like Trakt and Real-Debrid for better tracking and higher-quality links.
6. AdAway
AdAway is a free, open-source ad blocker that you must sideload because it is not distributed through the Play Store. It works by using a hosts-based blocking system and a local VPN to filter requests to ad and tracking domains at the device level, significantly reducing ads and some malicious connections on your TV, though its interface is not fully optimized for TV and may require a mouse-toggle tool to navigate comfortably.
How these apps were chosen
The apps above were selected because they deliver clear, practical benefits to Android TV owners: smoother performance via a lightweight launcher, richer streaming options, enhanced privacy, and powerful retro gaming capabilities. Preference was given to TV-optimized, remote-friendly apps, trusted community projects with active development (often on GitHub or official sites), and sideloaded variants that meaningfully improve on their Play Store counterparts before Google’s stricter sideloading rules take full effect.
