How to Install Kodi on Fire Stick

Did you buy a Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, and now you want to install Kodi on it?  Are you thinking you may need to jailbreak the Fire Stick?

Well, I’m here to share with you that installing Kodi on a Fire Stick is very easy, and you don’t have to do any “jailbreak” at all.  It only takes about 5 minutes.

In this step-by-step tutorial, I’ll show you how to install Kodi on an Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Jailbroken or Loaded Fire Sticks

Before we get into the tutorial, I want to clear up on misunderstandings.

Many people think that you have to “jailbreak” a Fire Stick in order to install custom software like Kodi onto it.  Not true.

Fire Sticks run a fork of Android that they call Fire OS, but at the core, it’s just Android.  On Android, you can install an app via an APK file as long as you enable “Apps from Unknown Sources” in the settings.  The process of manually installing an app from an APK file is called “side-loading” because you’re manually installing an app without using the app store (whether it’s the Amazon app store or Google Play Store for non-Amazon Android devices).

Also, a lot of people think it’s a good idea to buy loaded Fire Sticks. It’s not.

Loaded Fire Sticks are being sold all over the place.  People buy Fire Sticks in bulk, load them up with Kodi setup with a build and a bunch of other apps, and then they sell them to people as an easy way to get all the free TV and movie streaming without any setup.  The problems with that are…

• Loaded Fire Sticks probably come installed with way too much software that it will slow down your Fire Stick.
• These apps and add-ons get old and need updating regularly.  It’s only a matter of time until it stops working, and when that happens, you’ll have no idea how to fix it.
• It’s better to know exactly what you’re installing and know how to maintain it.  It’s not that hard.  You can do it.

With all that said, let’s get into the tutorial on how to install Kodi on a Fire Stick.

Download the Kodi APK File

• First, download the latest stable Kodi APK for Android.

Prepare Your Fire TV Stick Before Installing Kodi

• On your Fire TV Stick, navigate to Settings > System > Developer Options and turn ON both options (Apps from Unknown Sources and ADB Debugging). Don’t forget to turn ADB Debugging OFF when you’re done, or you might get hacked.
• Find and take note of your Fire Stick’s IP address by going to Settings > System > About > Network.

2 Ways to Install Kodi on a Fire Stick

There are 2 main ways to install the Kodi app on your Fire TV Stick.  I prefer method #1 because you can easily update Kodi when new version come out because you do it all from your desktop or laptop computer.  Method #2 is more simple for first-time users, but you’ll need to go through the process using your Fire Stick remote each time you want to update Kodi.

Method #1: Using adbLink to Install Kodi on Fire TV Stick

• Download and install adbLink on your computer.
• Open adbLink on your computer (which you downloaded and installed earlier)
• Click the New button
• In Description, give your Fire TV Stick a name.
• In Address, type the IP address of your Fire TV Stick that you took note of earlier.
• Click the Save button.
• Click the Connect button, and you should see your Fire TV Stick’s IP show in the Connected Devices box.
• Then click the Install APK button, navigate to the Kodi APK file you downloaded earlier and select it.
• You will see a popup asking if you really want to install the APK.  Click Yes.
• You should see a small progress bar in the bottom right corner of the screen letting you know it’s working.  It should take a minute or two, so be patient.
• When it’s done, you’ll see a popup that says Installed.
• All done!  You should now see Kodi in the Apps section of the Fire TV home screen.

Screenshots of Installing Kodi on a Fire TV Stick

The above instructions should be pretty easy, but in case you need some visuals to make sure you’re in the right place, here are some screenshots.

Method #2: Using ES File Explorer to Download Kodi to Fire TV Stick

• Be sure you did the initial step to Prepare Your Fire TV Stick Before Installing Kodi
• Go back to home screen, select Search, and type ES Explorer. Select  ES File Explorer and install it by selecting ‘Get‘ or ‘Download‘
• Launch the ES File Explorer app and add the following address into Download Manager (this can be found on the left hand side of the screen under TOOLS) https://bit.ly/2ZMvFuF and name it Kodi 18.8
• Select Download and the Kodi installer file will download to your Fire TV Stick
• Select the newly downloaded apk file, and you will see the Kodi installation screen. Click Install
• Kodi is now installed on your Fire TV Stick and can be accessed via Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > Kodi > Launch Application

I Recommend a VPN for Streaming Kodi on a Fire Stick

If you’re going to be using Kodi unofficial add-ons for streaming or downloading on your Fire TV Stick, I recommend using a VPN.  With the Fire Stick, you can install the IPVanish Android app onto your Fire TV Stick using the same method as shown above.  Here’s a tutorial on how to do that.

Curious why you would need a VPN?  Check out my post on 4 Reasons Why Kodi Streamers Need a VPN.

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After Installing Kodi, Can’t Find the App on Fire Stick

I periodically get this comment from people that they can’t find the Kodi app once they followed the instructions to install it.

If you’re looking in the Apps section along the top (right next to Settings), then that will only show you apps that you can download.

If you’re looking in your “Your Apps and Channels” bar under the “Home” section, it won’t show up there until you open it for the first time.

To open Kodi for the first time on your Fire Stick,

• Go to the “Home” section
• Scroll down to the “Your Apps and Channels” bar
• Hit the left arrow to reveal the “See All” button and select that
• That will take you to the screen where you can see all of your installed apps. If you installed Kodi correctly, it should be in there.

Don’t Forget to Turn Off ADB Debugging and Get Hacked! (maybe)

On your Fire TV device, just go to Settings > Device > Developer Options > ADB debugging and switch it OFF.

Update: I don’t think this is that big of an issue anymore.  Back when I wrote that article, ADB connections could be open without your consent.  Since then, Amazon has updated the OS so any new ADB connections cause a big popup in the middle of the screen where you can to allow the connection.  So, leaving ADB debugging on isn’t that big of a deal anymore as long as you don’t blindly click Allow on the popup if someone’s trying to hack your Fire Stick.

Fire TV Sticks With Kodi Are Getting Hacked! How to Fix

What to Install on Kodi

So, congratulations, now you have Kodi on your Fire Stick.  Now what?  What should you install on your Kodi?

I’ve got lots of tutorials to help you out.  Here are some great places to start.

The Complete Guide to the Ultimate Kodi Setup

The Kodi Streaming Add-ons Tracker! (Voting / Online Status / Last Updated)

Any Questions or Issues with Kodi on Fire Stick?

Please let me know if you get stuck somewhere or run across issues.  I’m happy to help.

Or, maybe you’re just excited about having Kodi on your Fire TV Stick and want to say thanks… that’s cool too!

Leave your comments below.