How to download any APK to the Chromecast with Google TV

Installing apps on Android TV in general, and Chromecast with Google TV in particular, is usually a straightforward affair. There are limits to what you can install directly from the Play Store, however, as only approved software makes it onto the platform. If you want to color outside the lines and load apps that aren’t officially supported, or if you want to force an app update, you need to use APK files. Sending them to the Chromecast and installing them isn’t easy, so we’ll walk you through the process step by step.

1. We need some apps

There are dozens of apps you can use to send APK files from your phone to your Chromecast, but the easiest method we’ve found is to use the “ Send Files to TV ” app – it is light, fast and very simple. Search for it in the Play Store and install it on your Android phone and Chromecast.

The app offers an option to open the transferred file, which in the case of an APK should technically start installing it, but I found it to be super buggy. Often the APK has never been opened and the installation process has never been initiated. That’s why you might need a suitable file manager or app installer on the Chromecast.

In the tutorial below, I will be using our sister site app, APK Mirror, as this not only allows me to initiate the installation process on the TV, but also explains why a certain installation was abandoned in case of failure. Find the app and install it directly from the Play Store on your Chromecast. If you prefer a full-fledged file browser, you can get File Commander, Solid Explorer, or any other file manager.

2. Download the APK now

If you are reading this article, chances are you will know what an APK is and where to get it. I won’t go into this further, but I will highlight a few points:

• If you want APKs that are compatible with the Chromecast, look for the ones designed for the armeabi-v7a processor architecture.
• We recommend using our sister site APK Mirror to find them for far too many reasons.
• Some apps that are not officially available on Android TV / Google TV can be downloaded and used on the platform, but expect some carelessness in the way you launch or browse through them. Not everything is optimized for the launcher or the remote.

3. Send the APK to your Chromecast

Start by opening the “ Send files to TV ” app on your Chromecast, approve the required storage permission and select the large one. To receive button (move down so that the light blue background is behind). This will open a momentarily blank page with no transfer in progress.

Then grab your Android phone. Now that you know which APK you want to load, you need to download it to your device and then open the “ Send Files to TV ” app and approve its request for permission to access media and files. Tap the big To send and find the APK you just downloaded – it will probably be in the Download folder. Selecting it opens a list of recipient devices, which should include your Chromecast. Of course, your phone and Chromecast must be connected to the same network for this to work.

Choosing the Chromecast receiver will immediately start the transfer process over Wi-Fi direct, so the APK will quickly find its way to your TV.

You can try opening this uploaded APK directly into the app, but as I mentioned earlier in the article, it doesn’t seem to work as expected. So we will have to perform a few more steps.

4. Install the APK

Installing APK files through third-party applications like web browsers or file managers (also known as “unknown sources”) has required special permission on Android for several years. Normally, you start the process and a pop-up window tells you that you cannot continue until you have granted this permission, and you are taken directly to this setting. This has also been the case on Android TV so far.

But the Chromecast with Google TV is a bit special. There is no pop-up and “unknown sources” are grayed out in the settings. First we need to trigger developer options to activate them.

4.1. Enable options for developers

On your Chromecast, open the side menu and navigate to Settings> System> About. Scroll down Building the Android TV operating system and click on it repeatedly. A toast message will appear, explaining that you are a few steps away from becoming a developer. Keep clicking until you trigger it.

4.2. Activate the “unknown sources” parameter

Go back to the main Settings page and select Applications> Security and restrictions> Unknown sources. Turn on the switch for APK Mirror or the file browser that you decided to use in step 1 of this tutorial.

4.3. Install the APK (phew)

It’s finally time to install this APK. If you’ve decided to use a file browser, use it to navigate to the file, open it, and approve the installation.

In the screenshots below, I show you how to do it with APK Mirror. First, open the app on your Chromecast, then select Browse files, go to Download directory, select the APK you transferred in step 3, click Install the package> Install the application> Install. Once the installation is complete, you can open the app.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed a complicated process, but the good news is that after you’ve done this once, all you need to do is get the APK and send it (steps 2 and 3) and then upload it. ” install (step 4.3 only). It will only take a minute or two for each new APK, so you can manually update your Chromecast with apps from Google TV if a new version doesn’t reach you on time, or try unofficially supported apps, almost as quickly as if you were doing this on your phone.