In 2022, choosing the right streaming device for you can sometimes seem impossible. There's an endless amount of options, from expensive (Apple's 1080p and 4K streaming boxes; the Nvidia Shield TV) to affordable (Roku's $29 Express box; the Google Chromecast), and everything in between. . Regardless of the platform you choose, everyone is basically trying to achieve the same main goal: to stream endless amounts of movies, TV shows, music, and more to their TV. It doesn't matter how much you love to watch, as long as you can get all your favorite content on one device, with no lag, no connection dropouts, and hopefully, with as few restrictions as possible.
That's where our pick for one of the best streaming devices comes in. The Amazon Fire TV Stick starts at just $39, regularly dropping below that price during holiday sales and other occasions, and is available in 1080p and 4K versions to ensure everyone has the right resolution for their TV at home. It doesn't matter if you're interested in streaming movies, shows, or anything else online, Amazon Fire Stick can do it.
What really makes the Fire Stick our top choice for streaming boxes, of course, is the freedom the platform affords. One of the best ways to add freedom to your Fire Stick is to turn to Kodi, one of our favorite media clients online today. Kodi, for the unfamiliar, is a powerful media streaming platform that lets you add all sorts of sources and repositories to your device, making it easy to stream all your favorite content straight from a single device. without having to deal with Amazon's artificial limitations. . For just $40, the Fire TV is a bargain, but that doesn't mean you can't mod it. Unlike platforms like the Apple TV, it's fairly easy to get Kodi running on the Fire Stick, making it a great video streamer for anyone willing to do the associated work of loading Kodi as an Amazon app. TV. Since Amazon's Fire TV platform runs on a modded version of Android, with Amazon's own Appstore for downloading content, apps, and games, installing Kodi on your device only requires a login. Internet, a little patience and fifteen minutes of your time.
Of course, if you've landed on this page, you probably already have Kodi running on your device and are looking for the easiest way to update your software. Kodi updates come in two different sizes: smaller incremental updates, which fix bugs and add features (often indicated as going from 17,5 to 17,6, for example), and modifications that can affect almost every aspect of the software (shown by moving from version 17 to version 18, with a different code name). Let's see how to update your Kodi software specifically on your Fire Stick.
Updated Jan 31 to include Kodi 18 Leia details.
Incremental update (quick install)
If you're looking to upgrade Kodi on your Fire Stick from one version to a newer update in that same version number (i.e. 17.5 to 17.6), this guide is for you. for you. While this guide and our guide below for major overhauls follow the same general concept, there are a few important steps when it comes to updating your version of Kodi. The most important thing to note about incrementally updating your version of Kodi is that if you're just going from one small update to another, you don't need to uninstall Kodi from your Fire Stick. You should be able to keep your current range of add-ons, build installs and everything else without having to worry about losing your data. However, if the installation goes wrong or fails to update, we recommend following the longer installation guide below.
For anyone who remembers installing Kodi for the first time on their Fire Stick, this guide will be quite similar to what you've already done on your device. First, you need to make sure that sideloading of apps is enabled on your device. You had to enable this option to install Kodi in the first place, but many people disable this option after installing Kodi. Start by scrolling all the way to the right along the top list of your menu, selecting the Settings option.
Press the down arrow on your remote to access your screen's settings menu. Fire OS has its settings menu laid out horizontally rather than vertically, so scroll through your settings menu from left to right until you find the options for "My Fire TV". Press the center button on your remote to load device settings. For most users, these options are primarily there to restart or force your device to sleep, as well as view your Fire Stick's software settings. However, there is an option here that we need to change before we can move forward. Click Developer Options in My Fire TV Settings; it is the second from the top, after About.
Developer Options only has two settings on Fire OS: ADB Debugging and Apps from Unknown Sources. ADB Debugging is used to enable ADB, or Android Debug Bridge, connections on your network. We won't need to use ADB for this (a tool included in the Android Studio SDK), so you can leave this setting alone for now. Instead, scroll down to the setting under ADB and press the center button. This will allow your device to install apps from sources other than the Amazon Appstore, a necessary step if we are going to load Kodi on our device. A warning may appear informing you that downloading applications from external sources may be dangerous. Click OK when prompted and click the Home button on your remote to return to the Home screen.
With this enabled, we can move forward with updating Kodi. In our Kodi installation guides, we always use the Downloader app to install apps from external sources because it's one of the easiest ways to do it. If you haven't downloaded this app yet, get it from the Amazon Appstore by searching for "Downloader".
After the app installation is complete, tap the Open button on the app list to open Downloader on your device. Click on the assorted pop-up messages and alerts detailing app updates until you reach the main screen. Downloader includes a bunch of utilities, all neatly described on the left side of the app, including a browser, file system, settings, and more. That said, the main aspect of the app that we need is the URL input field which takes up most of your display in the app. Use the URL input field to enter the following URL into the app: http://bit.ly/techjunkiekodi
As of January 13, 2022, Kodi Krypton 17.6 is the most recent version of the software, and this URL will automatically take you to the downloadable APK of the file. When you install the app, the prompt asking for your installation will appear a bit different than normal. Instead of asking for permission to install the app on your Fire Stick, Fire OS will offer to update an existing app. The page will note that your data will not be lost. Click on Install at the bottom of the screen and authorize the installation of the new version of the application.
We can't stress enough that this should only be used for incremental updates, and only if you're looking to upgrade from one major version to another (i.e. Kodi 16 to 17 , or Kodi 17 to the next Kodi 18), you should follow the guide below.
Full updates (clean install)
For the most part, the steps to perform a clean install of Kodi are relatively the same. You'll still use Downloader to get the content to your device, you'll still use a link from the current Kodi website which, as usual, we recommend you shorten to make it easier to type with the Fire Remote, and of course you'll get new features after updating your version of Kodi. However, when you upgrade from one major version of Kodi to the next, you must perform what is known as a “clean install”. When using a computer, it usually refers to completely uninstalling and reinstalling a program or operating system, to ensure that the file system can handle any changes it receives. The same rule applies to Kodi on your Fire Stick.
In order to perform a clean install, you must first completely uninstall Kodi from your device. This will also remove every add-on or build associated with your Kodi app on your Fire Stick, so be prepared to have to reinstall the software on your device (it should also be noted that some of your old builds or add-ons may not work during major Kodi versions upgrade, so be prepared for possible compatibility breaks of your favorite apps.
Hold down the home button on your remote to open the quick launch page, then select your app library from the list of options. From there, you will find all your apps and channels installed on your Fire Stick. Locate the Kodi app, then click the menu icon on the device. Once the app is uninstalled from your device, you can now use Downloader to download the new version of Kodi. With Kodi 18 Leia now available for download, now is the perfect time to update your Fire Stick to the latest version of Kodi. Use this link in Downloader to complete the job:
http://bit.ly/tjkodi18
With this link, you can reinstall Kodi using the standard method.
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Updating Kodi cannot be done within the app itself, but once you know how to update your unofficial third-party app clients, updating your app is quick and easy. Whether you're looking to upgrade from one minor version to another or want to upgrade from Kodi 17 to Kodi 18 later this year, it's important to know how to update your app version so Kodi tells you that you're no longer on the latest version, you know exactly where to look. Let us know your favorite Kodi apps in the comments below and keep them locked to TechJunkie for all things Fire Stick.
