

Sideloaded apps like Kodi, XBMC, and SPMC are inconvenient to launch since they don’t show up on the Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick’s “Home” and “Apps” section. Instead you have to dig deep into the settings menu, requiring over 20 remote button presses, to launch a sideloaded app. I’ve been putting off writing this guide in hopes of finding a universal way to make all sideloaded apps equal citizens to official apps from the Amazon Appstore. That hasn’t happened, so this is a comprehensive guide of all the different ways to launch sideloaded apps faster. Each method is presented with its pros and cons for you to decide the best option for your needs. The guides concentrate specifically on Kodi, XBMC, and SPMC, but will work for any sideloaded app, unless otherwise noted. None of the methods require rooting.

Method 1: Smartphone app in the Amazon Appstore

This method works by taking advantage of how the Fire TV decides which installed apps show up in the “Recent” section of the “Home” screen. A sideloaded app will be displayed in the “Recent” list if Amazon has a record of you purchasing the app. Since both Kodi and SPMC are listed in the Amazon Appstore for smartphones, you can “purchase” the smartphone version and the Fire TV will see the sideloaded app as “official” enough to display it in the “Recent” apps list. Other apps that are available in the Amazon Appstore for smartphones but not available for the Fire TV can also use this method. Note that installing a Fire TV software update will cause this method to temporarily stop working. Follow this guide to restore the apps to the Fire TV’s recent list.

Pros Easy and quick to setup. (Fastest of all methods.)

Does not require any additional apps on your Fire TV.

Cons Sideloaded app will not show up in the "Apps" section. Only in the "Recent" section of the "Home" screen.

Might stop working with a future Fire TV update.

Only works for apps available in the Amazon Appstore for smartphones, like Kodi and SPMC.

Method 1 Guide Be sure Kodi, SPMC, or the sideloaded app you want to launch is already sideloaded onto your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. This method does not work for XBMC since there is no XBMC app in the Amazon Appstore. “Purchase” the Kodi, SPMC, or other sideload app you want to launch from the Amazon Appstore. Be sure you are logged in with the same Amazon account you use on your Fire TV. If the sideloaded app you want to launch is not available in the Amazon Appstore, this method will not work with that app. On your Fire TV, navigate down to “Settings”.

Scroll right to “My Account”.

Scroll down to “Sync Amazon Content” and press select.

Press the back button on your remote and scroll left to “Applications”.

Scroll down to “Manage All Installed Applications”

Scroll down and launch Kodi, SPMC, or other sideloaded app you want to launch.

Press the Home button on your remote and you should see Kodi, SPMC, or other sideloaded app in the list of recent apps.

You can now launch Kodi, SPMC, or other sideloaded app from the homescreen’s “Recent” section.



Show Method 1 Guide

Method 2: Llama Redirect

Llama is a powerful Android app that can perform tasks based on certain criteria. In this method, you install a sacrificial app that you wont use, and use Llama to launch the sideloaded app anytime the sacrificial app is accessed. This essentially turns the sacrificial app into a shortcut for the sideloaded app and will work for any sideloaded app, not just Kodi, XBMC, and SPMC. Alternately, you can use this method to more easily open a launcher like FiredTV or AGK Launcher, which will give you quick access to all of your sideloaded apps.

Pros Only method that launches sideloaded app from both the "Recent" apps list and the "Apps" section.

Works for any sideloaded app.

Cons Slightly more complex to setup than other methods.

Method 2 Guide Be sure Kodi, XBMC, SPMC, or the sideloaded app you want to launch is already sideloaded onto your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. Download the Llama APK from here or here. Sideload the Llama APK to your Fire TV. Install a sacrificial app from the Fire TV Appstore onto your Fire TV. This app will be used to launch Kodi, XBMC, SPMC, or other sideloaded app. The Classic TV app is a good choice.

Launch Llama on your Fire TV.

Select “Accept” on the initial pop-up message.

Select “OKEY DOKE!” on the next pop-up message.

Press RIGHT on your remote to go to the “EVENTS” tab and select “GROOVY” on the pop-up message.

Highlight and select the “+” button in the lower right.

Select the “Add Condition” button.

Select “Active application” from the popup-menu.

Select “Choose an app”.

Scroll down the list and select your sacraficial app. In this example, we’re using Classic TV.

Leave the “Status” option set to “App started or in foreground” and select OK.

Select the “Add Action” button.

Scroll down and select “Run Application”.

Scroll down and select Kodi, XBMC, SPMC, or other sideloaded app. (The app you want to launch.)

Press BACK on the remote, then HOME on the remote to leave Llama. You should now be able to launch your sacrificial app (in our case Classic TV) from anywhere (“Home” screen or “Apps” screen), and Kodi, XBMC, SPMC, or other sideloaded app will open.



Show Method 2 Guide

Method 3: Sideload the Amazon Appstore smartphone APK

When you access the “Apps” section of the Fire TV, you are actually launching a customized version of the Amazon Appstore APK. If you sideload the Amazon Appstore APK meant for smartphones onto your Fire TV, it replaces the Fire TV’s “Apps” section and displays a grid of all of your apps, including ones that you sideloaded, in its place.

Pros Easy and quick to setup

Provides quick access to any/all sideloaded apps, not just Kodi, XBMC, or SPMC

Cons Sideloaded apps accessible from "Apps" section only, not from the "Recent" area of the "Home" section.

Removes the "Games" section of the Fire TV, and breaks other native behavior. (Can be easily reverted to default behavior.)

Method 3 Guide Download the “Amazon Appstore for Android” APK file from here.

Sideload the APK you downloaded using the “-r” option like this:

adb install -r AmazonApps-release.apk Restart your Fire TV by pressing and holding “Select” and “Play” simultaneously on your remote for several seconds.

Scroll down to the “Apps” section and you will see that the standard Apps interface is now a grid of apps, including sideloaded apps. (Note: The “Games” section is removed with this method.)

How to revert back to the default App interface To undo this method, simply uninstall the “Appstore” by navigating to:

“Settings” > “Applications” > “Manage All Installed Applications”.

Then, restart your Fire TV by pressing and holding “Select” and “Play” simultaneously on your remote for several seconds.



Show Method 3 Guide

Method 4: Application Organizer Pro

Application Organizer Pro is the only app that I know of in the Amazon Fire TV Appstore that is capable of launching sideloaded apps. It will not allow you to launch sideloaded apps from the Fire TV’s “Home” or “Apps” section like the other methods, but it gives you a way to launch sideloaded apps that is faster than digging into the Fire TV’s settings menu, so I thought it was worth mentioning. If you use many sideloaded apps, this app can potentially make things easier for you. The app is a bit clunky, but has been slowly improving over time.

Pros Easy and quick to setup

Provides quick access to any/all sideloaded apps, not just Kodi, XBMC, or SPMC

Cons Does not place icon to sideloaded app in "Home" or "Apps" section.

Costs money. Requires the purchase of the paid app Application Organizer Pro

Method 4 Guide Be sure Kodi, XBMC, SPMC, or the sideloaded app you want to launch is already sideloaded onto your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. Purchase Application Organizer Pro from the Amazon Appstore. Install and launch Application Organizer Pro on your Fire Tv or Fire TV Stick Dismiss the welcome message.

OPTIONAL: Change the app’s settings to launch apps with a single click. (By default you have to: hold select until a menu appears, then select Launch) Press the menu button on your remote and select “Preferences”.

Select the “Single click action” menu item.

Select the “Launch” option.

OPTIONAL: Organize your apps into categories. The advantage of this is reducing the size of the list you have to scroll through. The disadvantage is that you add the step of having to click over to the “Labels” tab if you haven’t launched the app recently. Scroll down to the app you want to categorize, press-and-hold the select button on your remote, select “Choose labels” from the menu that appears.

Select one or more labels from the list. You can add your own labels by selecting the plus (+) button.

In the labels tab, you can delete default labels by long-pressing on the label.

The label tab lets you trim down the list to only your sideloaded apps.



Show Method 4 Guide

Method 5: Double pressing HOME button via FireStarter

FireStarter is an alternate launcher for the Fire TV with great HOME button detection. It can even detect double pressing the HOME button and works on either the Fire TV or Fire TV Sick without needing root. Even if you don’t want to use FireStarters launcher functionality, you can set it to launch any app you want when you double press the HOME button on your remote.

Pros Easy and quick to setup

Works from anywhere in the Fire TV interface

Cons Only works for one app. (But can be used to open alternate launchers like FiredTV or FireStarter.)

Show Method 5 Guide

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