How to Install Google Play on an Amazon Fire TV Stick

Originally written on June 1, 2020.
Updated Nov. 27, 2022, by Steve Larner, to reflect Fire TV device changes to Developer options access and device navigation/functionality.

How to Install Google Play on an Amazon Fire TV Stick

So, you bought an Amazon Fire TV Stick and set it up, and you are probably wondering what else you can do with it. If you’ve come across this article, the chances are you have realized that the Amazon Fire TV Stick is somewhat limited in its functionality, even if it is convenient. If you want to expand your choices for what it can do, installing the Google Play Store onto the device used to be a great solution. However, Google has taken steps to stop the Play Store from running on Amazon Fire TV devices indefinitely. What used to work does not now.

Google applied updates in 2021 that halted all functionality on Amazon Fire TV devices. Although both Google and Amazon work together to provide other functionality to some degree, the war will never be over. Therefore, a great Fire TV alternative to the Play Store is Aptoide, an Android-based service that offers thousands of usable Android apps.

There are many ways to customize a Firestick, and adding Aptoide to your device is no different.

Be warned; installing Aptoide on your Amazon Fire TV Stick does pose security risks since you allow third-party installations. However, even the Play Store is not 100% safe these days. Here’s how to install the Google Play alternative known as Aptoide on an Amazon Fire Stick.

1. Install Downloader on Your Fire TV, Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Cube

To download Android apps using Aptoid as an alternative to the Play Store, you need an app that downloads other apps. Downloader is the most common choice because it is readily available on the Amazon Appstore, and it includes a built-in installer/file browser. This is the first requirement (installing Downloader and not activating developer options yet). Turning on the “Install apps from unknown sources” setting requires you to select the app that can install other applications, which is the Downloader app. Therefore, the Downloader app should get installed first. Here’s how to do it.

  1. From the “Home” screen, click on the “magnifying glass” (the “Find” option) in the top-left section.
  2. A search box appears below the “Find” option. Navigate down and select the box, then type in “Downloader” to search for the app.
  3. Select “Downloader” from the built-in Amazon App Store search results.
  4. Click on “Download” from the Downloader store page.
  5. Once installed and launched, select “Allow” to let the app get access to photos, media, and files on your Fire Stick device.

2. Turn on Developer Options on Your Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, or Fire TV Cube

Now that you have Downloader installed from the Amazon Appstore, you need to authorize the applications that you’ll download to make this work. Updates, as of June 2021, removed the “Developer options” menu from the “Settings -> Device” menu and hid it in a way similar to Google Android. Follow these steps to turn on developer options.

For Amazon Fire TVs, do the following:

  1. Go to Settings > Device & Software > About on your Amazon Fire OS TV.
  2. Highlight the first option, which is probably labeled as “Your TV.”
  3. Repeatedly press the “Select” button (the center button inside the navigation buttons) on the remote seven times. You’ll see a countdown representing how many more times until you become a developer.
  4. The screen displays “No need, you are already a developer” at the bottom once you’ve pressed the “Select” button enough times.
  5. Press the remote’s “Back” button once. The “Developer options” menu entry now appears.
  6. Select “Apps from Unknown Sources” and “ADB Debugging,” and set them to “ON.”

For a Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Cube, do the following:

  1. Go to Settings > My Fire TV > About on your Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K, or Fire TV Cube.
  2. Highlight the “first option,” which is the name of your device, such as Fire TV Stick 4K.
  3. Repeatedly press the “Select” button (the center button inside the navigation buttons) on the remote seven times. You’ll see a countdown representing how many more times until you become a developer.
  4. The screen displays “No need, you are already a developer” at the bottom once you’ve pressed the “Select” button enough times.
  5. Press the remote’s “Back” button once. The “Developer options” menu now appears.
  6. Select “Developer options.”
  7. Select “Apps from Unknown Sources,” then choose and turn on “Downloader” to allow it to install third-party installations. You can also give permission to other apps, such as a browser or an app like Aptoide.
  8. Optional: Select “ADB Debugging” in the “Developer options” menu and set it to “ON” if you install apps over the network or from other networked devices like your Android phone or a Windows laptop. This step is not recommended unless you need it because anyone can install apps or malware/spyware on your device.

4. Install Aptoide on Your Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, or Fire TV Cube

Since Google Play Store is no longer functional on a Fire TV Stick, you can install Aptoide (as previously mentioned) to obtain similar app store functionality. Because you installed the “Downloader” app from the Amazon Appstore and allowed third-party installations from Downloader, you can install Aptoide on your Fire TV device. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Launch “Downloader” from your Amazon Fire TV device library.
  2. In the URL/Search Term box of Downloader, use the Fire TV remote to type “https://tv.aptoide.com” exactly as shown. This URL is different than the main website. The home page appears.
  3. Scroll down the Aptoide page and select “Download Aptoide TV.”
  4. Choose “Install.”
  5. Select “Open.”
  6. Choose “Allow” to let Aptoide access your photos, media, and files.
  7. Aptoide launches, and it is ready to download/install apps from the Aptoide Store.

5. Install Aptoide Apps on Your Fire TV Device

Now that Aptoide is installed on your Fire TV device, you can use it to install Android apps.

  1. Launch the “Aptoide” app store and browse/search for apps.
  2. Select the app you want to install from the list.
  3. Choose “Install.”
  4. Enjoy your Google Play Store/Aptoide app on your Fire TV Stick.

As you’ve now seen, the Google Play Store is currently unavailable on the Amazon Firestick, so you’ll have to download an alternate app store, which is where Aptoide comes in handy. Although you won’t be able to install and play all of the same games and apps that you could with the Google Play Store, Aptoide is a great alternative that still works with Fire TV devices. Lastly, don’t forget that you can also use Downloader to access other websites like “apkpure.com” and “apkmirror.com,” but there’s a little more risk than using an installed app store.

Share your thoughts and experiences below.

30 thoughts on “How to Install Google Play on an Amazon Fire TV Stick”

Ricardo Russo says:
I keep getting this notification “Google play Store won’t run without Google play services, which are missing”
Steve Larner says:
Did you try to install Google Play? Did you have the Play Store in the past? Did you install Aptoide? Without having those answers/details, it’s hard to answer the question directly. Regardless, Google killed functionality that was needed to run the Play Store on Amazon devices in 2021. If you did have the Play Store and was using it, you need to remove all data related to it, including the Play Store. If you did install Aptoide but see the Play Services error, you need to do the same thing as in the previous possibility—eliminate all related Play Store/Google data and apps.
Patrick says:
The app keeps showing an error “error occurred please click dismissed”.

I am trying to download the DSTV app on fire tv.

James says:
Thanks for this! I’ve been trying to get Spectrum tv on the Firestick… and while I briefly got one version of the Spectrum app to work, the format was like a vertical mobile screen and there was no way to rotate the output or put it in full screen mode. Spectrum TV did work for a while in the Silk browser but that ended. Aptoide allowed me to install the Samsung Internet browser which surprisingly still works with Spectrum TV for the web!
ron76 says:
weet iemand hoe je SkyShowtime er op krijg die doet het niet lol
ron76 says:
weet iemand hoe de aap van SkyShowtime er op krijg die hier boven staat die ook niet er tuusen

English: Does anyone know how to get SkyShowtime’s monkey on it that is above it, which is also not in between?

ron76 says:
ik heb een probleem
bij mijn staat die ontwikkelaars niet tussen bij de instelinge
ik heb de model fire tv stick 4k max
Steve Larner says:
The article has been updated, as of 11/27/2022, to reflect changes made by Amazon on the firestick and other Fire TV devices in relation to Developer mode. Basically, you have to unhide it. Refer to Process 2 (Turn on Developer Options on Your Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, or Fire TV Cube) in the updated article.
ron76 says:
is gelukt nu
aleen weet je toevalig SkyShowtime er op krijg die doet het niet

English: succeeded now only you happen to know SkyShowtime on it does not work

ron says:
this saved me. thank you
Kadir says:
I cant go to sesrch bar on aptoide
Ashley R says:
Where are the links to download all of Google Play Services??? All those are missing.
Steve Larner says:
The article was updated to reflect that Play Store Store is no longer available on the Firestick.
Penis says:
But couldn’t be updated to not say Google play store
Steve Larner says:
Not really, mainly because people search to install the Play Store on their Fire TV Stick or Cube, so they must get informed that it is no longer possible.
Vlad says:
“To add each APK file to ES File Explorer, press the plus icon and copy and paste the links above. ”

Where are the links?

Steve Larner says:
Check for newer updates in the article.
me says:
well there are no links so it would be difficult eh!
Steve Larner says:
The article was updated.
Charlie Palta says:
To add each APK file to ES File Explorer, press the plus icon and copy and paste the links above, WHERE ??? ???
Steve Larner says:
Check the article for newer updates.

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