Picture this: It’s Friday. You just got home after a long day of work and can’t wait to enjoy the weekend. You’ve worked hard all week and now you just want to wrap yourself in a comfy blanket, get some real rest, watch some of your favorite shows, play with your furry little friend, and just have a good time.
Sounds relatable? We bet it does.
For this list, we are going to be looking at some of the best Android TV apps that you can download right now to get the most out of your watching experience, save you time, and make things more convenient for your everyday life.
8 Best Free Android TV Apps in 2021:
1. Netflix
If you’re a millennial, Netflix is no news to you. Being one of the most successful video-streaming platforms ever, Netflix has made it easier than ever to find shows that fit the best with your tastes. With its vast library of content ranging from TV shows to animated series to Netflix originals, you are sure to want to warm up your seat for a long watching session.
Netflix often comes pre-installed in a lot of smart Android TVs, especially in the newer models and chances are that you already have a subscription. But if you do not have it installed on your device, we highly recommend making the leap right away.
2. Spotify
Back in the days when streaming was not the norm, people used to buy and download individual songs on their iPods — which seemed like a good business model and was certainly the way Steve Jobs envisioned the concept of Apple Music around. However, this idea was challenged when streaming services like Spotify popped up and claimed that people would rather stream music for a monthly subscription fee instead of buying each song they liked.
Well, props to Spotify because they were right.
According to the latest data, Spotify enjoys over 345 million monthly active users and 155 million paying subscribers, beating Apple Music by a noticeable margin. If you don’t happen to have Spotify installed on your Android TV, we recommend getting it ASAP.
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3. YouTube for Android TV
Founded in 2005, the video-sharing platform YouTube took the world by storm and redefined the face of the digital content industry. With 2020 skyrocketing the engagement levels on the platform, YouTube has about 2 billion monthly logged-in users. It is the 2nd most visited website in the world right after its parent company Google! Moreover, it’s also the 2nd most popular social media platform right after Facebook.
With such an enormous audience and plethora of content creators, YouTube is the biggest video-streaming platform in the world and is certainly worth the storage space in your Android TV. The app has reportedly crashed a few times after recent updates, but it’s a good deal overall and is easy to navigate.
4. Washington Post Video
Unlike other news apps that focus more so on text stories, Washington Post for Android TV leans more towards sharing high-quality videos of new stories to keep you informed and engaged. The app’s UI can be a bit slow, but the wide range of content available makes sure that you are never missing out on your favorite topic of interest.
5. Twitch
Twitch is perfect for people who are into gaming, follow gamers online, and want to watch live stream gaming videos and esports. Viewers can select videos from a wide genre of games such as FPS, MMO RPGs, esports tournaments, and MOBA. Twitch is home to a wide audience interested in popular titles like PUBG, Fortnite, Minecraft, League of Legends, Overwatch, FIFA, and more. One of the best things about Twitch that separates it from other similar services is its highly active community.
The app allows users to talk in live chats and interact with their favorite gamers. That being said, Twitch is not for everyone and is best suited and targeted towards millennials and people from Gen-Z. If you’re someone who’s into gaming, you can’t go wrong with Twitch.
6. Aptoide
Aptoide is a third-party app store and also one of the best Google Play Store alternatives. If you are someone who often downloads APK files for your favorite apps on Android TV that you can’t find on Google Play Store, Aptoide can come in really handy as you can often find the same apps available here.
7. Google Drive
Any smart device compatible with Google services should undeniably have Google Drive. For android users, it’s pretty much the ultimate solution to backup and store your data. Not just that, but by installing Google Drive, you can easily access your cloud files directly on your Android TV device allowing you to watch any saved movies, shows, or presentations.
However, do keep in mind that Google Drive is not available on the Google Play Store for Android TV. You will need to do a bit of digging to sideload the app and get your hands on it — which brings us to our next recommendation.
8. X-plore File Manager
Having a file manager is never a bad choice for a smart Android TV, especially if you are planning to install apps that are not available on the Google Play Store for Android TV. Downloading APK files can be quite cumbersome and even more so if you do not have a dedicated file manager to make it easier for you to navigate through the files on your Android TV.
X-plore File Manager allows you to easily view, delete, and copy your files and even sync them across cloud storage services like Google Drive. After ES File explorer was taken off of Google Play Store for having alleged association with Chinese spyware, X-plore File Manager didn’t take too long to file in the gaps.
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Conclusion
Speaking of convenience, you might want to check out how to hide TV wires before you start your TV marathon for a cleaner and uninterrupted experience. To get the most value out of your Android TV, you want to pick apps that serve diverse purposes like playing music, streaming videos, productivity, file manager, and system apps.
