Installing apps on Android TV in general, and the Chromecast with Google TV in particular, is usually a simple matter. However, there are restrictions on what you can install directly from the Play Store, as only approved software makes it on the platform. If you want to color outside the lines and load apps that are not officially supported, or if you want to force an app, you need to use APK files. Sending and installing it to the Chromecast is not easy, and we’ll walk you through the process step by step.
This tutorial was created for the Chromecast with Google TV, not the old Chromecasts or Chromecast Ultra, and focuses on the wireless transfer method from an Android phone or tablet.
If you want to download an APK on a regular Android TV device or if you prefer to use ADB to send files from a computer, you need to visit this other tutorial.
1. We need some programs
There are dozens of apps you can use to send APKs from your phone to your Chromecast, but the easiest method we’ve found is through the ‘Send Files to TV’ app – it’s light, fast and very simple. Find it in the Play Store and install it on your Android phone and your Chromecast.
The app does offer the option to open the flipped file, which would technically start installing in the case of an APK, but I found this to be a super error. The APK is often never opened and the installation process is never started. Therefore, you may need a proper file manager or app installer on the Chromecast.
In the tutorial below, I use our sister site app, APK Mirror, because not only can I start the installation process on the TV, but it also explains why a certain installation was stopped in the event of a failure. Search 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. Get the APK now
If you are reading this article, it is likely that you know what an APK is and where to get it. I’m not going to deepen it, but I will highlight a few points:
- If you want APRs that are compatible with the Chromecast, look for the armeabi v7a processor architecture.
- We recommend that you use our sister site APK Mirror to find it for too many reasons.
- Some apps that are not officially available on Android TV / Google TV can be loaded on the platform and used on the platform, but expect some deception about how you start or navigate it. Not everything is suitable for the launcher or remote control.
3. Send the APK to your Chromecast
Start by opening the ‘Send Files to TV’ app on your Chromecast, approving the required storage permission and selecting the large Receive (move down so that the light blue background is behind it). This will open a blank page for a moment without continuous transfers.
Then grab your Android phone. Now that you know which APK you want to download, you need to download it to your device, then open the ‘Send Files to TV’ app and approve its permission request for access to media and files. Tap on the big Send button and search for the APK you just downloaded – it will probably be in the Download folder. Selecting it opens a list of receiver devices that you need to include Chromecast. Of course, both your phone and Chromecast need to be connected to the same network to make it work.
If you select the receiving Chromecast, the transfer process starts immediately via Wi-Fi directly, so the APK will move quickly to your TV.
You can try to open the transferred APK directly in the app, but as I mentioned earlier in the post, it does not seem to be intended. So we will have to take a few more steps.
4. Install the APK
Installing APKs through third-party applications, such as web browsers or file managers (also known as ‘unknown sources’), requires a special permission on Android for several years. Normally you start the process and a pop-up tells you that you can not proceed until you have given this permission and that you will be taken directly to the institution. This has been the case on Android TV so far.
But the Chromecast with Google TV is a bit special. There is no popup and ‘unknown sources’ are grayed out in the settings. We must first enable developer options to enable it.
4.1. Enable developer options
Open the side menu on your Chromecast and go to Settings> System> About. Scroll down to the Android TV OS Building and click on it repeatedly. A grid message will appear explaining that you are a few steps from developer. Keep clicking until you activate it.
4.2. Turn on the “unknown resources” setting
Go back to the main Institutions page and select Applications> Security & Restrictions> Unknown Sources. Turn on the APK Mirror or file browser switch in step 1 of this tutorial.
4.3. Install the APK (whew)
It’s finally time to install this APK. If you decide to use a file browser, use it to go 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 and then select Browse files, go to the Download folder, select the APK you transferred in step 3, click Install package> Install app> Install. When the installation is complete, you can open the program.
Happiness! You have achieved this through a complicated process, but the good news is that, once you have done this, all you have to do is get and send the APK (steps 2 and 3) and then install (step 4.3 only). It only takes a minute or so for each new APK, so you can manually update your Chromecast with the Google TV shows if a new version does not reach you in time, or try out some unofficially supported shows, do it on your phone.