One of the main reasons you might buy a smart TV is for app access. Most people think of streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, or Peacock, but there are plenty of apps that can be downloaded and used for all kinds of reasons. You can download games, do karaoke, look up the weather, and even use your TV as a companion for work.
But did you know you can also download different app stores to your TV? You don’t only have to stick with the one that comes with the device. For example, Google TV has the Google Play Store built into its software, but that isn’t the only app store at your disposal.
There are even apps that you can find on these different app stores that you won’t find on the ones offered on the one included with your TV. Not to say there are secret apps hiding from you, but you can find more than just the local ones in different stores like the ones below.
Some smart TVs only let you run apps that come from their native app store. This includes LG and Samsung TVs.
Aurora Store
Don’t feel chained to Google Play
The Aurora Store is ideal for anyone looking to expand past local apps as mentioned above. Unlike many smart TV app stores that limit downloads based on your geographic region — think local news apps with no access to ones from other cities — Aurora Store removes that restriction entirely. You’re not locked into apps tied to where you live.
Aurora Store takes that away, giving you freedom to look outside the Google Play Store. It lets you choose what device or region your TV is in, allowing you to pick whichever one you want. But that doesn’t mean those are the only kinds of apps that you can get. Aurora Store still has your standard streaming apps like Netflix or Apple TV+. As an open-source platform, it also doesn’t require you to share personal data when downloading apps, which helps with potential security issues and protects those leery of platforms selling their data.
F-Droid
Arguably the most niche app store you’ll find
Another open source option, F-Droid is designed specifically for Android TVs. It offers a safe and straightforward downloading experience without bogging your device down. There’s no bloatware automatically installed on F-Droid, which seems to happen any time you get any kind of device these days. Some things you won’t notice on F-Droid are streaming platforms.
It offers more niche apps and gives you plenty of options on how to best surf the Internet from your TV. There are a number of browser apps, such as monocles, DuckDuckGo, and Fennec F-Droid that are all available for you to pick from, based on your preference. This also gives you access to apps you likely have never used before, like many for cloud storage and file syncing like ownCloud and Immich Uploader. You can also do your own DNS updates to improve your network experience.
It’s an interesting app store for those who want to learn more about more technical aspects rather than just entertainment on their TV.
Aptoide
Arguably the most well-known alternate app store
If you want a larger quantity of apps, look no further than Aptoide. It has over 2,500 apps available to download, and all of them are free. It has a lot of what Google Play Store offers, such as streaming platforms and smart home apps. But it also has other niche options.
What fans will like the most about Aptoide is its shockingly clean layout. It doesn’t look clunky or like a secret app store at all. It actually looks like one that you might see natively built into a smart TV. The interface is easy to navigate and search through.
Aptoide gives you more control by allowing you to download specific versions of an app — and if the one you try is buggy or not working the way you’d like, you can uninstall it and revert to a previous version that worked better for you. In order to keep track of what apps your Google Play Store has and what you find in Aptoide, there’s a tab that shows you the apps already downloaded on your TV, making it simple to distinguish between apps from there or the Google Play Store.
Uptodown
No restrictions with this software
Google Play restricts the apps that you can get for your smart TV. Uptodown doesn’t. It can help you download all kinds of apps that you may not be able to get on other app stores. This includes social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and more. While they aren’t typically native to TV app stores, these are available to download from Uptodown.
If you’re in a different country, you can run these through a VPN.
Uptodown gives you the ability to download apps directly from the app store that you previously might have had to sideload via an APK file transfer. This frees you up to enjoy the well-laid out platform that provides in-depth descriptions of all the apps that you’re downloading, something that not all app stores offer. It also features the ability to roll back to previous versions of apps like Aptoide does.
APKPure
All kinds of games available for free
Not everyone has a dedicated gaming console hooked up to their TV. A lot of people turn to the built-in gaming hubs on their smart TVs instead. Options are often adjacent to games you’ll find in the mainstream, such as a soccer game where you’re the manager of the team rather than playing, a game with Mario where you’re making his face do silly things, and more. You can also pre-register for popular games for when they hit APKPure.
Beyond gaming, many users turn to APKPure for social media apps and video editing tools like CapCut. The interface is simple to use, and it works well enough for anyone who can download then sideload it onto the TV. APKPure is, in itself, an APK file that needs to be uploaded to the TV in order for it to work. It requires a little more work from the owner, but it can prove beneficial with access to cool apps.
