How to Sideload Apps on Fire TV (and Which Models Can't)

To sideload apps on Fire TV, you turn on Developer Options, allow the Downloader app to install unknown apps, then use Downloader to fetch an APK file from a developer's official website. Sideloading just means installing an app from outside the Amazon Appstore.

The catch in late 2026 is that it no longer works on every Fire TV Stick. Newer sticks running Amazon's Vega OS cannot sideload at all, so check your model first.

Quick answer: Fire TV Sticks on Fire OS (for example the 4K Max, 4K Plus and the 2024 Fire TV Stick HD) can sideload using Downloader. Sticks on Vega OS (the 4K Select, the 2026 Fire TV Stick HD and the third-generation Fire TV Stick 4K) cannot. Only install apps from the developer's own official site.

Which Fire TV models can and can't sideload?

AFTVnews, the site that publishes the Downloader app, keeps a list of affected devices. As of its 5 October 2026 update:

Two different products are both called "Fire TV Stick HD", so the name alone is not enough. AFTVnews says the 2026 version has Wi-Fi 6, rounded corners and "Fire TV" printed on the stick, while the 2024 version has Wi-Fi 5, square corners and no text.

Amazon's product pages do not always make the operating system clear, so check before you buy. Reports of Amazon's developer guidance say future Fire TV Sticks will run Vega OS, which would make the Fire OS models the last ones that can sideload. I could not find Amazon announcing a plan to move existing Fire OS devices to Vega OS.

What is Vega OS?

Vega OS is Amazon's Linux-based replacement for the Android-based Fire OS. It uses its own app packages instead of Android APK files and installs apps from the Amazon Appstore only. There is no unknown-sources switch and Downloader cannot be installed. Vega OS devices do not run Android apps, so even if you could get a file onto the stick, it would have nothing to run it.

How do I check which OS my Fire TV runs?

On a stick or Cube, go to Settings > My Fire TV > About and look at the software version. On a Fire TV smart TV the path is Settings > Device & Software > About. AFTVnews says Fire OS devices show "Fire OS" on that line, while Vega OS devices show "OS" and a version number starting with 1. If you are unsure, ask in the Fire TV forum with your exact model name.

How do I enable Developer Options on a Fire TV Stick?

On recent Fire OS versions, Developer Options is hidden until you unlock it.

1. Go to Settings > My Fire TV.
2. If you do not see Developer Options, open About.
3. Select the device name (it usually reads "Fire TV Stick") seven times in a row. Developer Options should then appear.
4. If it does not, go back to My Fire TV and check again.

On older software, Developer Options was visible from the start.

How do I allow unknown apps for Downloader?

Fire OS has changed how this permission works, so you may see one of two options in Developer Options:

• Install unknown apps: open it and switch on the permission for Downloader only. This is the safer, per-app version.
• Apps from unknown sources: a single global switch. Turn it on, confirm the prompt, and consider turning it off again afterwards.

If you see the per-app version, you will need to install Downloader first so that it appears in the list.

How do I install the Downloader app?

1. From the home screen, choose Find, then Search.
2. Type "Downloader" and select the app from the results.
3. Choose Get or Download and wait for it to finish.
4. Open it and allow file access when prompted.

If Downloader does not show in your region's Appstore, do not create an account in a different country just to get it. That can cut you off from your existing apps and purchases. Ask in the forum instead.

Newer versions of Downloader use one address bar that accepts a web address, a short code or a search. Older versions had a separate Browser tab. The steps below work in either.

How do I install an APK from a developer's official site?

Always start from the developer's own website, which you can reach by searching for it or from the app's official documentation. Using Kodi as an example, the project publishes its Android builds at kodi.tv.

1. Open Downloader and select the address bar.
2. Type the developer's official web address, such as the download page on their own domain, and select Go or Next. Avoid short codes unless the developer publishes the code themselves.
3. Pick the build the developer recommends for your device. Many projects offer different builds for 32-bit and 64-bit processors, and the download page normally explains how to choose.
4. When the download finishes, select Install, then Open or Done.
5. Delete the APK file when Downloader offers to, so it does not take up space.

If an install fails with a message about an app not being installed, you may have picked the wrong build for your stick, or there may not be enough free space. See how to fix a slow Firestick for how to free storage.

Is sideloading safe?

Sideloading skips the checks Amazon applies to Appstore apps. The risk is entirely in what you choose to install.

• Use official sources only. If a download link was sent by someone you do not know, or comes from a forum post, a video comment or a "free apps" site, do not use it.
• Check what you are installing. Make sure the app name, developer and web address match what you expected, and be wary of look-alike sites.
• Be sceptical of anything offering paid content for nothing. Apart from the legal problems covered in is IPTV legal?, those apps are a common route for malware.
• Turn the permission off afterwards if you only needed it once.
• Never enter your Amazon password or card details into any sideloaded app that asks for them.

Our guide to IPTV scams and red flags lists the warning signs in more detail.

How do I update a sideloaded app?

Sideloaded apps do not update through the Appstore. Some check for updates themselves, and others do not. For those that do not, go back to the developer's official site periodically, download the new version with Downloader and install it over the old one. If an in-place install fails, you may need to uninstall the older version first, but check the app's own instructions, because uninstalling can delete your settings.