How to Sideload Apps on Android TV and Google TV (And Why You Probably Need To)

Here's something that surprises a lot of people: your Android TV or Google TV is running a full Android operating system — but the Play Store on it is deliberately hobbled. Apps you can download in 30 seconds on your phone might not even appear when you search for them on your TV. That includes some of the best streaming services in the world, and yes, it includes most VPN apps.

If you're living abroad, travelling long-term, or just trying to watch something that's blocked in your country, sideloading is the skill you need. It sounds techy. It isn't, really. Give us ten minutes and you'll have it sorted.

What's the Actual Problem Here?

Say you've moved from the UK to Germany, or you're an American expat in Australia. You want to watch Netflix with a UK library, or access Disney+ with its US catalogue, or use a streaming service that only exists in one country. Maybe you just want BBC iPlayer, which is famously paranoid about region-locking.

The Play Store on your TV shows you a version filtered by your region. So a VPN app that's available in the US Store might simply not show up in the German version. And without a VPN app on your TV, your TV's IP address gives away your real location — even if your phone is connected to a VPN. Streaming services check the device making the request, not your phone.

So you need to sideload the VPN app onto the TV itself. Then use it to change your TV's apparent location. Then open whatever streaming service you want. That's the whole chain.

What You Need Before You Start

You'll need three things:

• An Android TV or Google TV device (this works on Nvidia Shield, Chromecast with Google TV, TCL and Sony TVs running Android TV, and similar)
• A NordVPN subscription (more on why in a moment)
• The Downloader app by AFTVnews — it's free and it is in the Play Store, so grab it now

And one setting to change: go to Settings → Device Preferences → Security & Restrictions and turn on Unknown Sources. On some Google TV devices it's under Settings → System → Developer Options — you may need to tap "Build Number" seven times to unlock that menu first. Yes, really. Android is weird like that sometimes.

Why NordVPN — And Why Free VPNs Won't Cut It Here

We'd recommend NordVPN for this because they have a dedicated Android TV APK available directly from their website. You don't need to find a sketchy third-party mirror — you get it straight from NordVPN's own download page. That matters when you're sideloading, because the whole point of sideloading is bypassing the store, which means you're trusting the source directly.

NordVPN also has servers optimised for streaming, can reliably unblock Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and most other major services, and their Android TV app is actually well-designed for a remote control. At around $3.99–$4.99/month (about £3.20–£3.90 / €3.70–€4.60) on a two-year plan, it's reasonable.

If NordVPN doesn't work for you for some reason, ExpressVPN and Surfshark also offer Android TV APKs. They're solid alternatives. ExpressVPN is pricier; Surfshark is cheaper but occasionally slower on some servers.

As for free VPNs — skip them. They don't have the server infrastructure to consistently beat streaming service geo-blocks. Most free VPNs are already blacklisted by Netflix and BBC iPlayer. And some of the shadier ones have been caught selling user data. For something like this, where you're routing all your TV traffic through an app, you really don't want to gamble.

Step-by-Step: Sideloading the NordVPN APK on Android TV / Google TV

1. Install Downloader from the Play Store. Open the Play Store on your TV, search "Downloader," and install the app by AFTVnews. It's free.
2. Enable Unknown Sources for Downloader. When you first run Downloader and try to install something, your TV will ask if you want to allow installs from this source. Say yes. If it doesn't ask, check Settings → Security → Unknown Sources and enable it manually.
3. Get the NordVPN APK URL. On your phone or computer, go to nordvpn.com/download/android-tv/ and copy the direct APK download link (or just note the URL — NordVPN keeps it simple and stable).
4. Open Downloader on your TV. Enter the URL in the address bar. Downloader will fetch the file.
5. Install the APK. Once downloaded, Downloader will prompt you to install it. Hit Install. Wait about 30 seconds.
6. Open NordVPN, log in, and connect. Choose a server in whatever country you need — US, UK, wherever — and you're done.

The whole process takes about five minutes once you've done it once. And you only need to do the setup steps once — NordVPN will update itself from within the app going forward.

Doing This From Your Phone Instead

If you'd rather push the APK from your Android phone, you can use an app called Send Files to TV. Download the APK to your phone, then use that app to transfer it over your home Wi-Fi. Your TV needs the same app installed to receive it — but again, it's in the Play Store.

iPhone users can't send APKs directly (iOS doesn't do APK files), so the Downloader method above is your best bet regardless. Get the URL on your phone's browser, then type it into Downloader on the TV.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

"App not installed" error

This almost always means Unknown Sources isn't enabled for Downloader specifically. Go back into Settings and make sure Downloader has permission — some devices require you to grant this per-app rather than globally.

The APK downloads but nothing happens

The file might be corrupted or incomplete. Delete it in Downloader's file manager (there's a built-in one), and try downloading again. If it keeps failing, try a different DNS — some ISPs block certain download servers.

NordVPN connects but streaming still shows the wrong region

Clear the cache for your streaming app. On Android TV: Settings → Apps → [App Name] → Clear Cache. Streaming services sometimes store your location in a cookie. Clearing cache forces them to check again.

The app keeps crashing after sideloading

You might have an older version of the APK. Check NordVPN's website for the latest version and reinstall. You don't need to uninstall first — installing over the top works fine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sideloading apps on Android TV legal?

Sideloading itself is completely legal — it's just installing software, and Android was designed to allow it. Using a VPN is also legal in most countries. The grey area is whether it violates a streaming service's terms of service, which is a contract issue between you and them, not a criminal matter. In practice, services don't ban accounts for VPN use — they just block the connection and ask you to disconnect.

Will this work on a Chromecast with Google TV?

Yes. Chromecast with Google TV runs Google TV, which is built on Android TV. The same Downloader method works identically.

Do I need to sideload the streaming app too, or just the VPN?

Usually just the VPN. Most major streaming apps (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime) are already in the Play Store regardless of region. The region restriction is enforced at login and streaming level — which is what the VPN fixes. If a streaming service's app genuinely isn't in your regional Play Store, you'd need to sideload that too, using the same method.

Can I sideload on a Fire TV Stick instead?

Fire TV uses a different Android fork, but sideloading works almost identically — Downloader is the go-to app there too. Fire TV is actually a bit more sideload-friendly than some Android TV devices, so if anything, it's easier.

Do I need to run the VPN every time I watch something?

Yes — but most VPN apps let you set them to connect automatically on startup. NordVPN's Android TV app has an auto-connect option in settings. Enable it and you'll barely notice it's running.

Will sideloaded apps get updates?

Not automatically from the Play Store, since they weren't installed through it. NordVPN's app checks for its own updates and notifies you in-app, which covers most cases. For other sideloaded apps, you'd need to manually download and install new APK versions when they're released.

Our Honest Take

Sideloading sounds more intimidating than it is. Once you've done it once, it clicks — and you'll probably end up using it for other apps too. The Downloader app does the heavy lifting, NordVPN handles the region unlocking, and streaming services none the wiser.

If you haven't got a NordVPN subscription yet, that's genuinely the first thing to sort. The APK method only works as well as the VPN behind it, and NordVPN is consistently the most reliable option for unblocking streaming services on TV hardware. Get that right, and everything else follows.