How to Install 3rd Party Apps on Samsung Smart TV?

It’s not shocking to hear that in 2020, the smart TV market was worth over 323 billion dollars.

In such a valuable market, it is a thing of pride that Samsung has a massive 32% of the market in the United States, with the next in line all the way down at 14%. Even globally, Samsung still sells the most TVs (nearly 20%), and that’s not specific to smart TVs. In fact, they’ve led this market for 16 straight years! That’s crazy!

It’s easy to understand why these TVs are in such hot demand. Smart TVs make a household electronic which was typically reserved for watching movies or TV shows, or maybe playing video games, into a device that can browse the internet, play games, stream content, and even download apps from a dedicated app store. 

Speaking of downloading apps, the Samsung TV App Store only gives you access to certain apps which go through the proper procedure to be approved. While this makes sense, certain apps will never be able to make it through simply by their nature. For some of us, though, that’s where all the fun happens.

If you’re looking for how to install 3rd party apps on Samsung smart TV, you’ll be happy to know that this is possible, and you’re in the right place to understand how to get that done. So let’s learn how to add third-party Samsung TV apps!

Do you have a particular question about installing third party apps on Samsung Smart TV? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the black arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page. 

Can I add apps to my Samsung smart TV?

One of the major attractions of having a smart TV in the first place is that you can download apps that give you the ability to customize your experience, the same way things are on smartphones.

The primary way to add apps to Samsung smart TV is by using the Apps option on your Smart TV’s Smart Hub. This is where you access everything on your Samsung smart TV, including the App Store.

So, yes! You can add new Samsung smart TV apps to the device, which is a pretty easy process.

Where is the app store on Samsung TV?

If you’re hoping to access the Samsung TV app store, it’s important to remember that it is not formally named the App Store or anything of that sort. Instead, you will simply see it listed as “Apps” in the Smart Hub on your TV.

Accessing the Smart Hub is pretty simple. All you’ve got to do is press the Home button or the Smart Hub button on the remote control. This will bring up the menu. Then, navigate to the “Apps” entry and press the Select or “OK” button, and that’s it!

You will now be in the App Store, where you can pick apps from the Editor’s Choice section or manually search if you know the specific app you’re trying to add.

Note that to add apps to Samsung TV, if it was one of the models made between 2011 and 2014, you would need to press the Smart Hub button, followed by the left button to enter the Apps menu. Then go to “Samsung Apps.” After that, you can search or pick the apps you want to install.

How to add apps to Samsung smart TV?

To add apps to Samsung smart TV, open the Apps menu and navigate to the application that you want to add. You can do this by using the search feature or checking the featured apps.

When you find the application you want to add, open its page. You will see an “Install” option on newer Samsung smart TVs. Select that, and the app will begin to download and then install. On older TVs, you will see a “Download” button instead of Install, though they do pretty much the same thing.

Once done, go back to your Smart Hub, and you should see that the new app is there, among the other Samsung TV apps that were pre-installed and the others that might have been downloaded.

How to install Downloader on Samsung smart TV?

Here’s where the fun starts, but there’s a huge caveat. If you’re looking for how to install 3rd party apps on Samsung smart TV, you will need to keep in mind that TVs made by Samsung run on the Tizen OS. As a result, there are very few ways to get third-party apps on them.

The best chance you will have to get custom third-party apps on your Samsung TV is to connect another device to it to get the functionality of the Android operating system instead. In this case, the device of choice is the Amazon Fire Stick. You can get the Downloader app on this, and once you do, you’ve opened a lot of Samsung TV Android app options.

Of course, the first step here is to . It’s even better if you already have one, though. Also, keep in mind that you can use any Fire TV device. Once you’ve got one and set it up, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Home screen.
2. Go to “Find” and open the Search bar.
3. Type in “Downloader” and search.
4. Install the Downloader app and wait for it to finish.
5. Once it is done, launch the application.
6. Now, go back to the Home Screen and open the Settings menu.
7. Select “My Fire TV.”
8. Choose “Developer Options.”
9. Select “Install Unknown Apps” and choose “Turn On” on the prompt that appears.
10. Go to “Downloader” in the list and toggle it to “On.”

Now, you can use Downloader to install APK on Samsung smart TV.

How to download apps on Samsung smart TV?

To actually utilize Downloader to install apps on Samsung smart TV, the first thing that I suggest that you do is enable JavaScript for the app. This way, websites will load as intended when you use them for browsing.

1. Open the Downloader app.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Make sure that “Enable JavaScript” is turned on.
4. Click “Yes.”

Now, the easiest way to download an app is to know which one you’re going for beforehand and to have its URL. Then, just paste it into the text field in the Home tab of Downloader, and the file will begin downloading.

However, you can also search for a keyword using this same text field or go to the Browser tab to search the web manually for the APK you want to install.

How to install Samsung smart TV apps?

If you downloaded an APK by directly pasting the file link in Downloader, a new window would pop up once the download is complete. Next, select “Install” in the bottom right corner, and the installation will start. Once it is done, you can open the app, and that’s it!

Similarly, suppose you manually downloaded it using the browser in the app. In that case, once the download is completed, the same window will pop up. Press “Install” and that’s all you have to do.

How to update apps on Samsung TV?

You can easily update your Samsung smart TV apps from the Apps menu. This is usually on the right side of the menu. Once in, hover over the app you want to update and press the Menu button (three horizontal lines) on your remote. Next, choose “More Info,” and if there’s an update available, select “Update.”

If you’re trying to update third-party apps, there’s no way to do it that is built into the OS. You will usually need to install a new APK to get an update going on your Fire Stick. One convenient way to do this is by downloading and installing the Aptoide app. You can install this third-party Android app store on your Fire Stick.

With this, you will be able to manage your third-party apps and even update them without as much stress as usual.

Can you add apps to an older Samsung smart TV?

If you’re looking to install apps on Samsung smart TV, it doesn’t matter whether it is an older TV or a new one. You can easily access the App Store on Tizen OS similarly, regardless of whether the device was made in 2011 or 2021.

The only difference you may face is that instead of a Home button on the remote control of an older TV, it may say “Smart Hub” or “Internet @TV,” depending on the exact model. Also, keep in mind that older TVs have fewer apps to choose from in general, as developers have stopped programming apps for these outdated OS versions.

You will also be able to use a Fire Stick to install APK on Samsung smart TV for an older model. As long as it has an HDMI port, it will work! In fact, you can easily use an Amazon Fire Stick to install on a non-smart TV if you’d want to.

Credits: Thanks for the photo to Canva.

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