How to Install Google Play Store Alternative Aptoide TV on Firestick (2024)?

Since the Amazon Fire TV stick is Android-based, most people take it as a given that Google Play Store would be available on the device. However, as Firestick users can verify, that isn’t the case. Amazon only offers its own app store – the Amazon App Store – on the Amazon Fire TV Stick

This decision puzzles Firestick users. Sure, the Amazon App Store does have a large number of apps and games. But it doesn’t give you an unlimited range of options like Google Play Store. This leaves you with two choices. Either make do with the Amazon App Store or sideload an app store.

There’s also a third option – Aptoide TV. It’s one of the best alternatives to the Google Play Store that we’ve ever come across. In this article, we’re going to give you a comprehensive guide using which you can install Aptoide TV (Play Store) on Amazon Firestick, Firestick 4K, Firestick Lite, and Fire TV Cube.

Even though Amazon doesn’t offer it on Firestick devices, some users choose to sideload Google Play Store. This decision does them more harm than good. Side-loaded Google Play Store is full of glitches and fails to work most of the time, forcing you to delete it.

Fortunately, that isn’t the case with Aptoide TV. This self-proclaimed Google Play Store alternative works seamlessly on most Firestick devices. We’ll show you how you can get it through the Downloader app and via ES File Explorer as it’s super easy to install.

Here’s how you can install Aptoide TV on Amazon Fire TV Stick:

The digital world is taking a toll on your digital privacy. As much as you would love to stay anonymous online, the task is becoming increasingly difficult with each passing day. 

Your internet service provider (ISP), government, and many third parties regularly keep track of your digital activities without your consent. Your digital data is being stored on 3rd-party servers and sold to advertisement companies, hackers, and identity thieves. 

For these reasons, it’s more important than ever to take steps towards safeguarding your online privacy and start using a VPN. By encrypting your data and making you a virtual ghost, a reliable VPN – such as ExpressVPN – would make sure that what you do online becomes nobody else’s business. 

Having cited this note of caution, it’s time we turn our attention to how to install Aptoide TV on your Firestick device.

Installing Aptoide TV using this method is pretty simple. All you have to do is to follow the instructions given below, and you’d be using Aptoide TV on your Firestick in less than 10 – 15 minutes.

Apps like Aptoide TV are developed by third parties and are not available on the official Amazon App Store. You are therefore left with no choice but to sideload Aptoide TV on your Firestick. That is where Downloader, the best sideloading tool, comes in handy.

Downloader allows you to install APK (third-party) files on your Firestick. It connects your Firestick directly to the web, and from here, you can download APK files to your Firestick devices. Follow these steps to sideload Aptoide TV on Firestick:

• Open your Firestick Home screen. Click on Find and then on Search.
• Search for the app by writing ‘Downloader’ in the search bar.
• Follow the instructions to download the Downloader app.

The next thing you need to take care of is to tweak your Firestick’s settings to allow the installation of third-party apps.

• Select the Settings option from the home screen or long-press the apps button on the remote control to directly open Settings.
• Select My Fire TV.
• Go to Developer Options.
• Select Apps from Unknown Sources.
• A warning prompt will appear; click on Turn On.

You’ve now prepared your Firestick to sideload the best Google Play Store alternative, Aptoide TV. Downloader will also allow you to download other APK files.

Now let’s see how you can use Downloader to sideload Aptoide TV on Firestick devices. 

Follow these steps to download the Aptoide TV app using Downloader:

• Open the Downloader app you just installed from the Amazon store. For that, go to your apps and games. Click on the Downloader app and give it all the permissions it asks for (provided it asks for any).  
• In the Downloader app, select Home from the left side menu.
• Click on the URL bar and write https://tv.aptoide.com. Click ‘Go’ or press enter.
• It will take you to the Aptoide TV website. You can download the APK file from here.
• You can begin downloading now.
• When the download is complete, you will see the following screen. Select Install.
• Once the installation is complete, click on Done.
• Once the installation is over, delete the APK file. It has already served its purpose and is only consuming space now.
• While you’d be trying to delete the APK file, a pop-up might appear asking you whether you’re sure you want to delete it. Select ‘Delete’
• Aptoide TV isn’t included in your Apps yet. To include it, hold the Home button again and wait for the menu to open. Click on Apps.
• Scroll down to find the newly installed Aptoide TV icon. You can move it to the top of your installed applications by pressing the three lines button on your remote.
• When you press the three lines button, a menu will open. Select Move to front, and it will let you move Aptoide TV to the top of the list of your installed apps.
• You have successfully installed the Aptoide TV app on your Firestick.

You can also install Aptoide TV on your Firestick using ES File Explorer. There are two ways of installing it with this method: with a computer and without a computer. Provided you opt for the latter method, you’d have to buy a $9.99 monthly subscription. 

Note: You can skip these steps if you are using the Downloader app (which we recommend since it saves you nearly $10 a month!).

Follow these steps to install Aptoide TV on your Firestick devices using the ES File Explorer

• Go to your Firestick homepage. Select Find and then Search. 
• Search for ES File Explorer and download it on your device.
• Once the download is complete, launch the ES File Explorer app.
• Within ES File Explorer, select Tools from the left side menu and expand it. 

Next, select Download Manager and click on the ‘+‘ icon. It will be at the bottom of your screen (as shown in the screenshot)

• A Download dialogue window will open.
  In the URL section, add this URL: https://tv.aptoide.com and click on OK.

• It will take you to the website of Aptoide TV. Use the Download Aptoide TV button to download the Aptoide TV’s APK file.
• A pop-up window will appear once the download is. Click on Open File to run the downloaded file and start the installation process.
• A prompt will appear; click on Install.
• Another window will open; click on Install again. 

Once the installation is complete, another window will appear. Two buttons (Open and Done) will be there. Select Open to launch the Aptoide TV app.

For this method, you will need a working computer. You also need to make sure that both the devices (Firestick and PC) are connected to the same Wi-Fi. 

• Computer: For this method, you first need to download the Aptoide TV APK file on your computer. Use this link to download the File Aptoide TV – Your independent app store for Android TV and set-top boxes. 
• Firestick Devices: Download ES File Explorer from Amazon App Store on your Firestick device. The easy way to install it is by selecting the Search option that can be found on the top left of your Firestick Home Screen. 

Search ES File Explorer and click on the app’s icon. You’ll now be led to the Amazon App Store. Once there, follow the onscreen instructions to download and install ES File Explorer on your Amazon Fire TV Stick. 

• Launch the ES File Explorer app from the Apps section. Once inside the app, scroll to the left side menu and click on Network. From the options on the expanded menu, choose View on PC. Select the Turn On button to turn on the View on PC.You will now be able to see your FTP address. Note it down (you’re going to need it in the upcoming steps). The FTP address will enable you to manage all of your Firestick files and folders from your PC.

• Computer: This step requires you to go back to your PC and open any folder. Type the FTP address you noted in the previous step in the address bar.Press Enter. This will open the contents of ES File Explorer on your PC.

• Copy the Aptoide TV APK file that you download on your PC earlier.Paste this file in any of the ES File Explorer folders of your FTP address. You can even create a new folder if you wish to do that.

• On Firestick Device: On your Firestick Device, open ES File Explorer. From the left side menu, select Local and expand it.Using your remote control, select and open that folder where you pasted the Aptoide TV APK file in the previous step

• Select the Aptoide TV APK file and open it. A prompt will appear; click on Install.
• Another window will appear; click on Install in this one too.
• Once the application has been installed, you will get the same options of Open and Done.  Choose Open if you’d like to launch the Aptoide TV app. 

You’ve successfully installed the Aptoide TV on your Firestick device. 

Navigating Aptoide TV is as straightforward as it gets. Like any other app store, you can use the search feature on the top left corner if you want to search for an app. You can also explore different apps by going through multiple categories on the app.

Google Play Store seems pretty enticing, but installing it (and getting it to work) on Firestick isn’t easy. Throw into the mix the fact that the 3rd-party Google Play Store is full of glitches, and you get to know why many Firestick users opt for Aptoide TV, one of Google Play Store’s best alternatives.

Apart from being easy to install, Aptoide TV works seamlessly on most Firestick devices. It has an easy-to-use interface and divides apps by categories to let you find and download those according to your taste. What more can you ask for in a Google Play Store alternative!