If you followed our guide to install the Google Play Store, you may have been a bit disappointed with the results. Because the Google Play Store does not know the capabilities of the Amazon Fire TV, it defaults to marking most apps as incompatible. This prevents most apps from being installed. Thanks to a great tip from JJ-KwiK, in this guide we’ll show you how to trick the Google Play Store into thinking the Fire TV is a Nexus 7 tablet. Doing so makes most apps and games in the Google Play Store available to install on your Fire TV.
Prerequisites…
- Your Fire TV must be Rooted. Follow our guide here to root.
- Have the Google Play Store instaled on your Fire TV. Follow our guide here.
- Launch the Google Play Store and login with your Google account.
Instructions for tricking the Google Play Store…
- Download Market Helper from here. (source)
Update
9/4/2014: When these instructions were written, v1.1 was the latest version of Market Helper. Market Helper 2.0 Beta has since been released and, at the time that I’m writing this, is incompatible with the Fire TV. Since Market Helper 2.0 is still in Beta, it’s possible that it will become compatible with the Fire TV in the future. I suggest trying the latest version of market helper via the link above first. If that does not work on your Fire TV, then use Market Helper v1.1 which you can download form here or here. If Market Helper 2.0 works for you, please let me know in the comments so that I can update these instructions.
9/8/2014: Several commenters have reported that Market Helper 2.0 Beta is now working on the Fire TV. I recommend using that version of Market Helper, and not version 1.1.
- Sideload Market Helper onto your Fire TV.
- Launch Market Helper
- Select “Tablet” from the first menu under “Select Device”
- Select “Asus Nexus 7 3G” from the second menu under “Select Device”
- Select “United States” from the first menu under “Select Operator”
- Select “AT&T” from the second menu under “Select Operator”
- Select the “Activate” button
- Select “Grant” form the SuperSU popup
- Select “OK”
- Open http://www.google.com/dashboard on your computer
- Navigate to the “Android” section and click “Manage devices”
- Wait for the new Nexus 7 to be refreshed
- You should now be able to launch the Google Play Store on your Fire TV and install most apps.
(NOTE: The Market Helper settings get reset if the Fire TV reboots, so you will have to activate those again each time.)
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Anyone tried loading skype onto the Amazon FireTV?
I believe it would make a killer living room videoconferencing box.
So can you install the newer netflix app to the fire TV?
Which one? There are actually 2 different versions of the new Netflix app. The touch screen device version, which doesn’t work that well with the AFTV due to it not being very compatible with a remote, then the Android TV version (Netflix “Ninja”), which I haven’t tried yet.
This works pretty well.. Note, that you may need to use an external keyboard/mouse for a lot of the apps you find in the playstore as they are not optimized for the firetv button layout. Spotify, directv, slingbox, facebook, chrome, firefox all work. Directv to go works but you have to turn off super user while using it. Note, some apps still may say device is not compatible. A tip for some of those is to use phone instead of Tablet and choose Samsung Galaxy S3.
For me, they all say that they are incompatible lol.
I want to install Pure VPN on fire TV, where do I get the APK pure VPN file?
Using this tool, you can paste any Google Play Store link and download the APK: http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/
Here is a direct link to Pure VPN: http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/?id=com.gaditek.purevpnics
I followed this guide all the way through and it’s still only allowing me to see TV apps only. I tried to search netflix and other apps that are available for other devices but all I see are TV apps. I noticed you are using an older version of Market Helper…is the new 2.0 beta version broken in this aspect?
Hey Andrew (and anyone else running into this issue),
I can verify that it is an issue with the 2.0 beta of Market helper. With 2.0 I was able to register my device and see it in my device manager, but the online Play Store wouldn’t let me push anything but TV apps over.
I found an earlier version (1.1) and it works perfect! Here’s the link I used:
http://www.2shared.com/complete/KCv4lNlY/Market_Helper_11.html
Good luck!
Have tried both versions of Market Helper and can only see TV apps.
Market Helper 2.0-beta worked for me.
Sorry for the late reply but I got Market Helper 2.0-beta working a while ago and wanted to share this with anyone who is also having troubles. After I pressed “activate” and “ok” on the last step, I pressed activate and ok again. Then I went to Google Play Store and “force-stopped” the application, then “Launch Application”. I was then able to search for all applications that are available on the tablet/phone versions, not just being limited to the TV versions. Hope this helps someone.
Both versions are not working for me even after trying the suggestions described above.
1.1 works after I unblock amzdigitaldownloads.edgesuite.net and softwareupdates.amazon.com on my router. If you’re using that method to block updates, try that.
Was unable to get this to work with either version of market helper. followed all the steps and the tips and still does not give me full play store access.
I have tried force stopping, rebooting then reactivating market helper settings, cleaning cache, used 1.1 and 2.0 beta and same thing it just does not seem to see that it is somehow different.
Would it b possible to just modify the build.prop instead?
Got both versions to work. Once I changed build to nexus 7, I went back to play store app. I force closed it and then cleared the cache. That seemed to reset the store and got everything clicking. good luck!
I can install from the google play store but when I try to open, many of the apps display rotated and sideways as if they think they’re on a phone and the phone has been rotated.
Any idea how to get them oriented correctly?
Here is information on forcing orientation: http://www.aftvnews.com/how-to-force-all-sideloaded-apps-into-landscape-mode-on-fire-tv/
Awesome! Thanks!
Is it somehow possible to enable mock locations? I’d love to watch baseball using MLB At Bat and Fake GPS :)
I too would like to spoof my location to watch local NHL games. The only way I know of is using a VPN through your router, but that has security issues for the rest of your traffic.
So I think I figured it out. I was able to get around the NHL GCL blackouts by using https://adfreetime.com/, it’s $2 / month and way cheaper then cable. You do need to have access to your router since I do not think there is a way to add dns servers on a AFTV vs. an apple tv. You still have to pay for the actual service, all this does is get around local and national blackout restrictions which are a pain.
P.S. If you just want to use it in a browser you can always use the Holla extension in chrome to spoof your location, and theoretically add the browser on your AFTV. I haven’t tried it on a AFTV but it may work.
FTV auto updated Google play to 5.0.31 and the method above stopped working (it was working with Google play 4.9.13). Anyone else running into this problem ?
I don’t know which of the below action caused it to work again but the new Google Play is behaving properly now
1. Uninstalled MarketHelper 1.1
2. Install MarketHelper 2.0 beta
Still not working
3. Uninstal MarketHelper 2.0 beta
4. Install MarketHelper 1.1
Rebooted a number of time in between steps, now it’s working
I did this “trick” and I’m able to see my purchases, etc. and Play store doesn’t show “incompatible” for the apps. The only problem I have is with the new version of the Netflix. After seeing the picture of this post, I thought I would be able to get the most recent version, but it still shows “not compatible”. Note that the newest version of Netflix doesn’t install from the Amazon app store either. I’m aware that I’ll need to update my FireTV via prerooted ROMs, but I was hoping that this was a work around.
If this (i.e., installing the most recent version of Netflix via Play store) works for others, please let us know how you got it to work.
Thanks!
I have installed google play but when I search for apps I only get a limited number of apps come up. For example if I search “netflix” it does come up with in the results. Any ideas why this might be?
*that should read, “it doesn’t come up in the results”
Device Bricked – Froze while doing “magical stuff”. Rebooted and my device was bricked. Had another spoofer running as well as virtual hdmi. Willing to try again, but please let me know if anyone with MXIII M82 have had the same problem
My favorite artist is blocked for me due to my country :( – I think i will try a vpn like arcvpn to see if it unblocks me.
Hi there, I’ve just purchased the new 2nd gen FTV and i was wondering if this is any way of installing Google Play on an unrooted device?
Can you Skype with the fire tv box and is so how do you do it
No, you can’t use Skype with the Fire TV.
How do I get google playstore to function on the amazon tv stick ? The above is for fire tv but not for stick.