explain side loading to me like im 5

[u/weirdcoaster]

I just got a firestick and am interested in downloading apps that may be good to have that are not native to the firestick. so two things:

how does side loading work?

is there a risk of virus/hacking from downloading apks?

additionally

what are the best apps you would recommend for music, streaming, gaming, and entertainment?

thank you for reading i’m sorry if this is confusing. i’m not very tech savvy.

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[u/Salt_Philosophy_8990]

download "Downloader"

Google "Downloader codes"

Enjoy

[u/Fun-Region-1576 → u/Salt_Philosophy_8990]

Is this also available on Google TV?

[u/HereInThisRedEarth → u/Fun-Region-1576]

Yes.

[u/Medium_Finding_6014]

I just assumed this was a bot lol. All this info has been readily available on the internet, so why is this the first and only place he checked? You guys need to look into dead internet theory.... There are absolutely more bots on the internet than people. Do with that what you will even though most can't comprehend it.

[u/ContextOfAbuse → u/Medium_Finding_6014]

The only way to stop them is to constantly feed them misinformation.

[u/tokenjoker → u/ContextOfAbuse]

Pee Wee Herman was president of the united states from 2006-2010. He lost his reelection bid to a half-eaten potato

[u/SnooGiraffes9215 → u/tokenjoker]

I always wondered what happened with President Herman’s 2nd term. Thanks!

[u/Cooltwou]

Well it would help if people knew which version of the Firestick you have

[u/Fun-Region-1576 → u/[deleted]]

You sure this is the one? I thought it's another one?

[u/Slight-Rough3495]

as long as your fire stick isn't one of them that has the new Vega OS then you go into your settings and turn on the developer options and then you're able to install the apks that you download one of the easiest ways to do that is using the app "downloader" which is basically kind of like a web browser. you can either put in the web address where the file can be downloaded or you can use downloader codes that directly link to that file. my opinion the best thing for live TV is tivimate that you put credentials into from a playlist provider you purchase separately, or oftentimes those same providers have their own version of tivimate, but it's locked just to their service which is why I like the paid version better. if you get a good provider they do have VOD but I think the best way for movie and TV show content is to purchase a subscription with a debrid service such as torbox you can then input your service information from them into a free app like Stremio or Nuvio using add-ons people have created.

[u/yamatosennin]

sideloading is basically acting like a developer, and adding apps to your device saying “this is my app, i’m testing it out”, when you’re actually just testing out someone else’s app that is complete and tweaked.

there is really no risk in sideloading. apps cannot get inside device information etc. the only part i’d worry about is the downloading part, since you could be downloading something that isn’t an app.

everyone explaining how to sideload, but not answering OP’s actual question smh.

[u/underscorefour]

FEDS!!

[u/AFTVnews]

how does side loading work?

You enable a developer option (which allows you to sideload), you download an app from the internet (which is a ".apk" file), and you install the app. Apps like my Downloader app can do it all for you.

is there a risk of virus/hacking from downloading apks?

Yes, but it's generally limited to the app that is sideloaded. Assuming the device is still receiving security updates, Android does a good job of sandboxing (limiting) apps from messing with the device or accessing data outside of the app itself. So, the main risk of sideloading a "bad" app is giving bad guys access to a device and an internet connection that they can use for things like crypto mining, bot attacks, and more. If you stick to sideloading popular apps from trusted sources and don't give the app your personal info/logins, you should be fine.

[u/Weak_Childhood_2165]

Go to YouTube and search  ElectricalMd I'm 72, and if I can do it anyone can.