How to install Kodi
Kodi is an open source software that allowas the management, organization and reproduction of any king of multimendial file. It’s totally free of charge abd is compatibe with many different devices: Windows, Mac and Linux PCs, Android devices, iPhones and iPads (even if in a limited way), Raspberry Pi, TV box Android, Android Smart TV and much more. It was born in 2003 as a media center for Xbox, in fact it was called Xbox Media Center (XBMC), but today it has completely changed its face and is set up as a multi-platform service, open to any device and operating system.
But what can you do exactly with Kodi? An entire book would not be enough to describe it. With Kodi you can play videos, music and photos from local devices (hard disks, USB sticks etc.), from the local network (NAS, network hard disk, computers connected to the local network, etc.) and from the Internet; you can watch television programs via the Internet (IPTV); movies, TV series and any kind of on-demand streaming content; check PVR equipment for recording video content; view weather forecasts; download files from the Internet (even via P2P networks), and much more (the list could go on and on).
The addons are the ones to make Kodi so powerful, flexible and versatile. Those are add-ons that can also be developed by third-party programmers and that give access to a wide range of services and functions that are not normally integrated in the software. They’re not all 100% legals, this must be said. Some of them give access to streaming services that do not comply with copyright laws, but the equation Kodi = illegal contents is of course wrong! The potential of Kodi is so great that it would be a waste to use it just to watch some movies in streaming! So let’s just not waste time, take some time for yourself and discover now how to install Kodi, thanks to the infos I’m about to give you: I’m sure you won’t regret it!
How to install Kodi – Available Kodi versions
How to install Kodi
Before getting into the heart of this tutorial and explaining how to install Kodi, let me show you the main versions of the software currently available to be downloaded.
When you’ll go and download Kodi on your devices, you will be offered two different versions of the software.
- Release – is the stable version of Kodi, as well as the one I recommend to download.
- Nightly – these are unstable versions of Kodi. They contain additional features not yet introduced in stable versions and are updated very frequently. Personally I do not recommend them.
For some platforms, Kodi is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions: you have to choose the one best suited to the processor and the operating system with which the target device is equipped.
Another important thing to know is that there are Kodi’s forks, that are softwares based on the Kodi source code that have features, interfaces and features slightly different from the latter. Among the most interesting Kodi forks of the moment I’d like to recomend you those ones:
- SPMC – is a fork of Kodi for Android created by one of the developers of the original Kodi team (Koying). It contains various settings and experimental changes that improve the performance on certain devices where Kodi does not work, or works poorly.
- OSMC – is a Linux software Debian-based that includes Kodi (and makes it the center of its user experience).
- OpenELEC – it is an embedded operating system (based on Linux) with the qualities of being extremely small and of a very quick start. Includes a customized version of Kodi with some third-party addons dedicated to retrogaming and PVR features for recording.
Using Kodi’s forks can improve the user experience on certain devices, especially on the less powerful ones (from the perspective of the hardware). You can find a complete list of all the available ones for the various devices on the official Kodi Wiki.
How to install Kodi on Windows
How to install Kodi
If you want to install Kodi on a Windows PC and you use a Windows 10 operating system, you can directly head to the Microsoft Store, where you can find this well-known open source media center. Then, connect to this webpage, agree to open the Microsoft Store and click on the Get button.
Within a few seconds Kodi will be first downloaded and then installed on your PC: you will not have to do anything. You can track the progress of the download by pressing the arrow on the top right. Once the download is completed, you’ll be able to start the app by simply clicking on its icon from the Start menu (the one that appears by clicking on the flag icon located in the lower left corner of the screen).
How to install Kodi
If you use a Windows version previous to the 10 (all Windows versions are supported, from Vista on) or, however, you prefer to download the classic version of the software (the one distributed via the .exe package), connected to the official Kodi site, scroll a bit down the page and click first on the Windows flag and then on the INSTALLER button (32BIT) related to the Release version of the program (therefore to the stable version).
Once the download is completed, open the Kodi installation package (kodi-xx-x86.exe) and in the window that opens, click on the Yes button first and then on Next and I Agree. Then choose the addons (ie add-ons) to include in the installation of Kodi (personally, I recomend you to mantain all the addon selected) and complete the setup by clicking first on Next two consecutive times and then on Install and Finish.
How to install Kodi
Even in this case, once the installion is completed, you’ll find Kodi in the Start Menu of Windows, ready to be used.
If the Kodi interface is in English instead of Italian, click on the gear icon in the left sidebar, then go to Interface settings, select the Regional entry from the side menu and set the Language option to Italian.
How to install Kodi
If the first time you start Kodi you see a request from the Windows firewall, click the Allow access button to allow the media center to access the Internet and network resources correctly.
If you don’t understand any step or/and if you want further infos about the installation process of Kodi on your Windows, take a look at the official Wiki of the program (in English).
How to install Kodi on macOS
How to install Kodi
Do you use a Mac? No problem. You can install Kodi in a very simple way. All you have to do is connect to the official website of the program, scroll down the page and click on the macOS entry (under the apple icon) and then on the INSTALLER (64BIT) button for the Release Kodi version (then the stable one of the software).
Once the download is completed, open the .dmg package that contains Kodi and drag the program icon to the MacOS Applications folder. Then right-click on the Kodi icon that you just copied into the application folder, select “Open” from the menu that opens and respond “Open” to the alert that appears on the screen. This will allow you to start Kodi even if it is not an application from the Mac App Store or an Apple Certified App.
How to install Kodi
For following boots you won’t need to repeat the procedure: you’ll just have to start Kodi with a double click on its icon or with a singol click in the Launchpad (or through a research with spotlight).
If you need more information about installing Kodi on MacOS, read the official software documentation (in English).
How to install Kodi on Linux
How to install Kodi
If you use a distro like Ubuntu, which has its own application store, you may find Kodi directly in the latter. For example, right on Ubuntu, if you open the Ubuntu Software center (the orange shopping bag icon in the left sidebar), and look for “Kodi” in the search bar at the top, you can install Kodi simply by clicking on the Install button (next to the software name) and typing the password of your user account on Linux (the one you normally use to log in to the system).
How to install Kodi
Once the installation is completed, you will find Kodi in the list of applications on your computer. To start it, all you have to do is select its icon from the left sidebar or click on the Ubuntu logo (top left) and look for the program in the menu that opens.
If you prefer, you can also install Kodi via Terminal. All you need to do is type the commands listed below and answer affirmatively to the questions you are asked (just press the S key on the PC keyboard and press Enter). After the first command, you will be asked to type the password of your user account on Ubuntu.
- sudo apt-get install software-properties-common
- sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa
- sudo apt-get update
- sudo apt-get install kodi
If you use a different distribution from Ubuntu, such as Debian or Fedora, you can install Kodi by opening the Terminal and giving the following commands.
- sudo apt-get update
- sudo apt-get install kodi
For further infos about the installation process of Kodi on your Linux, take a look at the official Wiki of the program (in English).
How to install Kodi on Android
Android is an extremely flexible and versatile operating system: we can find it not only on smartphones and tablets, but also on TV Box, Smart TV and other devices that, therefore, can run applications such as Kodi. If you have one or more terminals equipped with Android and you want to know how to install Kodi on them, read on: you will find all the information you need right here below.
How to install Kodi – Smartphones and tablets
How to install Kodi
Kodi is available on the Google Play Store just like any other Android app. This means that if you have a smartphone or a tablet equipped with the operating system of the green robot, you just have to open the Play Store (the icon ?? in the home screen of your device), look for “Kodi” in the bar at the top and select the app icon from the search results (the blue diamond with the letter “K” inside). Click then on the Install and Accept buttons and wait patiently for the application download to be completed.
Once the installation is completed, you can start Kodi simply by opening the Android app drawer (the screen with the list of all the apps installed on the device) and clicking on its icon.
How to install Kodi – Smartphones and tablets (alternative method)
How to install Kodi
If your Android device does not include the Google Play Store, you can install Kodi by getting the app apk package. To download the Kodi apk package, open the browser of your smartphone or tablet (eg Chrome), connected to the page kodi.tv/download and click on the Android icon.
In the box that opens, click on the ARMV7A (32BIT) button if you’re using a 32-bit device or the ARMV8A (64BIT) button if you’re using a 64-bit device (always choose the links related to the Release version of Kodi) and wait patiently the download to be completed. If you are asked to choose the application you want to complete the download with, choose the browser you are currently using (eg Chrome), on the other side, if you see a warning about the potential danger of apk files, ignore it by pressing the OK button (bottom right).
Once the download is completed, start the Download Android application or use an external file manager (eg ES File Manager) to reach the Download folder and open the apk file that you have downloaded from the Kodi website (eg kodi-xx -armeabi-v7a.apk). Then click on the Install button and the application will be installed quickly on your smartphone or tablet.
If Kodi turns out to be in English instead of Italian, you can change the language of the application as explained earlier in the chapter on Windows.
Note: if by the opening of the apk file you are shown an error message, go to Settings> Security and activate the support for unknown sources.
How to install Kodi – Tv Box
How to install Kodi
As already explained in my guide to the best TV Box, Android TV Boxes are great devices that with a few euros can turn any TV into a Smart TV, giving access to a wide range of apps and content. Most of them are supplied with Kodi (or with a Kodi fork) already installed, but you can also install Kodi manually by using the Play Store or the Kodi Apk packages (just like we saw before for smartphones and tablets).
To install Kodi on a TV Box through the Play Store – almost useless to say – open the Play Store on the TV Box, search for “Kodi” and install the application by clicking on the Install / Accept button. The application will be available on the screen with the list of all applications installed on your device.
Does your TV Box not include the Play Store? No problem, you can install Kodi via apk package. To get the apk package of Kodi, you have to connect to the Kodi Internet site. Next, you must select the Android icon and click on the ARMV7A (32BIT) button or the ARMV8A (64BIT) button for the Release Code. If you do not know if your TV Box uses a 32-bit or 64-bit processor, do a search on Google, you’ll definitely find it out.
Once the download is completed, copy the Kodi apk file to a USB stick (or microSD), connect the USB stick (or microSD) to the TV Box and use its file manager to open the Code apk file and to install it. What could be easier?
Note: For some TV Box it is more appropriate to use a Kodi fork, such as SPMC, rather than using the Koti itself. Again, a Google search will help.
For further infos about the installation process of Kodi on Android terminals, take a look at the official Wiki of the program (in English).
How to install Kodi on iOS
How to install Kodi
Kodi is also compatible with iPhone and iPad, even if in a limited way. Unfortunately, Apple has not admitted the well-known media center on its store and, therefore, to have it on iOS, you will need to look to alternative installation techniques.
The easiest way to install Kodi on iOS is to jailbreak your iPhone or your iPad and look for Kodi on Cydia, the alternative App Store available on all jail broken devices. More in detail, the steps to be taken are as follows.
- Jailbreak your iOS device. If you don0t know how to do it, read my tutorials about how to jailbreak iPhones and iPads:
- Open Cydia. You find its icon in the home screen:
- Add the Kodi repositories to Cydia. If you do not know how to do it, select the Source tab at the bottom left of the Cydia main screen, and then click on the Edit button at the top right and then on the Add button that appears on the top left. In the box that opens, type the address http://mirrors.kodi.tv/apt/ios/ and click on the Add Source button;
- Search “Kodi” on Cydia. If you do not know how to do it, just go to the Search tab (bottom right) and look for “Kodi” in the top bar;
- Install Kodi To do this, you have to select Kodi-iOS from the search results and click first on the Install button (top right) and then on Confirm (always top right).
Once you’ve completed the procedure, you can use Kodi on iOS by simply starting the Kodi-iOS app that appears on the home screen of the device. For more information, see the official Kodi Wiki.
If you use iOS 9.2 / 9.3.3, you have a device with a 16GB storage memory and when installing Kodi, you see the error “failed in buffer_write” error, install the Stashing tweak for iOS 9.2-9.3.3 via Cydia (if you can’t find it, try by adding the https://coolstar.org/publicrepo repository in the Source tab) and repeat the installation. Additionally, if the system memory is full (you can check its state on the Cydia main screen by selecting Memory), try to uninstall some tweaks.
If you have an iPhone or iPad that is not jailbreaked, you can install Kodi using a Mac with the Xcode installed (the software to program apps for iOS). The procedure is quite long, but, in any case, it may be worth it: you’ll find it described in full on the official Kodi Wiki (in English).
How to install Kodi on Raspberry Pi
How to install Kodi
Raspberry Pi is a computer based on ARM architecture, whose components are implemented on a single electronic board. It works through operating systems that can be loaded directly from microSD cards and among these systems there are also LibreELEC and OSMC: two Kodi forks based on Linux.
The easiest way to install LibreELEC and OSMC is to download the NOOBS – Offline and network install package from the official Raspberry website, and copy it to a microSD card. The microSD card must be at least of 8GB and must be formatted in FAT. To format it, I strongly recommend using the SD Formatter software made by the SD Association, the association that brings together all the major manufacturers of SD cards. You can find a detailed explanation about the topic on my tutorial about how to format MicroSDs.
After formatting the microSD correctly, copy the files contained in the NOOBS zip package onto it. Then insert the card into the Raspberry, connect a keyboard and a mouse to the same and turn it on. Within a few seconds you should see a screen with a list of operating systems to be installed.
How to install Kodi
At this point, click on the Wi-Fi Networks button at the top and connect to a Wi-Fi network (in order to allow any needed download to properly install Kodi on Raspberry), put the check mark next to LibreELEC or OSMC and go ahead by clicking on the Install button (top left) and then on Yes (in the window that opens).
Wait for the operating system installation process to be completed (it should take a few minutes) and you will finally enjoy Kodi, or rather, one of its forks on your Raspberry Pi!
If you don’t understand any step or/and if you want further infos about the installation process of Kodi on your Raspberry Pi, take a look at the official Kodi Wiki (in English).
How to install Kodi on Smart TV
How to install Kodi
Do you have a Smart TV and you would you like to install Kodi on this? Unfortunately I have to say that there are relatively few Smart TV models that allow a direct installation of Kodi, and I refer to the models equipped with the Android TV operating system.
On Android TVs that give access to the Play Store (eg Sony), you can install Kodi simply by opening the store, by searching for “Kodi” inside it, and by clicking on the download button.
On other Smart TV models equipped with non-Android operating systems (eg Tizen OS of Samsung TVs), is it possible to see the Kodi contents through a mirroring from a smartphone or tablet. For further infos about the topic, read my tutorials about how to connect smartphones/tablets to the TV. Alternatively, you can buy an Android TV Box, as explained in the previous lines of this post.
How to install Kodi