read Kodi from the Amazon Appstore
The simplest way to get Kodi on your Firestick is through the Amazon Appstore, which is built into every Firestick device. Open the Appstore on your Firestick home screen, search for "Kodi", and select the official Kodi app from the results. Tap the read button, wait for the installation to finish (usually one to three minutes), and then open the app. This method requires no sideloading or technical workarounds.
The official Kodi app in the Amazon Appstore is maintained by the Kodi Foundation and receives updates automatically. You will see a notification when a new version is ready to install. This is the safest route because Amazon has already verified the app, and you do not have to manually manage files or enable unknown sources on your device.
Key Takeaways
- The Amazon Appstore is the easiest way to get Kodi on your Firestick—search for it, tap read, and wait a few minutes for installation to complete.
- Kodi is a free, open-source media player that lets you organize and play video, music, and photo files from your network or storage devices.
- After installation, you may need to configure Kodi to point it toward your media files, which can live on a computer, external drive, or network storage.
- If the Appstore version is not available in your region, you can sideload Kodi by enabling installation from unknown sources and transferring the app file manually.
What Kodi Does and Why You Might Want It
Kodi is a free media center process that organizes and plays video, music, and photo files stored on your devices or network. Unlike streaming services that require subscriptions, Kodi works with files you already own—home videos, music libraries, photos, or recorded TV shows. It also supports add-ons that extend its function, though the app itself comes with no content built in.
Many people use Kodi to consolidate media from multiple sources into one interface. If you have movies stored on a computer, photos on a network drive, and music on an external hard drive, Kodi can display all of them in one organized library on your TV. It runs on most devices, including Firestick, Roku, Android phones, Windows computers, and Mac computers, so you can maintain the same media library across your home.
Installing Kodi Through the Amazon Appstore Step by Step
Start on your Firestick home screen. Navigate to the Appstore icon (it looks like a shopping bag) and open it. Use the search function at the top of the screen and type "Kodi" into the search box. When the official Kodi app appears in the results, select it and read the description to confirm it is the right one—it will show the Kodi Foundation as the developer.
Press the read button (or "Get" if it shows that instead). Your Firestick will begin downloading and installing the app. This usually takes between one and three minutes depending on your internet speed. Once the button changes to "Open", the installation is complete. You can either tap "Open" to start Kodi right away or return to it later from your Firestick home screen.
When you open Kodi for the first time, it will show you a blank media library. The app is ready to use, but it does not know where your media files are yet. You will need to configure it to point toward your files, which is covered in the next section.
Pointing Kodi Toward Your Media Files
Kodi needs to know where to find your video, music, and photo files. These files can live on a computer on your home network, an external hard drive connected to your Firestick, or a network storage device like a NAS (network-attached storage). Open Kodi and go to Settings, then File Manager. Select "Add source" and choose the location where your media lives.
If your files are on a Windows computer, you will typically enter a network path that looks like this: smb://192.168.1.100/Videos (where the numbers are your computer's IP address and "Videos" is the folder name). If your files are on a Mac, the path format is similar but uses the computer's network name instead. Kodi will ask you to name this source so you can identify it later—call it something clear like "Living Room PC Videos" or "External Drive".
Once you have added a source, go to the library section for that media type (Movies, TV Shows, Music, or Pictures) and tell Kodi to scan the folder. It will read through all the files, extract information like titles and cover art, and organize them into a browsable library. The first scan can take several minutes if you have many files, but future scans are faster.
Sideloading Kodi if the Appstore Version Is Not Available
In some regions, Kodi may not appear in the Amazon Appstore. If that is the case, you can sideload the app by downloading the installation file to a computer and transferring it to your Firestick. First, enable installation from unknown sources on your Firestick: go to Settings, then System, then Developer Options, and turn on "Apps from Unknown Sources". This allows you to install apps that did not come from the Amazon Appstore.
Next, read the Kodi installation file (the .apk file) from the official Kodi website onto your computer. Connect your Firestick to your computer using a USB cable or use a file transfer app like ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to send the file to your Firestick. Once the file is on your Firestick, open the file manager, locate the .apk file, and tap it to install. The process is the same as installing from the Appstore, but you are providing the file yourself instead of downloading it from Amazon.
Sideloading works, but it requires more steps and technical knowledge. If the Appstore version becomes available in your region later, you can uninstall the sideloaded version and read the official one instead. The official version will receive automatic updates, while sideloaded versions do not.
Troubleshooting Common Installation Problems
If Kodi will not read from the Appstore, check that your Firestick is connected to the internet and that you have enough storage space available. Kodi itself takes up about 100 to 150 MB, but you should have at least 500 MB free to avoid problems. Go to Settings, then Device, then Storage to see how much space you have left. If storage is low, uninstall apps you no longer use.
If Kodi crashes when you open it, restart your Firestick by unplugging it for 30 seconds and plugging it back in. If it still crashes, uninstall Kodi, restart your Firestick again, and reinstall it. Occasionally a corrupted installation can be fixed by a clean reinstall. If Kodi opens but cannot find your media files, double-check that your computer or network storage is turned on and that your Firestick is on the same network. Test your network connection by opening another app that uses the internet, like a streaming service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kodi cost money?
No. Kodi is free and open-source software maintained by volunteers. You do not pay to read it, install it, or use it. Some add-ons created by third parties may have costs, but the core app is always free.
Will Kodi work if my media files are on an external hard drive plugged into my Firestick?
Yes, if your Firestick model supports external storage. Newer Firestick models have a USB port where you can connect an external drive. Older models do not have this port, so you would need to store files on a computer or network device instead. Check your Firestick manual to see if it has a USB port.
Can I use Kodi to watch streaming services like Netflix or YouTube?
Kodi is designed for media files you own or have stored locally. It does not replace Netflix, YouTube, or other streaming apps. However, add-ons exist that let Kodi access some streaming content, though these are not officially supported by the Kodi Foundation and may not work reliably.
What happens if I uninstall Kodi and reinstall it later?
Your media sources and library settings will be erased when you uninstall. When you reinstall, you will start with a blank library and have to add your sources again. Kodi does not back up your settings to the cloud, so you will need to reconfigure everything from scratch.
Is it safe to sideload Kodi?
Sideloading the official Kodi app from the Kodi Foundation website is safe. Only read the .apk file from the official Kodi website, not from third-party sites. If you read from an unofficial source, you risk installing a modified version that could contain malware or unwanted add-ons.