Google does not believe that Chrome is necessary in its operating system for televisions and that is why it does not include it among the applications that you can use. It is not a browser prepared to be controlled with a remote control and it does not come by default. But you can download Chrome on Android TV or Google TV if you want to navigate from the TV, although it will take several steps to do so. It is not difficult but it is somewhat longer than downloading a simple application like you do with Netflix or any game.
You cannot use Google Chrome natively on Android TV because you will not find it in the applications that the operating system allows you to download. But the fact that it does not allow it from the settings does not mean that you will not be able to have the browser on the device or on the Smart TV. Yes, you can, but the steps are somewhat more complex, although it will only take a few minutes to do it to be able to browse the Internet without having to settle for the browsers that usually come by default.
Install Chrome on Google TV
We will need to download the Chrome application in .apk format, the Android application format that is not downloaded from the official store but from other secondary stores. Once you have the application, you must take it to the television where you will have previously installed an app capable of reading APK files and installing them correctly. But we will explain it to you step by step.
Download Google Chrome
The first thing you need is to have Google Chrome in .apk format and for that you must download the file from an application store or specialized web page. There are pages like APKMirorr where you can download it for free without any complications and where you will see a large number of versions and variants available that we can download. Look for the most recent and updated version and tap on the download icon next to it.
It is recommended that you do it from your mobile phone to be able to send it to TV quickly through one of the applications that we will explain below. All you have to do is go to APKMirror or the Uptodown website, search for Chrome and download one of the recent versions available. Also on the computer if you want to use a flash drive, as we will explain later.
Send the file to the TV
Once we have the APK on our mobile, we must download an application that allows us to send content from the phone to the television and that is compatible with Google TV or Android TV. There are many available, but one you can use is Send files to TV by Yablio as it is simple, fast and without registration.
You must download it on your mobile phone and on Google TV. Once you are on the sides, you must choose “Send” from your smartphone and “Receive” from the TV. Choose the .APK file you have on your phone and it will start being sent to the TV for us to install later. Once the transfer is complete, we move on to the next step to be able to install Chrome on Google TV.
Another option to send or transfer the file is to use a flash drive. All you have to do is download the APK to your computer and transfer it to a flash drive you have at home. You must insert that flash drive into the television and with a file management application (there are many available in the “tools” section) you can access the content to have it and follow the next steps. The drawback of the flash drive is that you will not be able to use it in the case of a device like the Chromecast with Google TV, although you can use it with a normal Smart TV with an available USB port.
APK Installer
We must have an APK installer on Android TV or Google TV and the Spanish application store Uptodown has an app available that you can find in the TV menu. APK Installer By Uptodown is compatible with Android TV and Google TV operating systems, so you simply have to look for it in the catalog of tools and download it, since it will be in charge of installing the APK.
But you must keep in mind that Google TV does not allow any application to install APK files so there are some basic steps that we must follow to activate administrator permissions and grant permissions to the installer:
- Open Google TV settings
- Go to the System section
- Look for the “Information” section
- Scroll down to “Android TV OS Build”
- Press the button on the controller for several times
- A message will appear indicating that you are a developer
- Go to settings again
- Look for the “Privacy” section
- Go down in the menu to “Security and restrictions”
- Go to the first section: Unknown sources
Here you will have to give APK Installer By Uptodown permission to install apps from unknown sources. This is locked by default, but if you have followed the steps above you will have permission to activate the switch. Keep in mind that if you haven’t followed the steps to have administrator permissions, you won’t be able to give Uptodown permission to manage the apks.
Once you have done this, go back to the main menu and open APK Installer by Uptodown, which will show you three buttons: Install / Manage applications / Browse files. Tap on the first one and the APK files on the Chromecast will appear. In this case, the one you just transferred will appear by following the instructions.
See the app
So far, you may have done everything right, but the application will not be seen in the Google TV interface with the others, so you may think that you have made a mistake in the process. There is no error if you have followed all the previous steps, but it simply will not appear as such if we do not install a launcher. There are many recommended launchers in the “Tools” section so make sure that the one you install is compatible with your specific version of the operating system, which may change depending on when you read these instructions.
Once you have it, you just have to run it and you will see the Google Chrome app on the screen and you can use the browser. You can connect a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse to the TV if you want to make browsing more comfortable.
Alternatives
If you have Android TV or Google TV on your television or in your “box” (it can be the Chromecast, for example) an alternative to see Chrome on the screen is to use the possibility of sending the content from another device. Just send it from your laptop, mobile phone, tablet. If you want someone to watch something on the big screen of the TV and not all together with the smartphone, this is a much faster alternative that does not involve installing anything. For example, if you are looking for flights for a trip with friends and you want everyone to see the search engine in a big way to follow the process, give their opinion or advise. In that case, you just have to make sure that your phone or your computer and the Smart TV are connected to the same WiFi network.
If so, go to the upper right corner of Google Chrome and tap on the three dots that you will find on your account profile photo. Here the browser settings or options menu will open and you will find “Send…”. Choose the device to which you want to send the browser screen. In this case, the Smart TV or the Chromecast. It will automatically be reflected on TV and they will be able to see what you are doing.
