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When you finally purchase your first LG Smart TV, the next question that will pop in mind is how to install 3rd party apps on LG Smart TV. Smart TVs are gradually taking over regular television in our homes and changing the ways we interact with our TVs — this is all thanks to the smartphone technology system.
The introduction of smartphone technology has given birth to several other smart devices and smart television is just one of them. Amazingly, smart TVs have now become an integral part of our lives and they work just like the smartphone — the only difference is one is a portable device.
With smart TVs, You can watch movies, watch your favorite TV shows, play games, visit your social media accounts, use a browser, install apps, and do lots more. See our list of top 10 Smart TVs for Bright Room. Companies like LG, Samsung, and Sony are some of the big brands that produce these smart TVs — however, they are not responsible for producing most of the apps that run on them — they are usually third-party apps. This is why I am going to help you understand how to install 3rd party apps on LG Smart TV.
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of installing 3rd party apps on LG smart TVs, let’s first understand what the LG webOS is.
What is LG WebOS?
webOS, also known as LG webOS was previously known as Open webOS, HP webOS, and Palm WebOS. It is a Linux kernel-based multitasking operating system for smart devices such as smart TVs. it was originally intended for mobile operating systems but due to its slow nature and inability to handle more than one application at once, it was over throned by iOS and Android OS. the original version was developed by Palm, Inc. — which was later acquired by Hewlett-Packard. HP made the platform open source, leading to Open webOS.
LG Electronics later bought the operating system (Open webOS) and then made it a primary operating system for the LG smart TVs succeeding the LG Netcast.
Since then, various versions of WebOS are now featured on several LG devices like LG’s smart TVs in 2014, and LG’s smart refrigerators and smart projectors in 2017.
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Now that we understand what smart TV the WebOS is, here is how to install 3rd party apps on LG Smart TV —- You can use any of the methods listed below.
Ways of installing third-party apps on your LG smart TV
Before we look at ways we can install third-party apps on LG smart TVs, let’s work you through how to use the inbuilt LG WebOS for app installation. LG Content Store provides several apps and all LG smart TV comes with an inbuilt LG Content Store where you can access all their supported apps — these apps that can be found in the content store includes games, entertainment, education, lifestyle, news, and info. To access LG WebOS, make sure your television is connected to the internet.
1. Using LG WebOS
Installing apps using the LG content store:
- Press the Home button from your remote
- The menu/more app icon located at the bottom of your TV screen will appear.
- Navigate through the menu and locate the LG Content Store, press to open the content store.
- On the content store home, you will see four different column options which include the Premium icon, Apps and Games, etc.
- Press the Apps icon, and various apps will be displayed.
- Now, select the app you want to install from the list of available apps and click on the Download button.
- Once the download is successful, press the Install button to run the app.
- Once it is successfully installed, launch the app, and it’ll appear on the installed apps list or home screen.
This is the easiest and the recommended method to install apps on LG Smart TV.
As stated above, using the LG content to install apps is the best and recommended method —- however, If you want to install 3rd party apps that are not available on the LG content store, let’s see how to do that below.
Before we proceed with these methods, it is important to note that LG’s WebOS does not allow 3rd party app installations. This is not an Android or iOS device, so you can’t access the App Store or Google Play Store and you cannot also sideload APK files.
Since sideloading apps on an LG smart TV is not possible, how do you install these 3rd party apps?
Here are some ways to unlock more available or hidden apps and use them on your LG Smart TV.
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As mentioned earlier, you can download only the apps provided by the LG content store, however, if you want to use third-party apps on your LG Smart TV, we recommend using Firestick or Google Chromecast.
A lot of people do this because they may not find what they are looking for in WebOS apps, so it is ideal for installing a third-party app.
Most of the latest innovative LG smart TV models now allow users to stream and use content from third parties. Some of the LG smart models that allow you to stream third-party content include LG OLED, Nano Cell, and UHD TV.
Let’s see how we can use these third-party apps.
1. Install 3rd Party Apps Using Amazon Fire Stick
If you have been searching for how to install 3rd party apps on LG smart TV, then here is a great option for you. With the Amazon Fire Stick, you can easily install third-party apps on your LG smart TV even if you’re a new user. Follow the steps below to navigate through the Fire Stick menu.
Using Amazon Fire Stick is probably one of the most effective methods of installing 3r part apps on LG smart TVs.
- For you to use this method, you need to buy a Firestick from Amazon
- You will also need a USB cable connected to both an adapter and the Firestick.
- To connect the USB cable, plug one end into the adapter and the other end into the Amazon Firestick
- Once it is successfully connected, carefully locate the HDMI port on your LG smart TV and plug in the Firestick to that port.
- Then turn on your LG TV, and click on the source setting from your TV remote control.
- Next, once the television is open, navigate to the input menu and change your HDMI source to Amazon Firestick and click on it to turn on Firestick. Now the connection should be successfully done. Always ensure that all devices are connected using Wi-Fi.
- Now that all connection is successfully done, the next thing is to open the web browser on the TV, locate the APK file of the apps you want, and download and install the apps.
- With this method, you can simply install any 3rd party app you want and enjoy it on your LG Smart TV
Hope this method works for you, however, it is recommended that you enable ADB debugging and unknown sources.
To do this, open the Developer option in your TV’s settings and enable it.
How to Install 3rd Part Apps on LG Smart TV: Using LG SmartShare
Another way you can install 3rd party apps on your LG smart TV is by using LG SmartShare. The LG SmartShare is an inbuilt screen share system in recent LG Smart TVs that allows you to screencast from any device (eg: Android, PC) to your TV screen.
Note that the screencast option is not available in MAC OS at the moment since the iOS devices do not support it for now.
Here is how you can set up your LG SmartShare:
With the below setup, you should be able to stream or use 3rd party apps on your LG Smart TV.
- To get started, ensure that your TV comes with the latest LG technology and has the screen share option.
- To check if your LG Smart TV has the option, click on the home button on your LG remote, navigate the list of the home menus or more apps pop up. You should see the Screen Share app. If you see the app, it means your LG TV is up and ready.
- Now that the option is available, the next thing is to ensure that the device and your LG TV are connected to the same WiFi.
- Once they are connected, the next thing will be to find and locate the LG SmartShare app on your LG TV ( This is the same as the Screen Share App). To find the app, click the menu button on your remote, and navigate the app’s options to locate the screen share app.
- Once you open the app on your LG Smart TV, locate and press the Listening Mode button on the screen to activate it — the button is found at the top right of the screen.
- Once the listening mode is on, look for the Screen sharing or mirroring option on your Android device and activate it. — The screen sharing or mirroring option is always found in the settings of your devices. — So, go to setting and locate the option.
- Once the screen sharing option is enabled, you will some nearby wireless devices asking to be paired or connected. The one you should be interested in should be your LG Smart TV device, click on that device from the list.
- Hurray, your phone should be streaming to your LG TV by now. You can now stream your favorite app on your LG TV — watch movies, play games (PS, NFS, etc), and do a whole lot.
3. How to Install 3rd Part Apps on LG Smart TV: Using Google Chromecast
Just in case you are looking for more ways to enable 3rd party apps on your LG Smart TV, I have got the Google Chromecast method for you.
Using Google Chromecast is another method you can use to install WebOS third-party apps on your LG TV. With Google Chromecast, you can access all content from any platform like Google Play Store, Netflix, and YouTube, including other popular apps.
- The following steps below will show you how you can install 3rd party apps on your LG Smart TV and how you can also stream your devices on LG TV
- For you to get the process right, the most important aspect is to ensure that you have connected an adapter to Google Chromecast using a USB. — You can do this by locating the connector
- Once all is connected, the next is to plug the Chromecast into the HDMI port of your LG Smart TV. — always ensure that the Android, iOS, or PC device you are using and your LG Smart TV are connected to the same internet network.
- Note, if you’re using a mobile device or PC to connect to Google Chromecast, you will need the Google Home app on your device. So, go to the Google Play store, download and install the app.
- Once that is done, use the source button on your LG TV remote control to select HDMI as your TV source. Launch the Google Home app on your mobile or PC device. You may be required to sign in to your Google account to continue.
- Once you are signed in, the app will start searching for nearby Chromecast devices. If your device is successfully recognized, a code will be displayed on both devices ( The TV and your Mobile/PC device screen). Ensure that the codes displayed match on both platforms before clicking “That’s my code” in the app.
- To complete the process, you’ll be required to enter the name of the Chromecast device. — input the name and press continue to start streaming your desired apps to your LG Smart TV.
Hurray, you should have completed the whole process by now and can stream your desired app on your LG TV.
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Note that some apps may not be compatible with Chromecast. So make sure to check for apps that are compatible with this method such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube, Google Play, etc.
Now that you have learned how to install 3rd party apps on LG Smart TV, let’s see how you can access 3rd party apps that are only available to another country.
Accessing 3rd party apps only available to other countries
LG is an international company and they provide products and services to cover a wide range of countries. However, not all the apps found on the LG content store are available in the same country. Some apps that are available in your country may not be available in another country and vice versa.
But you can still access those apps not available in your country. The only way to do this is to change the settings of your television.
Below are the following steps you can use.
- Go to your TV settings by pressing the menu button on the remote of your LG TV
- Click the gear or Setting icon, and press the All Setting icon.
- All the options available will be displayed; select General to open.
- Locate and click the Location icon, then select the LG Services Country icon.
- Here, you can now enter the country you prefer to receive apps from and press okay.
- Your LG Smart TV will automatically restart after choosing a new language.
- Once your LG TV is now turned on, go to the setting or open the home menu to see the list of already installed apps. You will notice that the apps that are available are now changed.
How to Uninstall Apps from Your LG Smart TV
After learning how to install 3rd party apps on LG Smart TV, you should also know how to uninstall apps from your LG Smart TV.
Uninstalling apps from your LG Smart TV comes in handy — there are times you may incidentally install an app you didn’t plan to, or you found out that you don’t like the app you have just installed. So, how do you uninstall it?
Here is how: Follow the steps below to uninstall unwanted apps from your LG TV.
- Press the home button on your remote, you’ll see the list of all installed apps on the app menu.
- Once the app menu appears, navigate to the end and locate the pen icon, click to enter edit mode.
- On the edit mode, you will see a prompt message “To change the location of an app, select an app, move it to the desired place, and press the ok button on your remote. To delete an app, select X over the app you want to delete”. Once you are done, click on done.
- If you click on delete, a pop-up message will appear to confirm the deletion.
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FAQs on How to Install 3rd Party Apps on LG Smart TV
Can I install APK on LG Smart TV?
To answer this question, you should know that Smart TVs such as SAMSUNG
LG, VIZIO, and PANASONIC are not android enabled devices, running android APK files on them will require a fire stick, you can see the procedure above. The only Smart TVs that are android-based are PHILIPS, SHARP, and SONY — you can install android APKs on them directly
Why won’t my LG TV install apps?
This issue could be caused by an unstable network connection, try to check your network connection. You could also restart your router, modem, and TV. Check if other devices are interfering with the network. You could also try connecting your Smart TV using Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi.
Does LG TV have a Google Play store?
LG Smart TVs do not have Google Play Store enabled —they have their own app store known as the Content Store. LG has made it possible for you to find your favorite apps in the Content Store. In the store, you can find apps that can handle all your favorite television shows, movies, and games.
What apps are available on an LG Smart TV?
The Content Store has a huge list of apps including gaming, news, social media apps, and so on. Some of them are mentioned below.
- Netflix.
- Hulu.
- YouTube.
- Amazon Video.
- HDR Content.
Can I install Chrome on LG Smart TV?
No, you can’t. Chrome can only be installed on TVs that are Android base such as Sony. Other Smart TVs, such as Samsung or LG, will require some techniques. However, you can stream to a smart TV from other devices that are Chrome-enabled devices.
Conclusion
This is the age of smart technology and smart devices, thankfully, the television sectors are not being left out. Companies such as LG, Samsung, Sony, Sharp, Philips, and the rest have all adopted smart technology by creating Smart televisions.
These smart TV technologies help us interact better with our television and one of the things that provide that great interaction is the applications that come with them.
This is why it is also important you know how to get these apps installed on your TV. Some are easy to install since they are provided in the content store by LG, but the store does not provide all the apps you may need, hence the need for a workaround. Following our practical step-by-step guide here, you should be able to enjoy watching and streaming several apps on your LG TV without any difficulty.
Always ensure your TV and devices are connected to smart WiFi to have the best user experience.
