{"id":21458,"date":"2017-05-22T16:58:58","date_gmt":"2017-05-22T11:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/?p=21458"},"modified":"2017-05-22T16:58:58","modified_gmt":"2017-05-22T11:28:58","slug":"10-cool-android-tv-tips-and-tricks-to-enhance-your-tv-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/10-cool-android-tv-tips-and-tricks-to-enhance-your-tv-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Cool Android TV Tips and Tricks to Enhance Your TV Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

Android TVs are awesome and with Android TV boxes like the Mi Box, the cost of having an Android TVs is also greatly reduced. The Mi Box can be\u00a0easily set up, and gives you all the freedom of the Android environment. However, while there are some various features used in the Android\u00a0TV, there are some obscure features inserted away in the platform.<\/p>\n

1.Sideload Apps on Android TV<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

There are\u00a0lot of apps\u00a0available for the Android TV, the selection of apps available in the Android TV\u00a0Play Store can be quite limited at times. Particularly when it comes to utility apps we may need to have on your TV. Fortunately, we can easily sideload\u00a0Android apps on your Android TV.<\/p>\n

To sideload apps on your Android TV, we can simply\u00a0download the APK\u00a0file<\/strong>\u00a0to your computer,\u00a0copy it to a USB\u00a0flash drive<\/strong>. Then, simply attach the USB drive to your Android TV, and use an app like ES File Explorer, to\u00a0install the APK on your TV.<\/p>\n

\"10<\/p>\n

If attaching a USB flash drive is not\u00a0a viable option for you, you can even\u00a0use FTP to\u00a0sideload Android apps\u00a0on\u00a0your Android TV.<\/p>\n[ad type=”banner”]\n

2.Use Your Mobile Phone as the Remote for Android TV<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Android TV boxes come with\u00a0really remotes. The Mi Box comes with a really nice, lightweight, and smooth remote. But, these Bluetooth remotes can only go so far when it comes to ease of use, particularly when you want to type text on your TV. Google has an \u201cAndroid TV Remote Control<\/strong>\u201d app (free<\/a><\/strong><\/span>), that you can use to get a\u00a0remote interface on your mobile<\/strong>. With a\u00a0Bluetooth\/WiFi connection<\/strong>\u00a0between your TV, and phone, you can easily navigate the interface through\u00a0your\u00a0Android phone.<\/p>\n

\"10<\/p>\n

The best thing is that when you want to enter text on the Android TV, you can\u00a0use the on-screen keyboard in your mobile<\/strong>\u00a0which is definitely much faster than using the Lean back keyboard.<\/p>\n

3.Use Android TV as a Computer<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

If you can use your Android TV as a computer. After all, it does\u00a0pack enough power<\/strong>\u00a0to serve as a basic browsing machine, along with some lightweight gaming, and word processing. Which is quite a lot, considering that Android TV boxes go for as low as\u00a0$70.<\/p>\n

You can just\u00a0connect a\u00a0Bluetooth keyboard and mouse<\/strong>\u00a0to your Android TV box, and you\u2019re all set. Use the cursor to point and click, and the keyboard to quickly type, and there you have it, an easy to set up Android powered computer, right in your living room, on the biggest screen you have. In addition, with Bluetooth peripherals, you can sit wherever you need, and use your computer with ease.<\/p>\n

4.Take Screenshots on Android\u00a0TV<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The Android TV platform is\u00a0great for casual gaming<\/strong>, due to the fact that even affordable Android TV boxes, like the Mi Box can easily handle most games. So, what if you\u2019re playing Leo\u2019s Fortune\u00a0on your Android TV, and need to share somewhat really cool with a friend. Screenshots are the way to go! Fortunately, you can easily take screenshots on Android TVs as well, and the\u00a0process is exactly the same as it\u2019s on\u00a0every Android device<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Just\u00a0press and hold the Power button, and the\u00a0volume down button<\/strong>\u00a0at the same time to take a screenshot of your Android TV. The\u00a0screenshots are saved in \u201c\/sdcard\/Pictures\/Screenshots\/\u201d<\/strong>, so you can easily access them later.<\/p>\n[ad type=”banner”]\n

5.Customize the Recommendations Carousel<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Android TV, as a platform, tries very hard to always have something new for us to watch. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage and\u00a0while some people\u00a0may\u00a0like the \u201cRecommendations\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0that Android TV offers, you don\u2019t want to see recommendations from just about every pre-installed source on my\u00a0Android TV. Fortunately, there\u2019s an\u00a0easy way to customize the sources<\/strong>\u00a0that show up in the recommendations carousel on your Android TV.<\/p>\n

To do this, just follow the below steps:<\/p>\n