The 10 Best Android TV Apps for 2023

Get the most entertainment out of your Android TV-compatible device

By
Tyler Hayes
Tyler Hayes
Tyler Hayes
Writer
Tyler Hayes is a former Lifewire writer covering Apple, Google, Spotify, and more. Tyler has written for Fast Company, Digital Trends, and Paste, and others.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on January 1, 2023

Android TV is an alternative to Apple TV and offers a way to gets apps onto any capable TV set. Here are the best Android TV apps you should consider adding to your TV.

01
of 10
youtube interface
What We Like

  • Easy to navigate.

  • Account access for all subscriptions.

What We Don't Like

  • Updates have caused crashing in the past.

  • Not full featured.

YouTube is the most ubiquitous video platform and should be on every TV. The Android TV app is more limited compared to the website, but it features bigger buttons that are easy to navigate with a remote from your couch. YouTube should be one of your first downloads on your Android TV device.

02
of 10

Turn Your TV Into a Jukebox: Spotify

Spotify tv app
What We Like

  • Proper music experience straight from Spotify.

  • Free and premium versions supported.

  • Can use Phone as remote.

What We Don't Like

  • Limited features compared to mobile app.

  • No podcasts.

Having a real Spotify app on your TV through an Android TV app is a simple way to play your music through your expensive home theater speakers. It features large album artwork for a screensaver-like effect. Spotify on your TV is similar to other Spotify apps in that you can sign in and have all your albums and playlists displayed. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other apps, like a sleep timer.

03
of 10

Entertain and Educate Your Children: PBS Kids Video

abs kids promo
What We Like

  • Free shows.

  • Educational videos.

  • Live and recorded shows available.

What We Don't Like

  • Not all episodes are always available.

It's not be for those without little kids in the house, but for those with little kids, the PBS Kids app is easily one of the best available. It features free recorded TV shows and a live stream of current programming. The one downside is not all episodes are always available, but it's hard to complain about free, educational videos that keep kids engaged.

04
of 10

Browse the Web on Your TV: Google Chrome

chrome browser
What We Like

  • Best web browser for nearly any device.

  • Translates websites.

  • Syncs passwords and history.

What We Don't Like

  • Tricker to install than other apps.

Google Chrome may seem like an odd choice, but having a web browser on your TV can provide access to basically anything else you’d like to do. Chrome works well on a TV despite being a little slow to control. Go shopping, stream any video service (even those without an official app) and much more.

The trickiest part is getting it installed, but anyone should be able to do it. Just navigate to the Chrome download page on a computer, select Install, then choose your Android TV as the download destination.

05
of 10

Watch People Play Games: Twitch

twitch tv app

 Twitch
What We Like

  • No sign up required.

  • Can follow and chat from TV.

  • Free to watch.

What We Don't Like

  • Takes longer to navigate than the website.

With the Twitch Android TV app, all those Twitch streams are now available on your TV. Everything from Fortnite to casino slots are available to watch people play.

The nice thing about the Twitch Android TV app is once you download it, you can start watching right away without logging in. You'll need to sign up if you want to chat or follow people, but there's a nice code given so you can link the TV app from your phone or computer for easier typing.

06
of 10

Stream Your Own Movies and Music: Plex

flex app interface
What We Like

  • Attractive interface.

  • Intuitive controls.

  • Easy streaming from other personal devices.

What We Don't Like

  • Some features, like user controls, aren't free.

  • You need to provide the media.

Plex is one of the most popular media storage and sharing services around and for good reason. The Android TV app is a great example of Plex's all-around attractive interface and easy-to-use navigation. You first download Plex on the device you're storing your personal media—like movies and photos—and Plex handles the rest. You can then access it from any other device, including an Android TV.

07
of 10

Keep Up With the News: Washington Post

Washington post video
What We Like

  • Videos of news stories.

  • Lots of available content.

  • Professional videos.

What We Don't Like

  • App is a bit rough around the edges.

While some news apps try to include text stories for news, the Washington Post Android TV app focuses on videos. These are professional videos of relevant news, so you can be sure it will be high quality. That said, while the content is fantastic, the app itself could use a bit of polish to make it as attractive as other apps on the TV.

08
of 10

Never Get Caught in the Rain: AccuWeather

accuweather app
What We Like

  • Easy-to-read information.

  • All weather information available.

  • Advanced controls for customization.

  • Light and dark themes.

What We Don't Like

  • Some occasional sluggishness.

AccuWeather is one of the most used weather condition apps on mobile devices, and it works well on the TV too. The app's main screen features a big, easy-to-read temperature reading, hourly forecast, daily forecast, maps, and weather videos. You can dig into the hourly forecast to display all the common weather items like humidity, dew point, wind speed, and UV index. AccuWeather on Android TV covers all the basics and loads relevant information quickly.

09
of 10

Play Videos on an External Device: VLC

vlc interface
What We Like

  • Versatile codec support.

  • Completely free with no ads.

  • Open source.

What We Don't Like

  • It is not as attractive as other Android TV apps.

More than anything, VLC player is a necessary app to cover your video-playing needs. Chances are your Android TV can accept USB drives or storage devices of some sort, but if your TV or Android TV doesn't know how to play the file format of a stored file, you may be out of luck.

VLC player has been such a highly regarded app for so many years because of its ability to play nearly any type of file format. It may not be the prettiest Android TV app, but it gets the job done whenever you need it.

10
of 10

Listen to the Radio on Your TV: iHeartRadio

iheartradio app interface
​
What We Like

  • Access to terrestrial radio stations.

  • Free music streaming.

  • Podcasts available.

What We Don't Like

  • Music curation not as good as Spotify.

If you want music on your TV set, but don't want to use Spotify, there's always iHeartRadio. Even if you do like Spotify, you may want to get this Android TV app to get over-the-air radio stations into your living room.

While the Pandora or Spotify-like streaming curation doesn't produce the same kind of serendipitous feeling, the iHeartRadio app is full-featured and even includes the ability to listen to podcasts.

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