How to Install Android TV on the Fire TV 2.

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This tutorial is broken down into numerous sections as there is a lot to do. You can jump to any section by clicking on it.

Section 6 - Install the XInstaller module.

There's a bit of debate about this particular program and if there isn't a better solution, and if you shouldn't at the least disable the module when you aren't actively using it, but I can't speak to any of that.

The Android TV program we installed is on Amazon's blacklist. So this XInstaller module allows us to disregard various system checks, and get around Amazon's walled garden and lets us do whatever we want. Even if that potentially means compromising system security.

Step 1

Download the XInstaller module here.

Step 2

Sideload the file to the Fire TV using adbLink. Click the Install APK button.

Select the file and click Open.

Step 3

Launch the Xposed Installer again.

Click on the three lines in the top left corner of the screen.

Click on Modules.

Click the check box to activate XInstaller.

Restart the Fire TV.

Step 4

Launch the XInstaller application. Go to Settings, Applications, Manage Installed Applications. Select XInstaller.

Select Launch application.

There are numerous menus in this application. Click on XInstaller first.

Make sure Expert mode is checked.

Press the back arrow and select Installations next.

In the Installations page, in the "Enable" section, check the boxes for:

Downgrading apps
Installing unknown apps

Then scroll down to the "Disable" section and check the boxes for:

Checking signatures
Checking signatures (F-Droid)
Forward locking
Verifying apps
Checking SDK version
Checking duplicated permissions

Press the back arrow and select the Misc page.

In the Misc page, in the "Enable" section, check the box for:

Debugging apps

Then scroll down to the "Disable" section and check the boxes for:

Checking permissions
Verifying JAR
Verifying signatures
Checking Lucky Patcher
Auto updating Google Play

You can now exit the program.

Section 7 - Upload and configure the TvSettings.apk.

Step 1

Download the TVSettings.apk from the thread that "Peleg" started.

Step 2

Copy the TvSettings.apk to your USB drive.

Restart the Fire TV.

Select Launch Recovery.

From the TWRP main menu select Advanced.

Select File Manager.

You should be at root (/). Scroll the list to usb and click it.

Click on TvSettings.apk.

Click Copy File.

Select the destination path. You should be back at root (/). Scroll down to sdcard and click it.

Click Select Current Folder.

Click the button with the three arrows on it right next to where it says Swipe to Confirm at the bottom. The process will start immediately.

Click the Home button and click Reboot.

Click System.

Step 3

If you don't have adbLink open, launch it and connect to your Fire TV. Then click the ADB Shell button.

A Terminal window will open. Enter su and then press enter.

su

In the Terminal you should now see the prompt root@sloane:/ # You are going to enter a series of commands one at a time and then press enter after each one.

Here's an example of what it looks like in the Terminal. There are no confirmations from the system when you enter these commands.

Here are the commands to enter.

mount -o rw,remount /system

mkdir /system/priv-app/TvSettings

chmod 755 /system/priv-app/TvSettings

chown root:root /system/priv-app/TvSettings

mv /sdcard/TvSettings.apk /system/priv-app/TvSettings/

cd /system/priv-app/TvSettings/

chown root:root TvSettings.apk

chmod 644 TvSettings.apk

reboot

Section 8 - Disable Amazon packages so that the Android TV launcher will be the default launcher.

If you want to revert back from Android TV to Fire TV, then undo the actions you take in this step.

There are two possible lists you can use to disable various packages on the Fire TV so that they don't interfere with Android TV. One list has only a couple items on it. The other lists has a lot more items on it. I'll provide both lists and you can decide which to use.

Step 1

If you don't have adbLink open, launch it. Then click the ADB Shell button.

A Terminal window will open. Enter su and then press enter.

su

In the Terminal you should now see the prompt root@sloane:/ #

You will be entering a series commands, one at a time and then pressing enter. Each time the Fire TV should confirm that a service has been disabled. Below is an example of some of the entries in the Terminal.

Here is the short list of commands to enter.

pm disable com.amazon.tv.launcher/.ui.HomeActivity_vNext

pm disable com.amazon.device.sale.service

reboot

Here is the longer list of commands to enter.

pm disable com.amazon.tv.launcher/.ui.HomeActivity_vNext

pm disable com.amazon.device.sale.service

pm disable com.amazon.precog

pm disable com.amazon.recess

pm disable com.amazon.whisperplay.contracts

pm disable com.amazon.bueller.photos

pm disable com.amazon.device.sync

pm disable com.amazon.webview

pm disable com.amazon.tv.csapp

pm disable com.amazon.videoads.app

pm disable com.amazon.kindle.cms

pm disable com.amazon.tcomm.client

pm disable com.amazon.client.metrics

pm disable com.amazon.acos.providers.UnifiedSettingsProvider

pm disable amazon.jackson19

pm disable com.amazon.ags.app

pm disable com.amazon.application.compatibility.enforcer

pm disable com.amazon.whisperplay.service.install

pm disable com.amazon.device.software.ota.override

pm disable com.amazon.avod

pm disable com.amazon.communication.discovery

pm disable com.amazon.device.sync.sdk.internal

pm disable com.amazon.bueller.music

pm disable com.amazon.application.compatibility.enforcer.sdk.library

reboot

So now what?

I'm working on a tutorial to add Google services under both Fire OS and Android TV. It comes from this tutorial over at AFTV News.com, and this thread over at XDA forums.

Update: While I can get the Google Play Store functioning, it still does not offer any recommendations on the home screen, so the top two-thirds of the screen still has nothing on it (as seen in the first picture below). If someone locates working and REPEATABLE instructions somewhere, please let me know so I can pass that information along here as well. Those two links above are both missing something from their instructions. Either that or their recommendations aren't functioning either.

Enjoy your Android TV!

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