How to add files to Firesticks...

…or any device on your home network a pc (windows or ubuntu as I have), I have checked this method will also work on a Mac etc, but as I dont have a Mac to do all the write up, you should understand the folder sharing part and then follow the rest of the guide.

I originally did this to help with a specific issue with FireTV Stick – but did this write up using a FireTV Box. It can be used on any devices you use for Kodi, providing you have a pc of some sort from which to share a folder.  It goes without saying that the devices need to be Android to utilise the ES File Explorer for the initial install. However, once installed, the folder share method will work for any device using Kodi as a means to get zips, images etc across.

Create Folder Share

The first thing is to use your pc and create a folder with no password or restrictions. The images here show Windows method, but I use Ubuntu so I know this works too (right click and share properties, guest access for people with no user account).

• Create a folder (right click – create folder – choose a name), I choose Firestick.


• Then right click the folder and select “Properties”

Then you need to give “everyone” permission to use the folder. Yes you can put a password on if you like – however, you will need to enter that on Kodi when prompted – I have omitted for ease of presentation here.

Now you can simply download the Kodi apk file, any apks you want to install on your device, or in fact any zips, like Sports Devil etc. You could put pretty much anything in here you want to either install or move to your device – this is a great way for Firesticks or installing to boxed without using a USB etc.

So we have a folder on our PC and we have shared it out onto our local network by sharing “Everyone” – dont panic this wont be visible from the internet – but will be visible to any device on your home network – so dont be adding things on your kids might find for instance!

Android Kodi Install

I have already said I did this for users to help with a Firestick installs and maintenance, but used the same method on FireTV box to produce this tutorial – this can be done with ANY android devices. I show this using ES File Explorer – which on FireTV devices is available from the store – boxes with no store to download from may require you to add via USB first.

Setting Up The FireTV Device

The fires thing we need to do is set the options to allow us install Kodi and other apps not available in the Store options.

• To do this scroll to Settings > System (all the way to the bottom then across)


• Scroll down to Developer Options

You will need to change the settings as you see below. You will get a warning about “Unknown sources” but panic ye not, we need it set to install Kodi.

OK thats the prep for install done – now we need to head back to the home menu – home button will do.

Install ES File Explorer

I have seen several methods of doing this but I found the easiest was just to look in the free apps section – find ESFE and hit install. Some say search for the name (didnt work for me) others have some bizarre options – but simply look in apps section.

• Click Download


• Wait for the buttons to change to show its downloaded


• Click Install


• Click Open

• Left hand menu – scroll to Network – click


• navigate round the left menu to the bottom

• Click Scan


• Wait…forever (5-10m)

ES FE will now scan the network for devices it recognises – it felt like it took 30 minutes rather about 5, it really did feel slow for some reason. Patience.

Eventually, some hours later, you will see this screen – a list of devices – ok I have messed about with mine to give them names – but you will see a list of devices with their default names, you “should” recognise them!

The two i want here are “Envy” (Ubuntu HP Envy) and “White” (Windows HP White laptop) – I have two i can use as I tested this worked on Ubunut and Windows – but you want to pick out the name of your laptop (usually named by default).

You can see in the above pic, I chose my laptop (Envy) and this brought up a list of folders shared – which shows the Folder I created and shared earlier – FireStick_U.

You may see other folders if you have other shares setuyp – just choose the new folder you put the Kodi.apk in or the files you want to move over.

OK my files are here – Kodi and ares wizard zip file. Lets install Kodi.

• Click Kodi.apk file

So ESFE will now pull the apk across on the device, when its done you will see this prompt;

• Click Install

If you see an error, such as the one shown below- you skipped the Develop Settings at the start – so you need to rewind and go do that now or Kodi will not install.

OK – so we have Kodi installed. If you have the old firmware, prior to the 5.0.5.1_user_5371755205.0.5.1_user_537175520 update, then Kodi wont appear in the recent apps area. Its also worth noting that the very popular Firestarter app is blocked in the latest  5.1 update.

You will stil have to scroll down to settings, scroll along to applications and then to Manager Installed Applications to launch Kodi the first time and thus it will then show in your “Recent Apps”

So thats Kodi installed – but we still have a use for that shared folder we created. This can be added to Kodi file manager sources to allow us to pass over files into Kodi – like zips, images and so on.

Lets add the shared folder to Kodi sources now. Launch Kodi;

• Click File Manager

• Double Click Add Source

• Click Browse

• Click Windows Network (SMB)

OK – on my images i have two “Windows Workgroups” – however “should” see only one. Its no big deal – just click to look where the PC is listed – I am looking for “ENVY” if you recall. I need to click on WORKGROUP here –

Here I can see ENVY device is listed – showing us that we have share that we can use on this device. This is the firestick folder we made earlier and used to do the Kodi install.

• Click your device name

• Click Folder Name (Here mine is Firestick_U)

• Then Click OK.

You can then name the source if you wish, then click ok. This is now available as a data source for Kodi. If you use the “install from zip” option and browse this source it will show you any zip files there.

You can of course use the “double” window in Kodi file manager, choose the source on left hand side as Firestick_U share (or whatever your called it ) and then select a destination on the right hand side, which could be an image folder for instance. If you now right click on the file you want to move from the PC

Yes the more astute of you will see I am actually copying from a linux pc to a windows PC using an android Fire TV box running Kodi to do it. That is the versatility of using Kodi file manager with SMB shares from Laptops or PCs.

Its a bit long – but I wanted to show a practical example, one that use the basic stuff we have to hand, without digging into IP address, ADB commands and other geeky stuff which leaves most beginners cold.

 

How to add files to Firesticks...