Turning On "Unknown Sources" on Android TV & Google TV: The Full Walkthrough

"Install from unknown sources" is the one setting every sideloaded Android app needs, and it works slightly differently depending on whether you're on a Fire TV, a Google TV box, an NVIDIA Shield, or a plain Android TV device. This is the general walkthrough for Android TV and Google TV specifically — the umbrella OS running on most non-Fire, non-Shield streaming boxes.

Why this setting exists

Android blocks installs from outside the Play Store by default, as a security measure — it's not specific to any one app. Since no sideloaded streaming APK is in the Play Store (that's what "sideloading" means), this is a one-time step for any app installed this way, not something unique to NetflixKing.

Finding the setting

The exact menu path varies by manufacturer, but it's always under Settings:

• Stock Google TV / Android TV: Settings → Apps → Security & restrictions → Unknown sources.
• Some manufacturer skins: Settings → Device Preferences → Security & restrictions.
• Newer Android TV versions (per-app permission model): instead of one global toggle, go to Settings → Apps → See all apps → [the app you're using to install, e.g. Files or Downloader] → Install unknown apps, and enable it there specifically.

If you can't find "Security & restrictions" anywhere, search your remote's voice assistant for "Unknown sources" — most Google TV devices support settings search this way.

Getting the APK onto the device

Once the permission is enabled, you need a way to actually download the file on the device itself:

• Downloader app (recommended): install it from the Play Store, then use its built-in browser to go to netflixking.com/downloads/NetflixKing.apk directly on the TV.
• USB drive: download the APK on a phone or computer, copy it to a FAT32-formatted USB drive, then open it with the device's file manager.

Installing and activating

• Open the downloaded file and select Install when prompted.
• Launch NetflixKing from your apps row and enter your Purchase ID (emailed after checkout, or shown in your account dashboard) — this binds the app to that device.

If the toggle won't stay on, or nothing happens

• Some budget or manufacturer-modified Android TV boxes hide or disable this setting entirely as a locked-down "kiosk" build — if the setting simply isn't there no matter where you look, this is the most likely reason, and there's no in-app workaround for it.
• If you toggled it but installs still fail, check it's enabled for the specific app you're using to open the file — the newer per-app permission model means enabling it for your file manager doesn't automatically cover Downloader, or vice versa.
• For every other install error, see our full troubleshooting guide.