On these pages, we often talk about Kodi, both when it receives updates and in some of our guides, and despite being a rife program, maybe someone may never have had the opportunity to use it and therefore may have missed something. We are here to make up for it. In fact, this article will explain what it is, how Kodi works in 2022, and how to use it on different occasions, such as with the Fire Stick or the app.
What Is Kodi
Before explaining how to use Kodi, it is best to clarify what it is. Kodi is free, open-source software for managing your local collection of movies, TV shows, music, and photos. It was formerly known as the Xbox Media Player and later as the Xbox Media Center ( XBMC ). Used in this way, Kodi builds on existing media, so it’s not an alternative to video streaming services like Netflix, Disney + or NOW, or music streaming apps like Spotify.
Its strength and great utility are given by the support for different types of files and compatibility with many devices, from PC to smartphones or tablets, passing through Android boxes, making it the perfect central hub to control all your digital media. That said, the incredible versatility of Kodi and its open source nature allow it to enormously expand its potential thanks to add-ons such as plug-ins and add-ons, which will enable it to stream copyrighted content such as movies or shows. Television makes it an illegal tool or, in any case, a means of committing crimes.
How Do You Use Kodi?
To use Kodi, you must first install it on a device. As we saw in the paragraph above, Kodi is compatible with many operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux, Android (also TV), iOS, and Raspberry Pi (RPi). On some platforms, such as macOS, Windows, and Android, installing Kodi is very easy.
Download the installation package or the app, while it is a bit more complicated for others like iOS or RPi. With Kodi, you can sync your media libraries across multiple devices using supported add-ons or a local network and set up a dedicated media player with your library in each room. Let’s see how to install Kodi.
Install Kodi
The official site provides all the links for the various operating systems.
- For Windows, you can go directly to the Microsoft Store or click on the Installer of your choice after selecting Windows from the page above. If you have chosen this option, once you have downloaded the file, click on it twice and follow the on-screen procedure to install Kodi.
- For Mac, click on macOS and then on Installer (64-bit). At the end of the download, click on the .dmg file and move Kodi. App to the apps folder to install the program.
- For Linux, you can install Kodi from your distribution’s repositories.
- For Android, go to the Play Store and then click Install.
- For iOS, you need to jailbreak and install the app with Cydia.
Once Kodi is installed, you can start using it. Start the app (on the Mac, you may have to give consent since it has not been installed from the App Store). As you will see, Kodi will start on full screen, with a straightforward interface that puts content to the fore, perfect for home theater.
Kodi Interface
On the left side of the interface, you will find a vertical panel that lists all the contents
- Movie
- TV series
- Music
- Music video
- TV
- Radio
- Games
- Add-on
- Images
- Video
- Favorites
- Weather forecast
At the top, you will find the button to turn off the server, the Settings, and the search. On some operating systems, the easiest way to return to the previous menu is to press the Esc key on the keyboard. When you are inside the Settings, at the bottom left, you will find an icon with the word Standard or Advanced. You can choose how many settings to access if you click on it. The options are:
- Base
- Standard
- Advanced
- Expert
The base will have fewer options, while the Expert will have many more to configure. As we have said, Kodi is perfect for viewing content on TV or, in any case, on a large screen so that you will find the interface, with large folders, easily navigable even (and above all) from the remote control. The first thing you will want to do is change the language.
- Click on the gear icon at the top (Settings)
- Click on Interface settings
- From the left panel, select Regional
- Click on Language
- Select English from the list
- From Regional, choose Keyboard Layout
- Select QWERTY
- Click OK
At first, while experimenting with Kodi, you may want to create a user profile, so you can delete it and recreate another one in case some setting doesn’t work for you (instead of looking for where the problem lies). To do it
- From the main menu, click on Settings (gear icon at the top)
- Click on Profiles
- Select Profiles
- Click Add Profile
- Please enter a name
- Click OK
You can add a profile picture and set a password with Lock preferences if you want. Once the new profile has been set, you can choose whether to start from scratch, with Start over, or use the current settings by clicking on Copy default. Now you can customize Kodi with the new profile. To do this, click on General and choose which profile to start Kodi automatically or show the various shapes to select.
In the latter case, turn on the switch next to the Show login screen at startup. At first, while experimenting with Kodi, you may want to create a user profile, so you can delete it and recreate another one in case some setting doesn’t work for you (instead of looking for where the problem lies). To do it
- From the main menu, click on Settings (gear icon at the top)
- Click on Profiles
- Select Profiles
- Click Add Profile
- Please enter a name
- Click OK
You can add a profile picture and set a password with Lock preferences if you want. Once the new profile has been set, you can choose whether to start from scratch, with Start over, or use the current settings by clicking on Copy default. Now you can customize Kodi with the new profile. To do this, click on General and choose which profile to start Kodi automatically or show the various shapes to select. In the latter case, turn on the switch next to the Show login screen at startup. If you want, you can customize the look by changing the Skin. Find the option from the central menu
- Click on Settings
- Select Interface
- From the left panel, choose Skin
- Click on More …
- Select the Skin you prefer and wait for the installation
- If you want, you can further customize it with the controls below.
Multimedia Content
Now you can add your multimedia content. Kodi will understand your content, but you must “tell” it where it is to set up a collection. Let’s start with Film, and then the rest will be the same.
- From the main menu, select Movies from the left panel.
- Click Insert File Section
- If you don’t see a match, click Add Video …
- Click on Explore
- Choose the source of your multimedia content. It can also be a NAS, a network drive, or other. To set them, follow the instructions on the screen.
- Select the new path
- Click OK
- You can choose a name.
- Click OK
You can repeat the procedure to set more sources and then for the other cards such as TV series, music, images, and all those you want. If you don’t want to see a section from the left panel, click Remove this item from the main menu. Now you can access the various contents simply by selecting the type of content.
How Kodi Works On Fire Stick
Installing Kodi on Amazon Fire TV Stick is not as simple as installing the program on a computer or Android smartphone. You have to do some operations. Let’s see how to do it. How to install Kodi on Fire Stick. Enable installation from unknown sources:
- On the Home, go to Settings (gear icon)
- Click on My Fire TV
- Click on Developer Options
- Click on Debug ADB and turn the switch to ON
- Click on Install unknown apps
- Turn the switch to ON
Now install the Downloader app.
- Launch the Fire TV Stick
- Go to the app store by pressing the Home button on the remote control and selecting the icon with three squares on the right.
- Click on Downloader
- Click on Download
You can now install Kodi on Amazon Fire TV Stick.
- Launch the Downloader app from Applications & Games
- Give consent to access multimedia content
- Click OK
- Go to Enter a URL or Search Team
- Press the select button on the remote control
- Enter Https://kodi.tv/download
- Click on Go
- Select Android and press the confirm button
- Select the version of your Fire Stick :
- ARMV7A (32-bit): Non-4K Fire Stick
- ARMV8A (64-bit): Fire Stick 4K
- Once the download is complete, click Install
- In the end, click on Finish
- The report in Developer Options Unknown Sources and ADB Debugging OFF
Now you can use Kodi as described in the paragraph above. The interface is the same; you can interact directly from the remote control.
How To Use The Kodi App
As we initially saw, Kodi can also be installed on mobile devices such as Android and iOS. For iOS, the process is a bit more complicated, as it involves jailbreaking the device and installing Kodi via Cydia. For Android, however, it is elementary, as the Kodi app is on the Play Store. Install the app from the Play Store and launch it. Now the Kodi interface will open. The operation is in all respects the same as seen in the previous paragraphs, so go back to How to use Kodi to see the app’s various features.
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