Kodi is a very versatile and open-source media streaming solution. The successor to Xbox Media Center (XBMC), Kodi is an efficient tool for organizing and playing your favorite media content. Like a lot of open-source software, Kodi comes with a ton of documentation and extensive community support, but the software can still be a bit tricky to set up and use. Our guide walks you through the basics, including installation, updates, libraries, add-ons, and customizations.

First, let me clear up some misconceptions about Kodi. Official Kodi software is perfectly legal. Kodi does not come with any content; you add files that you legally own, and you can install officially approved add-ons that provide legal access to content. Kodi takes a very strict stance on piracy, stating that "Viewing or listening to illegal or pirated content that would otherwise require payment is not endorsed by the Kodi team. »

Since the software is open-source, some people install modified versions of Kodi on third-party hardware and sell them as Kodi boxes. Note that Kodi does not sell hardware, nor does it endorse any of these boxes. It does, however, offer its brand to hardware cases, such as the Flirc Edition Kodi Case for the Raspberry Pi 4 (RPi).

Some of these Kodi Boxes are perfectly legal and contain official Kodi add-ons. Others are loaded with third-party add-ons, some of which are legal and some of which are not. The only difference between an official Kodi add-on and a legitimate third-party add-on is that the latter has not been submitted to Kodi for approval. Using illicit third-party add-ons with any Kodi implementation is obviously illegal too. PCMag does not tolerate any illegal activity.

How to Install Kodi

Depending on your device, installing Kodi can be a simple or daunting task. Either way, you start at Kodi's downloads page. Here, Kodi lists all the platforms it supports, which at the time of publication are: Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, Raspberry Pi, and iOS (technically). Kodi is planning support for tvOS in the next release (via jailbreak or sideloading), but will drop support for 32-bit iOS devices. Kodi is also available on the Xbox One. Click on any of the platform logos to see the installation files available. There are three build options available for each platform: Recommended, Preview, and Development Builds (for the upcoming v19, codenamed Matrix). This guide is accurate as of the latest stable release, 18.6 (Leia).

The Leia version of Kodi focuses on improving the stability of the software over the previous version Krypton. Improvements in version 18.6 are detailed on the Kodi blog. Linux users might also be interested to know that the Kodi Foundation joined the Linux Foundation in 2019.

Kodi on Windows & macOS

At one end of the difficulty spectrum are simple installations of Windows and macOS. On the Windows side, Kodi offers three options: a download from the Microsoft Store, a 32-bit installer, and a 64-bit installer. For macOS, your only choice is a 64-bit installer. Once the file download is complete, just follow the installation instructions to the end.

kodi on linux

For Linux systems, open a terminal or SSH window and type the commands below, one line at a time:

sudo apt-get install software-properties-commonsudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppasudo apt-get updatesudo apt-get install kodi

Kodi on iOS

You could try to get Kodi on your iOS device by jailbreaking and installing Cydia, using App Signer, or using Cydia Impactor, but all of these methods are cumbersome and may not even work. If you absolutely must have Kodi on your iOS device, follow the steps in Kodi's iOS Guide. Otherwise, we recommend using a device that works with Kodi or another media management solution, such as Plex or Emby.

Kodi on Android

On Android, the easiest way to install Kodi is directly from the Google Play store. If for some reason that doesn't work, you can side-load any of the ARM-based installer packages (newer devices should opt for the ARMV8A (64-bit) option) on your device.

To set things up, just enable installs from unknown sources (for Android 10, navigate to Settings > Apps & notifications > Special app access > Install unknown apps). Navigate to the Kodi download page using one of the preferred apps, then simply download and install the package. Don't forget to turn off the unknown apps setting afterwards.

Kodi on Raspberry Pi

The easiest way to get Kodi to work on the RPi is to use a Linux distribution specifically designed to run Kodi. The official Kodi website lists a few options, including the "just enough operating system", LibreELEC. To install this distribution, just download the LibreELEC USB-SD Creator Tool file (available on Windows, macOS or Linux) and choose the correct image for your RPi generation. Then you select the removable SD card you plan to use with your RPi as the target.

Although the LibreELEC image only requires 2GB of free space, it recommends at least 4GB, so you have room for whatever you want to store locally. Once you've completed the installation process, all you need to do is plug the board into your RPi, connect the RPi to a display, and turn it on.

Kodi Update

Installing Kodi can be tricky depending on your platform. Still, at some point you will need to update the software. In most cases, updating Kodi is no different than installing it. Except for Google Play store, Microsoft Store version and some Linux-based installs, Kodi does not update its apps automatically, so you need to download and reinstall the latest version by yourself .

Kodi on Android

If you installed Kodi from the Google Play store, the app will update automatically. For manual installs, just follow the same steps with the most recent version of the app.

Kodi on Windows & macOS

For Windows and macOS, return to the Kodi download page and grab the latest version for your platform. You do not need to uninstall the previous version before running the installer. All of your user data is in a separate folder from the installation files, so none of your existing configurations will be affected. Of course, you can back up these files before updating your software via the backup add-on (I talk about add-ons a little further down) if you have serious concerns. This add-on exports (manually or on a schedule) your database, playlist, thumbnails, add-ons, and other configuration details to a local folder or Dropbox.

Kodi on iOS

iOS users who were able to install Kodi through Cydia can check the Changes section of the app for any updates. Any stable release will simply show up here when available.

For those who have used Xcode, just open iOS App Signer, download the latest .deb file, and (using the same provisioning profile) reload Kodi on your device.

kodi on linux

For Linux installations, enter the following lines of code in Terminal or SSH, one at a time:

sudo apt-get updates sudo apt-get upgrade

In some cases, if the installation fails, you will also need to run the command below to install the missing packages:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Kodi on Raspberry Pi

RPi users are in luck. If you used the LibreELEC distro, Kodi should update automatically. If for some reason Kodi does not update automatically, you can try some of the following manual alternatives LibreELEC describes on its website.

Add Files to Your Kodi Library

Once you've installed Kodi, it's time to add files. For the purposes of this guide, I tested both Windows and Android versions of Kodi, but all options and procedures should be the same on all platforms as long as you install the official version of Kodi. I had no problems installing version 18.6 (Leia) on both platforms.

To reiterate, Kodi does not provide any content. Therefore, you need to add it by yourself. On the left side of the app, you'll see a wide range of content categories, including Movies, TV Shows, Music, and Pictures. These categories work with any local or remote file, so all you need to do is add a source. Click on the Videos section, for example, and then on the Add Videos button. Each content section works the same way. In the pop-up window, you select files from any folder on your local device or an external drive (local or network). Once you add files, Kodi will index everything and populate the respective sections with your files.

Some of the other categories in this menu, like TV and Radio, require a personal video recorder (PVR) back-end. Setting up this connection can be complex, and I recommend visiting Kodi's comprehensive PVR FAQ page. on the topic if you plan to use this feature. In short, the PVR software converts your cable signal into something Kodi can actually process. If you use an antenna to watch TV, you can install a PCI tuner or receiver for your computer or laptop. Cable users (especially in the US) may have more difficulty, as providers usually encrypt the signal. In this case, you need to purchase a TV tuner that supports CableCARD and then connect it to your PC via Ethernet. In this scenario, the cable operators must physically come to your home to install and activate the CableCARD.

How to Install Kodi Addons

Kodi add-ons Their usefulness varies widely. Some, more technical, add support for various audio codecs or PVR backbones. Others affect more visual elements, such as screensavers or playback visualizations. The best way to discover useful add-ons is to spend some time browsing catalogs. You never know what may catch your eye. I recommend starting with the video add-ons section, as it has recognizable apps like DAZN, Plex, Pluto TV, Twitch, and Vimeo. Whichever you choose, installing add-ons is a simple process. Just select the add-ons section from the main content menu and enable the browser extension for add-ons. Categories of add-ons include: Look and Feel, Weather, and Context Menus, in addition to those that complement the main content categories.

Once you find one that interests you, go ahead and press the install button. Some may require additional configuration, but these settings are easily accessible through the My Add-ons section of the interface. Here you can launch, configure, update, disable or uninstall all add-ons.

Kodi makes add-ons easily accessible from relevant sections of the interface, in addition to this central repository. For example, if you navigate to the Pictures content menu section, Kodi shows you all the related add-ons you have installed. In my case, Kodi listed Google Drive, Flickr, and XKCD add-ons (for viewing entries from the daily satirical webcomic). Be careful when providing your credentials to unofficial applications that offer access to known services; you could put your account at risk.

Should you use a VPN with Kodi?

You should use a virtual private network (VPN) whenever you connect to the internet and especially when using public Wi-Fi. Therefore, if you plan to install and use add-ons (especially illegitimate third-party add-ons) that use your network connection, we recommend using a VPN to protect your privacy. A VPN, however, is not a perfect security solution and can do nothing to prevent you from downloading malware disguised as a useful third-party add-on or giving your account details to a genuine-looking login page. A VPN is simply not necessary if you only use Kodi to manage local media.

Since there are no official VPN add-ons, the easiest way to install a VPN with Kodi is to do so on the device running Kodi. A VPN will protect all internet traffic going out of your device, including that of Kodi. Native VPN apps are readily available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux systems.

If you purchased a Kodi box or your Kodi installation is not compatible with a VPN app, Brian Hornsby's OpenVPN for Kodi, although the last commit on this Github was five years ago. For this to work, you'll need to enable the Unknown Sources option in Kodi's settings to install the zip file you downloaded from GitHub as well as generate an OpenVPN profile from your VPN provider.

How to Customize Your Kodi Install

The easiest way to customize Kodi's appearance is to change the theme. Just navigate to Settings > Interface > Skins. Kodi comes preinstalled with two default skins, Estuary (default) and Estouchy (suitable for touchscreens). Click the Get More button on the right to add additional skins, but remember that not all skins support all interfaces and features. For example, some are only suitable for touchscreen devices, and others do not work with the PVR functionality described earlier.

Once you choose one, go to the Skin Settings menu item to customize its look and feel. You can select which items appear in the main content menu and toggle other items and animations. Kodi also lets you update various artwork in the app, such as thumbnails of music genres (Kodi calls these sets Fanarts) or change the background of the app.

Users can also customize how Kodi works by choosing, for example, the start page. If you're using Kodi specifically to power an HTPC setup (especially now that Plex has dropped support for HTPCs), it's a good idea to set the Movies or TV Shows content sections to default. You can also configure a screen saver for times when you are not using your installation. The default options are a bit boring (dim screen or fade to black), but more visually captivating options are also available, like one that shows Bing's Photos of the Week or scrolls through multiple Instagram feeds, for example .

Kodi also displays useful information. You can configure weather forecast information in the main content menu with a number of different services, such as Weather Underground and Yahoo Weather, and permanently add it to the top menu. Although it's not customizable, the System Information tab is a great place to go if you need to gather information about your device's hardware or network, or quickly see how much storage you have left.

If you are having any issues or just want to share your experience with Kodi on any of its many platforms, please add a comment below. We'd love to hear your thoughts on Kodi and are curious to hear how you use the software. Also, be sure to check out the official Kodi community forums for all the latest news and updates.