On a recent visit to a TV showroom, I happened to see some of the latest Smart TV models from Hisense and must confess, I was left stunned.
The features and the competitive pricing is what attracted me and I bought myself one.
Once I got home, I set up my TV and realized I had to download a lot of the apps I usually use.
Hisense Smart TVs come preinstalled with different Operating Systems(OS), but irrespective of the OS, all the Smart TV models have some sort of app store.
Since my model ran on Fire TV, I could access the Amazon app store on my TV to download apps, but this will vary depending on your OS.
You can add apps to your Hisense TV through the relevant app store on your TV. If you aren’t able to find the app you want on the app store, you can also side-load apps from third-party websites.
Adding Apps On Your Hisense Roku TV
If your Hisense Smart TV is running the Roku OS, follow the steps given below to add apps from the Roku App Store.
Make sure your TV is connected to the internet before starting the download process.
- Power up your TV.
- In your TV’s remote control, Press the Home button.
- Using the arrow controls, select the Streaming Channels option.
- Locate the tab Search Channels and select it.
- In the Search tab, enter the name of the app you want to download.
- A list of matches would be displayed, and select the app from the list.
- Press Add Channel option and the app would be installed.
Downloading Apps On a VIDAA Based Hisense Smart TVs
VIDAA is one of the most widely used Smart TV operating systems adopted by leading manufacturers including Toshiba, AKAI, Schneider, and Hisense.
It is currently in its sixth generation and is in use in over 150 countries.
The method to add apps on your VIDAA OS-based Hisense TV is given below.
- Switch on your Hisense TV. Ensure you have a working internet and your TV is connected.
- Using your TV’s remote, move to the My Apps section on the home screen and select it.
- Find the App Store from the list of apps and select it.
- Once in the App store, you can look for the app under various categories.
- You can use the search tab and find the app by typing in its name.
- Select the app and press the install tab.
- This will install the app on your Hisense Smart TV.
Getting Apps On Your Hisense Android Smart TV
Android-powered Smart TVs have grown more sophisticated and powerful over the years and Hisense too has released Smart TV models running the Android OS.
Most of the Hisense TV models sold in North America are Android-based Smart TVs.
If you own a Hisense TV model running Android, do the steps given below to install your favorite apps.
- With your TV connected to the internet, press the Home button on your remote.
- On the Home screen, find the Apps tab and select it.
- Locate Google Play Store from the list of apps displayed and open it.
- Use the search facility to find the app you are looking for by typing in the name of the required app.
(You could also use Google Assistant to search for the apps using voice commands.)
- Find the app from the search results and press the Install button, and you are done.
Installing Apps On Your Hisense Fire TV
Hisense has also come out with models supporting Amazon’s Fire TV pre-installed.
If you own any of these models, use this guide to install additional apps on your Hisense Fire TV.
As with any Smart TV, ensure internet connectivity for your TV.
Being a Fire TV, you have the convenience of logging in using your Amazon credentials during the setup process.
- Power up your TV and look for the Find option on your home screen.
- Select it with the help of your remote and enter the name of the app that you want to install into the search window.
- Choose the app from the results displayed and go to the Get tab.
- Press the Get tab and your app will get installed.
Getting Apps From The VEWD App store
The following section will discuss the steps that are involved in getting apps from the VEWD App Store (VEWD was formerly known as Opera TV).
Some models of Hisense TVs come with the VEWD OS installed giving access to the VEWD App store.
The biggest advantage with VEWD is that it is a cloud-based app repository and you run the apps from the VEWD App store without installing them on your TV.
The result being you are able to save valuable memory. This also helps in improving the performance of your TV.
Another benefit of using VEWD is that it is updated automatically.
Perform the steps listed down to access your favorite apps from the VEWD app store.
- Before proceeding further, check that your TV has an active internet connection.
- In your Hisense TV, access the Apps section with the help of the remote.
- Locate the VEWD App store and open it.
- Use the search tab to find the app you want. Type in the name of the app and you will be presented with a list.
- Select the app followed by pressing Install.
- The requested app would now be available on your TV.
Sideloading Apps To Your Hisense TV
In the event that your TV’s App store doesn’t have your favorite app, you can still install the app manually.
This process is called App Sideboarding.
This process works best with Smart TVs running the Android OS.
The process can be accomplished in two ways – one using a USB Stick and the other through a web browser.
Before embarking on your Sideboarding journey, a word of caution – Download apps and related files only from trusted third-party websites.
There are a lot of unscrupulous apps out there which could infect your device with viruses and malware.
The first step that you have to perform is to enable your Android TV to accept third-party apps.
To do this, do the following:
- Access your TV settings by clicking on the settings icon on your home screen
- Select Security and restrictions and Click on Unknown Sources tab.
- Use the toggle control to enable it.
- Once done, your TV would allow the installation of apps other than from the Play Store.
- Open the Play Store and search for Sideload Launcher App.
- Select the app and go ahead by installing it.
(If the File Manager App is not installed by default, install it too from the Play Store)
Sideboarding using a USB Stick
- Open your PC and access the third-party website that hosts the app you want.
- Find the app and download the .apk file of the app.
- After finishing the download, transfer the .apk file onto a USB stick.
- Start your Hisense TV and plug the USB Stick into any of the USB ports.
- Open File Manager and view the content on your USB Stick.
- Navigate and locate the .apk file that you downloaded and click it to start the installation.
- Now using the Sideload Launcher app that you installed previously, locate the installed app and launch it.
Sideboarding from a Web Browser
- Open the web browser on your TV.
- Search and locate the .apk file of the app that you want to install and download it.
- Once downloaded, using File Manager, locate the just downloaded .apk file.
- Click install and the app would be installed in a few seconds.
Wrapping Up
Hisense Smart TVs come loaded with a lot of apps pre-installed.
They also have the respective App stores based on the OS installed, enabling users to install apps other than those which are already present.
Please keep in mind that it is recommended to install the apps from the respective App store on your TV as the developers would have optimized the apps for the respective OS.
Doing so would also give access to regular updates.
One should download and install third-party apps only for lack of other alternatives.
Before proceeding, you must ensure that the installation files are downloaded from trusted websites as there is a risk of infecting your TV with malware or spyware.
Frequently Asked Questions
What apps are available on Hisense Smart TV?
All the models of Hisense Smart TVs come installed with the most widely used and popular apps including Netflix, Disney Plus, Youtube, and HBO MAX.
Open the apps section of your TV to see the full list of the available apps.
How do I install third-party apps on my Hisense Smart TV?
This can be done through a process called Side Loading. Use Refer to the section on Side Loading for the detailed process.
Is Hisense Android or Roku?
Hisense has Smart Tv models based on all leading operating systems including Android, Roku, Fire OS, and VIDAA OS.
